//I'd like to introduce myself....

Firstly, thanks for coming this far, hopefully you're going to have a look around and browse at some of the photographs I have taken so far. A few galleries are up and running now with a few photographs in each, with the galleries being updated on a regular basis.

If you want to know all about the equipment I'm using then it's all listed below, but it's not something I get too involved in. Sure, the camera is important but it's a tool to get me the image I want. The camera can only take you so far!

I live just outside of Manchester and love the suburban areas as these open up so many good photo opportunites with regards to urban landscapes and architecture, although I do resent some of the demolition of older buildings that are replaced by apartments and the like. It's amazing how many apartments are being built in Greater Manchester!

Currently I'm experimenting with still life photography and with portraits - although with portraits I'm having to experiment on myself while a find a willing and suitable model! The frustrating part is spotting a good photo opportunity only for it to be ruined - it's amazing how people change when a camera is pointed at them!

The Tools

So what do I carry around with me and why have I chosen the kit I have? On the internet and on photographic forums will spends hours arguing over what kit you should be using and it can get pretty tribal at times. So I do my best to ignore them as much as possible. It's amazing the amount of money you can spend on photography and some people seem to have a bottomless pit of cash and buy more or less whatever they want. I do not! Below is the photography equipment I own and a brief description of why I chose said equipment:

Camera (Digital): Canon EOS 400D

This is Canons budget DSLR. I read a number of reviews comparing one make to another and then read on forums to gauge what users thought about it. It's nice and small compared to other DSLR's but thats why I like it. Some of the cameras I've seen are huge and I wouldn't want to carry something like that around. Photography seems to be the only industry where 'big' is good. It's easy to use and didn't take me long to get to grips with all the settings available. Everything also seems to be one or two clicks away which is good (this is the iPod generation!).

Camera (35mm film): Pentax K1000 with 50mm lens

I've not had any exposures processed at the moment as I am choosing each film shot wisely! This is a manual SLR film camera which a friend of mine gave to me in summer 2007. I will update further when I've spent more time with the camera.

Lens: EF-S 18-55, EF 50mm f/1.8 II

I'm using the standard kit lens that shipped with the camera. Again people bitch about it but I'm enjoying using it and I'm pleased with the results. It's obviously not going to be as good as a more expensive piece of glass but for now it will do. I've recently purchased the cheapest lens available to Canon users, the EF 50mm f/1.8 and so far it's great and some of the shots are amazingly clear but to be honest I've not used it as much as I would have liked.

Lens: Tamron AF70-300 f/4-5.6 LD Macro 1:2

I got this in September 2007 because I wanted to get a little nearer to my subjects without having to get up close. I don't use it too oten to be honest but considering its price, I am really pleased with it

//Why call the site The Spill?

Thats because I wanted something simple without using my name (e.g, myname.co.uk) and, after an hour of scribbling down suitable names, I chose a few of my favourites and decided on The Spill, as in spilling ones thoughts/ideas onto a page/website.