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Tim Parkin
Amateur Photographer who plays with big cameras and film when in between digital photographs.
Continuing our reader profiles, I caught up with Alex Taylor on the phone last week and he told me a little bit about his passion for landscape photography. Like many photographers of a certain generation, Alex started with a Zenith camera, bought as a present when young (in this case a Zenit11 - mine was a Zenith E) and along with the odd roll of Kodakchrome 200 used this through his teens until more important things arose (so to speak).
Nothing much happened as far as photography went then until he met his current wife about 14 years ago. Her step family is from Canada and when he went to visit, he was told by his father that he would have to "Get some pictures if you're going to that Rockies place!" and so started a long lasting passion (for his wife as well as his photography I presume).
An electrician by trade working in Halifax, his interests in all things engineering has led him to build up a little collection of cameras including Rolleiflex VA/VB, Yashica LM's, an RB67 kit, Bronica S2s,SQ-As, ETRSs, Mamiya 645 and C33s, Nikon FE and an XPan as well as working his way through to his fourth digital SLR (a D700).
He did mention a love for the panoramic photograph, mentioning that the XPan used to make some wonderful transparencies. He now shoots and stitches panormaics on his D700 though, taking inspiration from Mark Denton and also from David Noton's stictched pans. However, it's Joe Cornish's First Light that got him intrigued by photography (I think it's been responsible for a fair few photography obsessions) and he's been on a few of his workshops which he well and truly recommends.
The places he most wants to visit? Kananaskis in the Rocky Mountains, Skye and interestinly Saltwick Nab (although those of us who has been there know the amazing potential that often gets ignored in this incredible place). He's just bought a Toyota campervan (Granvia petrol 2WD version) and is hoping that this well see him getting further afield.
Thanks to Alex and we've included a few photographs. If you want to see more, you can visit his website at his Digital Photographer portfolio page or on Fotopic
