PM Subscriber Spotlight: Dustboat
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Photographer: Dave Wild• Web Site: http://dustboat.com • Location: Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom
Contact: dave at wild dot name • Member Since: 12/22/05
Equipment: Canon Ixus 55 & Konica Minolta Dimage Z5
PM: How did you get involved in photography?
DW: I had taken photographs at irregular intervals throughout my life but these were usually snapshots. The turning point was in 2003 when I was diagnosed with Diabetes and decided to use mountain biking to get fit. This let me outdoors in to some beautiful places, primarily around Sherwood Forest and the Peak District in the UK. The choice of camera - at the time a Canon Ixus 400, was made largely based on it's size and being quick and easy to use whilst out cycling without fear of damage.
PM: How would you describe your photographic style?
DW: I find style hard to quantify. I started experimenting with digitalinfrared photography last year and those shots are amongst my favourites - especially the more alien looking ones that you just woundn't get traditionally.
PM: Why do you photoblog?
DW: After a few years of taking photographs, some of the best photographs I've seen are on other photoblogs. Having a photoblog is partly about being part of that community. Sometimes a comment left opens my eyes to such beauty uploaded by other photobloggers. The comments are important - photoblogs tend to be visited by other photobloggers so the comments have extra weight.
PM: What are your strengths and weakness as a photographer?
DW: I'm impatient. I have a tendency to take a lot of shots to pick the best out of rather than taking a lot of time over each one to make them count. Getting involved with infrared photography has slowed me down somewhat and forced me to use monopods and tripods for long exposure shots - this has been a good thing overall, not just for the infrared shots. I am still impatient though!
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PM: What is your background, and what are you doing when you are not photoblogging?
DW: I live in a small village as close as it's possible to get to Sherwood Forest. The local forests feature heavily in my photographs - it's so nice being able to escape all of the trappings of modern life and really get away from it all - for a while at least! I work for an IT company but in my spare time I like to be out in the countryside mountain biking. I also help maintain one of the UK's premier mountain biking web sites - MTB Britain. Cycling and walking started to take up a lot of my spare time but it's nice that they can be combined with photography and is good for your health at the same time!