Ian Cook

I would like firstly like to thank Mike and the team for allowing me to share my story.  I'm going to share how started with my hobby with photography and hope you enjoy reading it. I purchased my first SLR camera in 1977 - an Olympus OM 1 camera. 

I bought it mainly to photograph dogs at shows I attended at the time (Kind of a hobby within a hobby). I took many photographs and slides. This went on for some years and I learned the basics of photography such as depth of field and how different settings affect the picture.

 I stopped going to the dog shows sometime later and also the desire for photography sadly ended. The camera was left in a cupboard for some years...

Fast forward to 2005 and a friend of mine purchased a Nikon camera and sent me some photos he had taken. It made me think I might like to get back into photography once again. The technology had moved now to digital. Not knowing what make or model of camera to buy, I asked for some recommendations - I was recommended to buy an entry-level camera. 

The one that got the most recommendations was the Pentax K100D so I went to my local camera store and purchased it with the kit lens. I still went to the odd dog show but found my main interest was now photography, particularly wildlife and landscapes.

I came across Mike's website some years later and started to watch his tutorials. One of the first things that drew me back to watching more videos was his enthusiasm for the game. I learned quite a bit from the tutorials. One that springs to mind is the use on leading lines, which I look to incorporate in a photo whenever possible. I also learned to slow down and think a picture though and to look for different angles to get the best results.

Sadly due to spinal problems, I don't get out with the camera now which I miss, but do always enjoy the latest videos shared on the site.

I wish Mike and the team every success for the future. I also look forward to enjoying more videos and continue to learn more from them.