A big hello from Oz! A recent member of this rather fine site, so I thought I'd better say hi and let you all know a little something about myself (briefly, promise!)

Basically I've been an avid photographer since I could walk (that's about 42 years ago), and have always gravitated toward anything with a lens, much to the chagrin of my father who rather hoped I'd follow in his footsteps and develop a fascination with fast cars and all things automotive.

My first SLR camera (after stints with instamatics, instant film and other cheap plastic) was a Minolta XG-1, which I loved and eventually got a decent darkroom together to process my own work. It began my love affair with black and white, and introduced me to the work of the great Ansel Adams. I've had many cameras in the last 40 years or so, currently four of different formats, but nothing compares to my beloved 4x5. It's not the most beautiful cosmetically, but love makes us overlook those superficial imperfections! My Toyo 45G has been responsible for drawing me back to photography when I was almost ready to throw in the towel and retire from picture taking (I blame the soulless digital revolution for my attitude) and I can't imagine never again shooting on such a format, or larger (I have an 8x10 on the way!).

Well that's me as a photographer in a nutshell. I hope to further develop my passion for creative photography (I shoot a variety of styles) further with the endless possibilities of the large format camera. Looking forward to seeing everyone in the forums!