This was my first SLR. The Canon AE-1 was an 80’s classic and was a present from my father-in-law a little while after I got my first digital compact camera and started to express an interest in photography.

Although I don’t use it often, or at all, these days it’s still important to me as it taught me a few things…Firstly that photography is something I really wanted to do, secondly that I really did need an SLR, and finally that if I was going to be a photographer it would have to be with a digital SLR. Nothing wrong with film if that’s your thing but I love the freedom, speed and experimentation that digital allows and having grown up with computers I’m happier editing on a PC than in a dark room. Enough waffle, here’s the entry complete with glowing magenta background for that classic 80’s look…

And the moral for this week is work with what you’ve got. I’ve been in the Lake District for the last week and when faced with the theme of ‘Speed’, there wasn’t an obvious subject to hand. I did think about trying a panning effect with a sheep but they weren’t playing ball so I took a long shutter speed shot of a waterfall for this week’s entry. I’m not sure it shouts ’speed’ but I think it fits in with the theme just about.

There’s more to come from the Lake district soon.

You win some, you lose some…and this week I lost. Mostly I was beaten by time though and I’ll come back to this another time.

I like street photography but I sometimes find it difficult to get going with as it mostly involves pointing my camera at strangers. Now, you may say that’s what I do at a wedding, but everyone at a wedding knows who I am and (I would hope) is expecting me to take their photo so there’s no tension.

Out on the streets it’s a different matter and some people don’t like having their photo taken. I suppose that’s why this week’s post for ’street’ doesn’t have any people in it and, if I’d really had the time to get stuck in, it would.

I’ve just thought of a great idea for this too which I’m keeping under my hat but for now here’s this week’s photo…