My first camera was a twin-lens box camera that my father gave me ca 1954, when I was 10. Then, at my confirmation I got a Voigtländer Vito B. That was in 1959. I used it until about 1964, after which I used a number of Pentax SLRs. In the 80's I bought two Minox 35 mm cameras for me and my wife, but they broke down after a few years. I later bought two Minolta SLRs. They were fine cameras, but I didn't take very many pictures in those years.

My first digital camera was a Konica Minolta DiMAGE 7, bought in 1999. Very expensive, but it was a good camera for its time. I didn't use it much. I then thought I would take more pictures if I had a camera that I could put in my pocket. That was an Olympus FE160. Surprisingly good. I must have given it to someone, don't remember to whom. Next came a Nikon Coolpix S8000, also a pocket model, which I used for a few years. Then I started to really take pictures, and thought I should have a more potent camera, which turned out to be a Nikon Coolpix P520. I loved it - it was the best camera I had ever had. After a year there was a breakin in my house. The thieves left the analog cameras, but took all the digital ones. I bought another Nikon Coolpix P520, and still loved it. It has a 49x zoom lens. Wow! But eventually, after my son had wrinkled his nose when I talked about it, I began to see that the real crispness in the pictures just wasn't there. The P520 was inexpensive, around 250€. I was then persuaded to buy a Panasonic Lumix FZ100, which is now the camera I use. It cost three times as much, and the zoom range is smaller, 24-400 mm equivalent. But I absolutely love it. At last I have all the sharpness that I like.

When I was 15, I worked in a photo shop during a summer. I and an older boy were often left to take care of everything from selling film and cameras to developing and printing customer's holiday pictures. That's when I swore never to take pictures of the Eiffel tower, with Aunt Jemima underneath. I also will never, ever, take selfies. If you should ever see me taking one, you have my permission to shoot me.

I love Flickr, and spend way too much time on it. As I'm retired I can afford the time, but should probably do some cleaning and gardening from time to time.

I don't join groups where you are required to comment, award or fave other pictures. That feels like cheating. I fave and comment on pictures I like, when I want. I like when members look at my pictures, and appreciate faves and nice comments, also criticism and error corrections, but the blotchy awards I could do without.

Thanks for reading this!