Published photographer, illustrator and author! Had a career in the creative arts - practice and teaching. Born in London and now living on the West Coast of Scotland. Interested in aviation, shipping, maritime history, travel and more!

With the exception of my first two digital cameras (an Olympus and a Sony) I now only use Canon camera bodies, with a mix of Canon and Sigma lenses. However, with Sigma lenses I've frustratingly experienced numerous failings, particularly with AF.

For me, composition - and overall context - is an important aesthetic consideration in my photography. Now, after many years of using cropped sensor cameras, my preference is for the full-frame ratio of 3:2 ( I no longer crop my photos to anything other than this, although previously I used the ratio of the Golden Mean). Wherever and whenever possible, I try to compose through the camera, rather than relying on post-processing. And for post-processing I only use Adobe Photoshop.

Whilst I'm an enthusiastic supporter and frequent user of Flickr (I don't use other social media platforms), there are some Flickr groups being 'led' or 'administered' by pompous, egotistical individuals who not only apply their own extreme subjectivity as to which images they accept or reject, they also deliberately do not apply consistency in applying their own 'rules'! Such double standards, often by people with a poor appreciation and understanding of visual aesthetics, make a mockery of these groups! Worse, are the many examples of group administrators claiming that their groups are only for so-called high quality images, yet even a cursory examination of photos taken by these administrators frequently shows a formulaic approach to the point of making such photos boringly repetitive and uninspiring!

Website: www.michaelleek.co.uk

© Michael Leek. No image to be copied or reproduced without prior written permission.

Author of:

The British Aerospace Harrier - A Photographic Tribute (in preparation for 2026)

The Panavia Tornado - A Photographic Tribute 2015

The British Aerospace Hawk - A Photographic Tribute 2014

United States Coast Guard Barque Eagle 2014

Military Low Flying in the UK - The Skill of Pilots and Photographers 2012

The Encyclopaedia of Airbrush Technique 1989 and 1995

The Art of Nautical Illustration - A Visual Tribute to the Classic Marine Artists 1991 and 2001

Contributing author:

The New Guide to Illustration 1990. And many others too...!

Photographs published in or by;

Aircraft Illustrated, Air Forces Monthly, Amateur Photographer, Aviation in Action

BBC News, BBC Scotland, BBC Weather and BBC website

The Daily Mail, Daily Record (used illegally! Took action against them and they paid compensation to a charity of my choice.), DPReview, Dunoon Observer

Fishing News, Flight Global, Flight International

Knock News

Luftled (Norwegian Air Power Journal)

Mariner's Mirror, Marine Traffic, Model Shipwright

The Northern Scot

Photography Monthly, Practical Photography, Press & Journal

RAF Brize Norton Official Instagram Account, RAF News, RAF Valley

Ships Monthly

USN Air Station Jacksonville, USA

Valley Wings RAF Valley

Water Under The Keel (by Capt David Beveridge), World Naval Review 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023 & 2024

...and in many other publications and websites; too numerous to list!

© Michael Leek. No image to be copied or reproduced without prior written permission. Thank you!