I am a photographer (amongst other things) now based in Northumberland. My interest in photography was sparked from a very young age when, in watching and “assisting” my dad, I became fascinated by the art and science of making pictures. At that time my dad used a fabulous German Rolleiflex medium format twin lens reflex camera, and a rather less impressive Russian Zorki 4 rangefinder. Neither of these two cameras employed any automation; this was the time of manual focusing and manual exposure control using a handheld light meter. And there was none of the immediacy afforded by LCD screens. In those days you had to wait hours, days, or sometimes even weeks, to review the fruits of your labours. But all of that instilled a discipline within me which remains as relevant to digital photography as it did when I was using film.

The same is true of image processing. I have spent many hours in darkrooms over the years, bathed in insipid red light and breathing noxious chemicals. I have dodged, burned, solarised and made composite images the hard way! I have, on occasions, been lucky enough to work in a professional darkroom, but for the most part my DIY processing involved the crude adaptation of kitchens and bathrooms – usually much to the annoyance of my housemates.

My first SLR was a Fujica ST605N, which had the fabulous innovation of a built-in light meter – a little needle on the left hand side of the viewfinder. However, I soon tired of the camera’s limitations, particularly the softness of the images that it created. In that sense it was grossly inferior to the much older Rolleiflex. So I worked and I saved and eventually acquired a magnificent Canon A1 and a clutch of Canon lenses. What a system! The camera was space age; it had multiple automatic modes and an amazing LED display in the viewfinder. And the lenses were pin sharp. I used the A1 for over 20 years, and I would still be using it now had film not been usurped by digital technology. I still have the camera and a huge collection of the images that I took with it; boxes of Kodachrome slides and envelopes stuffed full of black and white prints. I might post some here if I get a chance.

I actually used to dream of digital photography before it became a reality; the thought of image processing from the comfort of an armchair was a compelling concept. I bought a Nikon Coolpix fairly early on and flirted with digital processing using the first version of Adobe Elements. But it wasn’t until I got my hands on a DSLR that I became truly hooked. A friend of a friend turned up at a do I attended in 2004. He had a Canon EOS 300D, sporting a 6MP sensor. I was agog! And so, once again, I saved and in 2005 I bought my first DSLR – a Nikon D70. I have taken literally thousands of photos with the D70, some of which feature in my Photostream. I honed my digital skills on this camera.

The inadequacies of the kit lens were apparent from the start and, although digital techniques allowed me to work around them, I knew that I would have to move on. Also, having cut my teeth on 35mm film I longed for a camera with a full-frame sensor. I simply couldn’t get used to the magnifying effect of the Nikon’s CCD sensor.

Had Nikon produced a full-frame camera at that time then I would have unquestionably remained loyal to the brand. Nikon cameras have always had a better quality feel to them. But, in the event, I was forced back to Canon and in early 2007 I acquired a 5D and a couple of L lenses. I am still with Canon, although I have upgraded to a 5D Mark II – a camera that should suit my needs for a long time to come, provided that it doesn’t conk out!

I have worked with the full version of Adobe Photoshop since acquiring my D70. It is a fantastic piece of software. Photographers who are still in denial about the demise of film seem to reserve particular contempt for Photoshop and its ilk. More than anything else they seem to regard it as having perverted the art of photography. But it’s just a tool. It’s the modern of equivalent of waggling a piece of paper under the light of enlarger, or changing filters to adjust the contrast on a piece of Ilford Multigrade paper. Although it’s far more convenient and for the purists I suspect that it’s just an inappropriate application of the “no pain, no gain” principle.

Photoshop is also dismissed as a gimmick. True, it can produce some really outlandish and surreal results, which in the hands of an expert can be used to jaw-dropping effect. But, for me, the power of the software is in its infinite subtlety; its ability to tease out every detail in an image. And if you want to learn from a master then, in my opinion, you can do no better than Martin Evening and his book Adobe Photoshop ... for Photographers.

Photoshop doesn’t excuse poor camera technique. True, it can “save” a technically inadequate snap, but you will never get the best out of its abilities unless you get things right “in camera”. Even a single stop of underexposure loses a massive amount of data. Just look in the shadows if you want the evidence. If you have underexposed then they are invariably a mess of unwanted artefacts. And no amount of manipulation will retrieve the situation. You need to work to get a balanced exposure in the first place, using graduated filters if necessary. And if the dynamic range is still too great then work with a view towards compositing multiple shots in Photoshop. The point is – understand the abilities of your camera and always work to screw every last detail out of whatever it is you’re photographing. I’m often accused of “faffng”, particularly when I’m out in the field. I think it’s meant to be a criticism, but I’ve come to regard it as a compliment. It’s evidence that I’m obviously taking my time to get things right!

Most of what you see here is available for purchase Royalty Free through www.istockphoto.com/blackbeck.