As a child I mucked about with my parents' camera, and as a teenager had a basic Minolta point-n-click. I learned that I loved the possibilities it provided to capture fleeting moments - and that view-finder cameras are lousy for portraiture. Then in 2011 I used a DSLR for the first time, and from that point become an avid hobby photographer. Beginning with bugs and birds in our back garden, I started to document the life and times of our community - originally in our small town, and then for a couple of years in a Chinese city, and now in the small New Zealand city where we have recently moved.

Photography is a way for me to say - to whisper or to shout or simply to state without fuss, "Look! Look at this happening, this person I love, this butterfly. Look!" The world is full of wonders and joy. And sometimes sadness and horror. And I want to say, "Look". I want to bear witness, and I want to remember. And as I grow older, I'm finding myself deeply glad to have such a stream of memory into which I may dip.

I'm enjoying the collegial aspect of Flickr and appreciate comments. Tell me what you think works in my images and I'll do more of it!

If I'm following you, it's because I think your photography is terrific, and I want to see more of it - especially my fellow kiwi photographers.

Cheers

RDB

PS I feel strongly that photography is a privilege, and comes with responsibilities. Specifically, I feel responsible for what happens to images of people who allow me to photograph them. If you favourite my pictures and they end up surrounded by porn, I will remove my image from your collection. You're entitled to your diversion, but not with my pics. If you fave my photos or follow me, but have a photo-stream or favourites list with mostly children in various states of undress or sports/swimwear, I will block you. Ditto if you have no pics of your own visible. Anything that hints at the sexualisation of children will lead to an automatic block and a complaint to Flickr staff.