Profile last updated Wednesday 21st July 2010
During the 70s and 80s I used film SLR cameras and had a darkroom. I started with a Zenit E and then moved on to an Asahi Pentax Spotmatic II and upgraded twice keeping with Pentax. The expense of film, negative dust and scratches and carrying a heavy kit bag around put me off photography. In the end, I went for a 35mm compact for parties and holiday snaps.
I bought a digital in April 2003 to replace the compact. I loved it. It allowed me to get back into photography. No limit on exposures and I could experiment with no expense. I upgraded in August 2004, loved the new camera even more. I started retirement on 1st Jan 2005, joined Flickr on 14th Feb 2005 and, as they say, the rest is history. In May 2005 I upgraded again to a dSLR (Canon 350D > 30D > 40D > 7D) and now have a kit bag and a darkroom (Photoshop CS3) again. Browsing Flickr made me realise that I wasn't alone taking images of cans, piles of tiles, rust and squared circles (I didn't know what squared circles were then or how to crop them properly but I did capture one). So with carte blanche I capture anything and everything and don't feel self-conscious about it. Flickr provides the ultimate global album for the photographs. Flickr also exercises the side of my brain that I enjoyed using at work i.e. organising and tagging the photographs, creating sets, admining groups, writing guidelines and webbing. Nearly forgot, photography with Flickr feeds my obsession of collecting things and it's a lot cheaper than CDs, DVDs and books. That's me in a nutshell...I can't leave the shutter shut.
My photostream consists of:
Photographs I've uploaded because I'd like the world to view and comment on them. They are organised in sets.
Links to photographs: [ Random ] [ Images in Explore ] [ Interestingness ]
Collection & Reference sets of general interest e.g.
Fun photographs
squared circles (over 25,000)
letters (over 8,000)
numbers (over 12,000)
signs (over 6,000)
They are organised in sets. Most of the images are posted to subject groups on Flickr.
The majority of my photographs are covered by a Creative Commons License - Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0.
I admin/co-admin the following groups:
Letters and Numbers
Norwich & Norfolk
Norwich & Norfolk Flickr Meets
Cemeteries
The Rest
- JoinedFebruary 2005
- OccupationRetired
- HometownNorwich, England, UK
- Current cityNorwich, Norfolk
- CountryEngland, UK
Most popular photos
Testimonials
People don't write these often anymore but I must say that Leo is a great bloke that I met via Flickr on one of his many jaunts and you need to settle down with a flask and sandwiches to enjoy the diverse stream here. He's got the organisational skills I wish I had myself, he's a great photographer and as obsessive in… Read more
People don't write these often anymore but I must say that Leo is a great bloke that I met via Flickr on one of his many jaunts and you need to settle down with a flask and sandwiches to enjoy the diverse stream here. He's got the organisational skills I wish I had myself, he's a great photographer and as obsessive in his need to photograph the world around him. He's a true star.
Read lessThe undisputed king of Norwich Flickr. Eclecticism at it's finest, always something new to look at, or a different way of looking at something, or just something you haven't spotted, long may his eye rove and his shutter click.
Simply the most prolific photographer I've met on Flickr, and a careful and thoughtful curator. I aspire to be this productive.
Norwich's answer to Andy Warhol.
A precise description. The King of Squared Circles.
After six months on flickr, I have decided to pay a few debts, and LeoL30 is the biggest. I have learned so much from other photographers, but above all it is looking at the way that Leo works that has affected the way I work myself. His eye for detail, his concentration on the particular and specific, are exciting an… Read more
After six months on flickr, I have decided to pay a few debts, and LeoL30 is the biggest. I have learned so much from other photographers, but above all it is looking at the way that Leo works that has affected the way I work myself. His eye for detail, his concentration on the particular and specific, are exciting and inspiring. I have learned that simplicity is the key to a spectacular image, and that less is always more. His documentation of Norwich is an inspiration to any urban photographer. A city is made up of the smallest details, and there are millions of them, always something new to be found. In no small part thanks to Leo, I find myself looking at details even when I do not have a camera with me.
Read lessdocumentarian extraordinaire
Leo - the biggest Flickr addict I have come across. He could write books on his subjects of interest! Go, Leo, go!
What fun, Leo has a set for just about everything!
LeoL30 is one of the very few flickrinos I have actually met. He is an incredible photographer and is interested in so many things pertaining to the city that you never know which group he is going to open next! I am thankful to him for introducing me to the joys of squarecircling and that means being taught by a maste… Read more
LeoL30 is one of the very few flickrinos I have actually met. He is an incredible photographer and is interested in so many things pertaining to the city that you never know which group he is going to open next! I am thankful to him for introducing me to the joys of squarecircling and that means being taught by a master of the art! I discovered photographing cemeteries through him too. He is a dedicated admin and I have come to consider him as a friend. His photostream is amazingly rich and varied and each of his trips brings new and fascinating sets. Don't miss them!
Read lessTo suggest that Leo L30 has a tendency for obsessive behaviour would be putting it lightly. With an average of 1000 pics uploaded for each month of his Flickr membership, it's a wonder he has time to eat and sleep in between squircling for England and roving round Norwich in search of more surprising, everyday, neglect… Read more
To suggest that Leo L30 has a tendency for obsessive behaviour would be putting it lightly. With an average of 1000 pics uploaded for each month of his Flickr membership, it's a wonder he has time to eat and sleep in between squircling for England and roving round Norwich in search of more surprising, everyday, neglected sights. I'm so glad I introduced Leo to Flickr. Yes, it's my fault. Sorry.
Read lessThe other day, I saw something and said "Hmmm. Verdigris. Wish I had my camera," which is clearly his fault. Because I'm not one who just throws the word "verdigris" around. In any case, I really love to look through Leo's stream -- there's so much to see, and it's a good place to get lost for a little while.
Leo is doors. He isn't a round peg in a square hole. He is about discovering things in forgotten places. Look. Just look.
He isn't just about circles, Leo has a truely wonderful photostream and many many brilliant photos. A talented photographer in every sense of the word.
Where would the Squared Circle group be without Leo? His images are a delight and he keeps them coming at a fast clip. Always enjoy seeing what he sees, next!