My ageing 70D may not be in the professional class, but coupled with the Tamron 18-400mm super zoom it has the flexibility to engage with many subjects effectively. A day out with the camera is a day of  exploring and investigating. That is certainly enough to keep me happy – with every satisfying image a bonus!

The best things about using a camera are the ways in which it makes you observe more closely, see more clearly, examine subjects more intensely. That being said, the worst things about using a camera are the ways in which it can tempt you to be exclusive, focusing on the photo instead of being mindful of the present, capturing a photo moment instead of a set of contextual memories, creating an image for putting yourself in or at a scene, instead of understanding and appreciating your place in the scene.

Photographers should always be clear about their purpose, either recording an aspect of reality or creating a new one. Photography should not be deceitful.