Bob Telford currently living in Blanchland. Recently returned to the North-East after retiring from many years working in the South West of England.

Who or what inspired you to take up photography?

Inspired by a love of wildlife and the wish to capture it for viewing at leisure rather than just the fleeting glimpse of real time.

What was your first camera?

My first DSLR was a Sony A500 paired with a Sigma 50-500 in 2011 when I retired.

Is there anything in particular you enjoy photographing most, and why?

My particular love and speciality is wildlife with a special love of birds inflight or activity. The challenge is to be able to capture particular aspects of behaviour that can be missed in real time and then to continually strive for an even better image. I am now taking more of an interest in landscape, but I don’t think it will ever replace wildlife as the main subject.

What's your go-to kit at the moment?

I have been lucky to move on to a Canon 1DX mkii with a Canon 500mm f4.

Do you spend much time in post-production and what software do you use?

I shoot in RAW and therefore have to do some post processing for each that I save. I have found that shooting in RAW does make me much more selective in what I will keep from a day of shooting.

Do you have any advice for budding photographers?

I would always advise lenses are the best investment. A top-quality lens is almost a "for life" investment, whereas camera models are revamped every couple of years and do wear out with use. Also shoot in RAW format if possible – not only do you get better results, but you become more selective about what you keep – not that you would think that when you see how many photographs I have on Flickr, – but Flickr is also an extra back-up. Talking of back-ups – keep at least two copies in separate places – external hard drives are cheap now and an excellent place to keep back ups and, of course, do it automatically or regularly. Practice, practice, practice.