Welcome to Steve's Photographs (formerly known as Wotton Photographs), a collection of photo galleries by Steve Knibbs, featuring Wotton-Under-Edge and the surrounding area, as well as pictures of plants, animals and various places I have visited.   Wotton-Under-Edge is a small town on the edge of the Cotswold Hills in South-West England.

Some of these photographs are for sale as prints (mounted or framed if required) or digital files.   Please visit the shop page if you are interested.

The Photographer - Steve Knibbs

I have lived in Wotton-Under-Edge since 1995 and have been interested in digital photography since 2003.   Prior to that I used a 35mm camera.   My main photographic subjects are landscapes, wildlife, plant-life and macro photography (close-ups).   Favourite locations include the Cotswolds, Cornwall and Wales.   I hope you enjoy the pictures on this web site.

Feedback

I welcome any comments on the photographs or the web site.   Please contact me here.

Equipment

Camera

I use a Canon EOS 300D digital SLR camera.   This is a 6 megapixel camera, producing picture files of 3072x2048 pixels.   I am extremely pleased with the picture quality this camera produces.   Here is a review of the 300D.

Lenses

I use a Sigma 17-70 F/2.8-4.5 lens for wide angle and standard focal length pictures.   This is a very versatile lens, covering a useful range of focal lengths and capable of focusing as close as 20cm.   The image quality is much better than the standard Canon 18-55mm lens.

For telephoto work I use an EF 70-200 F/4L, from Canon's 'L' range of professional quality lenses.   This lens produces superb quality pictures and is my main lens for wildlife photography.

I use a Canon 100mm macro lens for close-up work.   It also makes a good general purpose short telephoto lens.   Picture quality from this lens is excellent.

Filters

I fit a UV filter to my lenses to protect them from general wear and tear.   I sometimes use a polarising filter to enhance blue skies, reduce glare and increase colour saturation.

Printer

I print my photographs on an Epson R800 printer, which prints up to A4 size prints.   In my experience, the print quality is generally as good as professional printing companies (better in some cases).   The archival quality of the Epson ink and paper is reputed to be extremely good.   I use genuine Epson ink and Epson's premium quality photo paper, although I have also obtained good results using Ilford's smooth gloss paper.   For greeting cards, I use WH Smiths prefolded A6 gloss or A5 matt greeting cards.

I also use professional printing companies.   My current favorite is Photobox.co.uk.

Camera Support Equipment

Although I take many of my photographs 'handheld', there are occasions when a proper camera support is essential.   My general purpose tripod is a Velbon Ultra-Luxi-F, which is an extremely convenient, light-weight tripod.   It can be erected and refolded very quickly by simply twisting the bottom of the legs and extending to the required length.   It folds small enough to put in a backpack.

When I need more stability or versatility than the Velbon, I use a Benbo Trekker Mk2 tripod.   It is not as portable as the Velbon but is sturdier, more weather resistant and can put a camera in just about any position imaginable, including right down to ground level.

For both tripods, I use a manfrotto ball head, which I find provides more control than the 'pan and tilt' heads that are supplied with some tripods.

I use a beanbag for low level photography.   It can also be rested on a convenient fence post and used as a support for general photography.

How to Find Steve's Photographs on the Web

		Wotton-Under-Edge Town Council
		Wotton - Under - Edge