Bernard is a serious lover of photography. He has been taking photographs since being given a Minolta “Hi-matic 11” by his aunt and uncle when he was 12 years of age. This was an excellent first camera, a range finder, equipped with a 50mm f-1.7 lens. It could be run on fully automatic exposure, or shutter speed priority and thanks to his dad, and other older friends at church, he learned a lot about the basics of photography.

Through his studies in Physics 1 at university, he increased his photographic knowledge, including how to develop, enlarge and print black and white film.

In 1987 he graduated to a film SLR, slowly building up his kit with an additional lenses, extension tubes for close up work, flash guns, various filters, tripods and a slivered umbrella for portraits. More recently he joined the digital photography revolution, first with a compact digital and then with a digital SLR which has been replaced (up-graded) a few times now. As well as capturing memories of family and friends and the many places around the world that his voice has taken him, he has developed an interest in macro photography, particularly focussing on native Australian orchids, thanks to his brother-in-law introducing him to these intriguing and often tiny, flowering plants.

Over recent yers, Bernard has added a number of fast lenses and upgraded camera bodies to his kit to enable him to more successfully work in low light (in particular in theatre situations). He has taken shots for a number of State Opera of South Australia's productions and for other smaller opera companies in South Australia over the past few years.

He has also produced more than 20 high quality, hard cover photo books of his travels around the world.

If you live in the Adelaide area and are looking for someone to do some photography for you, feel free to contact me.

For a selection of photos that Bernard has taken over the years CLICK HERE>>

Orchids:

Bernard is a keen grower of a number of different species of the orchidacea family. He has a selection of Cymbidiums growing in the shade of an apricot tree in his garden and in his shade house. He also has a number of other species including Dendrobiums, Cattleyas, Zygopetalum, Phalaenopsis, Pterostylis and a number of other Australian and exotic, terrestrial and epiphytic species.

Inspired by his younger sister and brother-in-law, he has spent many hours prostrate in the Australian bush, capturing photographic images of many of the terrestrial orchids that grow there, in the wild.

For a selection of photos CLICK HERE>>

Carnivorous Plants:

Bernard has been growing carnivorous plants for many years, since being introduced to them by his father-in-law, although his music career has meant that his collection is smaller than it once was. He still grows Venus Fly Traps, a number of Drosera species and a few different species of Sarracenias, all of which live in a trough inside his glasshouse alongside some of his warm growing orchids.

For a selection of photos CLICK HERE>>

Amateur Radio:

Bernard is a licensed amateur (“Ham”) radio operator – Call sign: VK5HUL. He mainly operates on the 2m and 70cm bands and via Echolink and IRLP, using these internet linking protocols to remain in contact with his brother in USA. He has an antenna array suspended in the backyard of his QTH, two multi-band HTs (a Yaesu VX-6 and VX-7R) and a Yaesu FT1000 for his base station.