I'm basically a self taught photographer, and although I had made a few forays into the black arts in industrial and scientific photography, I didn't really make it a major hobby of mine until the digital era.

When I started I would show my snaps to my friends who naturally admired them because they were my friends, and it got to the stage where I had to say to them "I KNOW there's something wrong with this photo, but I can't quite see what it is"  They would then tell me in no uncertain terms that it was a lovely photo except that I had cut off a man's head or something equally trivial.

I really believed that I could take good photos (and in fairness some were good, but many were not.)  I compiled a blog called "Berowra Photos" in all seriousness, with photos that I thought were good at the time, with text that would give a 14 year-old boy a B grade in English.  It is still googlable.

I am embarrassed by it now, but it does have one value, I think.  It shows the progress, or otherwise, of an aspiring photographer from mediocrity to quite good mediocrity.

It was then that I decided that I would join a Camera Club.  I had no idea what they did, but it struck me that instead of just asking family and friends to give me their opinions, I would get opinions from fellow photographers.

In fact I got far more than that.  Other photographers gave me ideas as well as telling me how I could sort out problems that inevitably arise.  It put me in contact with judges, which also gave me valuable information, and also it helped the most critical judge of all, myself, to see how my photos measured up against the photographs exhibited by the rest of the club.

Every other month we have a theme for our Club competition.  On this occasion it was Street Photography.  I have two problems with this, both fundamental.  I am too shy to ask complete strangers for permission to take their photos, and also I find it a bit of an intrusion that affects people's privacy.  But that's just my opinion.  Many people record the human condition and do it well.

Anyway, a friend of mine and her family decided we would all go into the centre of Sydney by train to do some evening street photography.

You will see that Sydney trains are double deckers.  When you come in through the doors, there is a small area at platform level with some seating and then you either go up or down a few steps into the main decks of the carriage.  We went downstairs, and Jenny, my companion, pointed to the girl and said "There's a photo there!"  You can see that the young lady in this photo is wearing ridiculously high heeled shoes which contrast strongly with the yellow trim of the carriage.  I took the photo and after three edits I cropped it down to give this.

I would never have thought of taking this strong picture if it had not been for the fellow club member Jenny suggesting it, and for the expertise that I had gained generally from other club members.

It did quite well in our annual inter club competition against Pittwater Camera Club, whom we let win on a yearly basis.  It's called "Berowra Blackfoot" and you'll be relieved to know has nothing at all to do with Fontana, or American 

Ind - igneous people.