Interview with Bill Leslie

Hi Bill! Tell us about yourself in two sentences - who are you?

My interest in photography stems from a lifelong love of film, which I went on to study. I would describe myself as a hobbyist and an opportunist photographer who likes to travel light and shoot from the hip; I’m interested in the choices we make as photographers and the emotions we try to capture.

QWhat's the weirdest situation you've found yourself in while taking a photograph?

AThe situation is not necessarily weird but it is certainly memorable. For many years I had longed to visit Iceland, and to take advantage of some of the amazing photographic opportunities it offers. As a birthday treat we booked a short break, and set off to see the sights. Top of my list was the black sandy beach at Vik. This was officially the first day of the Icelandic winter and true to form it snowed. By the time we arrived at this famous landmark the black sands were … completely white!

QWhat do you shoot on? What's your favourite set up?

AOver the years I’ve gone through quite a few systems and set-ups, but I’ve always been drawn back to smaller more portable systems. I am presently using a Fuji X Pro 2 with an old Helios 44-2 58mm glued to the body. It’s difficult to explain why I love this lens. It’s kind of grungy - not being the sharpest of lenses. It also gives a slightly swirly depth of field. Its little imperfections are strangely its strengths. The other lenses that I regularly use are my Fuji 23mm f1.4 (a great all rounder) and 60mm f2 macro. I think it also needs to be noted that I use my mobile phone a lot. I’m a big fan of mobile photography. The mobile phone is ubiquitous these days. It’s probably the camera that we all carry pretty much all the time.

QWhat's your number one tip for an aspiring photographer?

AThe thing I think would say to anyone beginning their photography journey is just do it. Simple. Use the camera on your phone. See something you like or find interesting and take a picture of it. Experiment. Challenge yourself. Try not to get too hung up on perfection. Find out what kind of photographer you are.