My name is Babak Siminzar.I am a physician working in a health center.
Topics
The circumstances in which I have photographed for many years
I worked for many years as a doctor in rural areas of northwestern Iran.
Traveling between these areas allowed me to photograph nature. Photography is my hobby. Photography of women is banned in Iran for religious, cultural, and legal reasons, even older women!
For this reason, although I was very interested in street photography, I could not do it. Men react differently to photography, some do not allow it, and some are interested in being photographed.
In addition to all the problems I mentioned above, street photography is banned in this country.
Anyone who takes to the streets with a DSLR camera and then tries to take pictures from there will be arrested unless they have a press card or a license from a government agency.
People can only take pictures in tourist places. As a result, I used to travel and photograph historical and scenic sites.
Of course, some young women break these rules. They post their photos and videos on social media without hijab.
But if a photographer wants to do this for a woman, he is likely to run into trouble. On the other hand, because photography is not my job, women do not come to me for portrait photography.
Under these conditions, the troubleless method was photography in nature. And macro photography was the most troubleless work.
Which religion, culture, or law might object to taking a picture of a flower !!!
But macro photography was not a compulsion for me; I fell in love with it when I did it. The discovery of small worlds surprised me.
When did I start photography?
When I was 10, I got my first camera as a gift in 1977. It was more like a toy. It was not possible to adjust. I was shooting with it by using 120mm black and white negatives.
Later, my father gave me old cameras that could adjust shooting, but I had to guess the distance and the amount of light!
Until I finally bought a Soviet-made Zenith analog camera. This one can determine the distance and amount of light; I was delighted!!
The Zenith is not as accurate as of the Canon, but it can take good pictures if one gets used to it.
How did I start digital photography with the Olympus DSLR?
In 2008, I read several reviews of DSLR cameras and chose the Nikon model. But when I went to the store, that Nikon model was sold. The shopkeeper suggested the only camera he had left. That one was an Olympus E 510.
When people hear that I am a photographer, they ask me, “Are you a Canon fan or a Nikon fan?” And when they hear my answer, ” Olympus!” They are surprised.
Photographers often complain about the Olympus camera having a smaller sensor than Canon and Nikon. But the fact is that the four-thirds system on which Olympus is designed works well.
My photos in the photography forums were nothing short of the ones the others took with Canon and Nikon cameras.
Benefits of Olympus DSLR for me
Since Canon and Nikon are well-known brands, their lenses had a black market in Iran, and photographers used Tamron and Sigma lenses due to the high price of the original lenses.
But I was able to get good quality Olympus lenses, and that worked in my favor.
Another issue is the presence of a stabilizer in the Olympus camera. At the time, the stabilizer was inside Canon and Nikon lenses. If you wanted to take advantage of this possibility, you had to buy a stabilizer lens, which was more expensive than regular lenses.
As for the Olympus, I did not have this problem due to the existence of a stabilizer inside the camera, and I could buy any lens.
The stabilizer prevents the image from blurring as the camera moves and shakes.
Photographers usually retain their lenses and upgrade their camera body every few years. Later, when I heard that Olympus had stopped producing the camera, I realized that the way to upgrade was closed to me. And I was very upset because I was interested in Olympus.
My equipment
Sigma APO 50–500mm F4–6.3 EX DG HSM
This telephoto zoom lens is excellent for shooting distant subjects. But it is cumbersome, and I use a Manfrotto monopod to shoot with this lens.
Zuiko Digital ED 7–14mm F4 ED
This Powerful wide zoom lens saved me from the hassle of landscape photography and architecture photography.
Zuiko Digital 35mm F3.5 Macro
This lens allows me to get 10 cm closer to the subject. 1.0x magnification is excellent.
Olympus extension tube
It’s a simple device but helps me take great macro photos. But it is difficult to work with because of the autofocus problem.
Zuiko Digital ED 70–300mm F4–5.6 ED
When I attach this lens to the extension tube, it plays the role of a macro lens with a high focal length.
Zuiko Digital ED 14–42mm F3.5–5.6 ED
This lens is always with me and allows me to take close-up photos.
Zuiko Digital ED 40–150mm F4–5.6 ED
Zuiko Digital ED 8mm F3.5 ED Fisheye
