usagisakana
Established
I began just over a year ago. One day I just decided to go for a walk with the family digicam (I don't remember why), and took photos. Haven't stopped since then. I get out usually at least once or twice a week to go shooting. My subjects have changed a lot, but I still enjoy it as much as I first did (maybe even more now, that I know a bit more about what I'm doing).
mikeb380
Camera Junky
I began at age 12 with a Brownie or Argus roll film camera which I won on a Shrine raffle. After a while of burning up film my Uncle, a rabid amateur gave me a Ricohflex 120 TLR. My parents saw I was serious about it and gave me a darkroom for Christmas and we set it up in an old garage which we had to make light tight. Cardboard walls and tape got it usable although I had to go to the house for water and had no heat or A/C. Well at that time, no one had A/C so I didn't know I was missing anything. Another Uncle, a pro photog, also took an interest in my education and between both and some magazine subscriptions plus visits to the library I learned enough to get really hooked.
The next summer I got a lawn mower and got a contract with a neighbor who owned a small development with about 10 or 12 houses and began my first business. I made enough from that to take my sister and myself to NYC where we visited my Uncle who was stationed at Ft. Slocum, an island in the middle of Long Island Sound. We had a blast experimenting in color ( this was about 1952) and we shot using color printing paper in his 4X5 Speed Graphic. I wanted a different camera so we visited Willoughby's where I purchased a 2¼X3¾ Speed Graphic. I was hot stuff!! I lugged that thing all over, including to Washington, DC ( I was living in the SC lowlands) where the band marched in the Cherry Blossom Parade. We were on national TV!!!
Back in SC I used the camera to photograph football and basketball games and that was quite a learning experience. Especially night football. I used cut film holders as I never did get a roll film back for it. I think everyone ought to try that type of experience before they complain about zoom lenses and digital or film. I never had more than the 105mm lens which came with the camera. I also had about a dozen film holders and carried a film changing bag and a box of spare film in my case, the old standard Graphic case.
My first time using a 35mm camera was my uncle's Voitlander RF and it was in meters and had no range finder. I had to guess the distance and convert to metric system but I got some great shots, including one good enough to win an honorable mention in a national magazine contest. I love hearing people say, "you can't do that kind of photography without AF and AE cameras. I'm glad I didn't know that then; heck I never had an exposure meter till I was in my late 20s and bought my first 35mm SLR when I was in Japan. I guess many of you who shoot VF cameras know whereof I speak. I think I was lucky to have grown up in photography as I was growing up myself. I wouldn't exchange those memories for anything.
Michael
The next summer I got a lawn mower and got a contract with a neighbor who owned a small development with about 10 or 12 houses and began my first business. I made enough from that to take my sister and myself to NYC where we visited my Uncle who was stationed at Ft. Slocum, an island in the middle of Long Island Sound. We had a blast experimenting in color ( this was about 1952) and we shot using color printing paper in his 4X5 Speed Graphic. I wanted a different camera so we visited Willoughby's where I purchased a 2¼X3¾ Speed Graphic. I was hot stuff!! I lugged that thing all over, including to Washington, DC ( I was living in the SC lowlands) where the band marched in the Cherry Blossom Parade. We were on national TV!!!
Back in SC I used the camera to photograph football and basketball games and that was quite a learning experience. Especially night football. I used cut film holders as I never did get a roll film back for it. I think everyone ought to try that type of experience before they complain about zoom lenses and digital or film. I never had more than the 105mm lens which came with the camera. I also had about a dozen film holders and carried a film changing bag and a box of spare film in my case, the old standard Graphic case.
My first time using a 35mm camera was my uncle's Voitlander RF and it was in meters and had no range finder. I had to guess the distance and convert to metric system but I got some great shots, including one good enough to win an honorable mention in a national magazine contest. I love hearing people say, "you can't do that kind of photography without AF and AE cameras. I'm glad I didn't know that then; heck I never had an exposure meter till I was in my late 20s and bought my first 35mm SLR when I was in Japan. I guess many of you who shoot VF cameras know whereof I speak. I think I was lucky to have grown up in photography as I was growing up myself. I wouldn't exchange those memories for anything.
Michael
flessas
Member
I started at 6 when my godmother gave me a Kodak. I do not remeber the type ...