First photographic memories

[lukitas]

I remember, when I was six, watching my dad wiggle his fingers in the cone of light thrown by an enlarger. A meopta, it had a round bar where the head slides on, inclined over the plate.
When the paper was slid into the developer, all of a sudden the image would appear.

What are your first memories of photography, the process of making photographs?

These are my parents, when I was five :

 

[johnf04]

Taking pictures with my mother's camera, a Kodak Duoflex.

 

[Stanton]

In about 1948, my grandfather sent me the money to buy a Kodak Baby Brownie Special and a roll of 127 film. I loved it. It was lost, but I have replaced it with one from eBay. Dave

 

[CMur12]

I was five or six years old when I got my first camera, which I believe cost a dollar and some box tops from breakfast cereal. I still remember exposing my first roll of film and what was on it.

Speaking of a Kodak Duaflex, a couple of years later I asked for a "flash camera" for Christmas and I got a Kodak Duaflex IV (1959). I was really proud of that camera (and I still have it). When I took a summer school photography course, the teacher had a Leica and a Rolleiflex, and I was totally wowed by the latter. My favorite cameras to this day are TLRs.

- Murray

 

[seany65]

Not being able to load the film into a polaroid 'land' camera so that the tab for the next sheet of instant black and white film came out ready to be pulled on when I took out the exposed sheet. I reloaded the same film about 8 times, I could only get the next tab to come out once.

I think I remember the smell of the chemicals in the film as well.

 

[johnf04]

I was five or six years old when I got my first camera, which I believe cost a dollar and some box tops from breakfast cereal. I still remember exposing my first roll of film and what was on it.

Speaking of a Kodak Duaflex, a couple of years later I asked for a "flash camera" for Christmas and I got a Kodak Duaflex IV (1959). I was really proud of that camera (and I still have it). When I took a summer school photography course, the teacher had a Leica and a Rolleiflex, and I was totally wowed by the latter. My favorite cameras to this day are TLRs.

- Murray

My mother's one was the most basic version. It frustrated me that all you could take were posed images.

 

[x-ray]

I must have been about 3 and remember my dad taking my photo with his Argus C3 and Ciroflex. Also remember the magic of him processing film and printing. My dad had a plywood cabinet he built and painted back. It opened up ant the top folded over on the door making a place to place his trays. His Federal enlarger was stored inside the cabinet with slots for his white porcelain trays, GE timer and glass graduate and fr thermometer. He also kept his black plastic fr adjustable processing tank in it. He also stored his print tongs, film clips, easel and red safelight in the cabinet. 65 years later I still have and use the same timer, film clips and tongs my dad used.

At the time I first remember him printing, we lived in a very small 2 bedroom apartment. He could only print at night after covering the window with black cloth. It was magic when the timer started clicking and the negative was beamed to the paper on his easel. The real magic came when the paper was slid into the developer and the image appeared.

To this day it's still magic and I still love the smell of the chemistry and glow of the safelight.

 

[p.giannakis]

Strictly photographically speaking, my earliest memory i have is discovering my father's Yashica Minimatic-C in the wardrobe in my parent's room. I was flabbergasted when i discovered the selftimer on it!

I also remember rushing to get this picture: I must have been 4-5 y.o.

I am the second from the right, with the yellow t-shirt - the rest are my cousins and neighborhood friends. This picture is taken right opposite my house. I remember my father standing in the middle of the street with his yashica - wearing a brown-ish trouser and a white shirt.