How long have you been doing photography for? (dated 20/02/11)

[oftheherd]

Looks like a lot of us started as kids because our fathers had good cameras they taught us to use.

I mentioned using my father's cameras. Of course as a child, he let me use a box camera for snapping away at the zoo or other things like that. He would let me stand behind him in his closet darkroom. He even let me develop a roll of film. Seemed more trouble than it was worth at about 7-8 years old. 😀

It wasn't until about 7 years after his death that I first got the bug.

 

[al1966]

I got a polaroid swinger just before my 7th birthday, after I got that hungry beast I spent nearly all my pocket money on film. By nearly all I mean I did not buy comics, nor did I buy sweets and friends would ask if I wanted to see a movie and I would not go most of the time. I got a 35mm camera when I was 13, a rangefinder with a busted meter so I had to learn the educated guess method of exposure. so its 30+ years for me, 38 years to be more precise.

 

[Sparrow]

Over 40 years, how scary is that?

 

[Lilserenity]

Actually not all that long, yes I did have a camera when I was younger (10, it was a simple cheap 35mm camera after I was told that a Polaroid was too expensive. Mum was right of course! I seem to think I wanted a cat that year too... haha)

Anyway, I have only really been taking photography with some kind of 'seriousness' since late 2003/early 2004, and only really started pushing hard with it about 5 years ago.

Now I can't imagine my life without it.

 

[Alberti]

Wow, I'm surprised to be among the plurality of respondents... I got really interested in photography in 1963, starting with a Regula 35mm.

And WOW, I'm really surprised I 'm the only one just liking my shiny M8 and previously my equally shiny M2! And bling-ling lenses of course. As to photography, mastering the shot, I'm not sure at all 🙄
I started in 1968 at times using my brother's Contaflex/Tessar; later in 1969 he gave me a spare Nikon-F/105mm formerly used for street photography in Toronto. Then as a student in 73 I bought my M2.
I even made a point-source enlarger (point source head) in 1976 to get the real grain and best acutance.
albert

 

[jwnash1]

I bought my first camera a Pentax Spotmatic w/ Super Takumar 50 1.4 in 1966. Camera is gone but still have the original lens along with many other Taks.

 

[Roger Hicks]

My paternal grandfather was a keen amateur photographer who was killed on HMS Gloucester off Crete. When his widow and her two children left their house, all his camera gear was left in the attic. I often wonder who found it.

When I expressed an interest in photography in 1966, my father (who has never really been interested in photography) said, "You can't be a real photographer without a darkroom," and bought me one, along with a Pentax SV.

It might have been more interesting to phrase the poll in half-decades, from 'before 1945' then 1945-50, 1950-55, etc., to 'after 2010'.

Cheers,

R.

 

[le vrai rdu]

i started exactly four years ago 🙂

 

[ChipMcD]

Based on this poll, I'd say that there are lots of geezers like me posting here.

 

[back alley]

and we need all the geezers to join our geezer group on flickr...over 60 and still shootin'!!!

 

[antiquark]

Interesting how there's a small peak at 5 years. What does it mean? Do many people give it a go for 5 years, then quit the hobby? Maybe the average bank account is only sufficient for 5 years of camera/lens purchases. 🙂

 

[kbg32]

I became interested in photography after I was given a collection of Modern and Pop Photo magazines to draw from. I always drew for as long as I can remember. I began to read them and became fascinated. Got my first camera, a Minolta SRT101, for my 18th birthday.

 

[Mudman]

10 years or so. Got a Canon Rebel G for Christmas when I was 14 or 15. I paid for half the camera myself.

 

[Tompas]

25+ years -- started developing films and prints when I was about 14.

 

[taskoni]

A bit more than a year. But feels like forever, my friends don't recognize me anymore if I am not carrying a camera

 

[gb hill]

Hard for me to really say. I remember my mom's aunt gave us a Polaroid camera in the mid 60's. It took instant B&W photo's & I can remember the smell of taking this pink sponge thingy & wiping the photo after peeling off the back so it wouldn't fade to black. I was the one elected to take the photos or make the settings. Didn't get to use this camera very much because film was expensive. I wanted to take Photography in HS but I didn't have a SLR which were the craze during the 70's so I took a course in electronics instead. After graduation I joined the Navy & bought my 1st (real) camera. A Canon AE-1. I later sold that camera & didn't buy another for nearly 5 years. Then I bought a T series Canon slr & a complete darkroom. We went through a few years of renting so I never had time to set it up as I wanted. My wife bought me a Canon AE1program a few years ago & enjoyed using it but soon found it's way into the closet. % years ago I picked up the interest once again & bought a Canon QL17GIII, my 1st rf camera. I found RFF researching the camera on the internet. So really I guess you could say I'm a noob....still learning!🙂

 

[Neare]

A bit more than a year. But feels like forever, my friends don't recognize me anymore if I am not carrying a camera

Haha yeah I'm in the same boat. 6 months ago friends would have a little chuckle every time they saw me with a camera. Nowadays they get really worried if they don't see one on me and ask where it is.

 

[Mesti3K]

Picked up photography in high school..lost it in college. Found and lost it in international travels. Cemented it in place about 3 years ago.

 

[redisburning]

less than 2 years and it shows in my photos lololololol.

 

[DNG]

and we need all the geezers to join our geezer group on flickr...over 60 and still shootin'!!!

I don't do Flickr, but, do you a facebook page?
I have 2 paid gallery/storage photo sites, that's plenty for me.