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When did you take up photography?
- Thread starter AT06
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I don't remember ever consciously taking up photography. It just kind of happened and now that's how I make my living.
My first camera - a Kodak Brownie, was a gift from my parents at about 6 years old. A few fairly poor cameras followed until I inherited my grandfather's Zenit SLR. Many experiments followed but not a lot of success. Years and a design degree later I bought an eMac and had an early Kodak digital camera bundled with it. The wonder of digital meant I took a lot more photos but creatively the camera was quite limited. A few years on I got one of the first affordable DSLRs. I started doing photos for my graphic design work where there wasn't budget for a photographer. I slowly got braver eventually taking on photography only projects. I Now work on commercial projects mostly with digital medium format cameras. Next week is my first fine art exhibition.
My first camera - a Kodak Brownie, was a gift from my parents at about 6 years old. A few fairly poor cameras followed until I inherited my grandfather's Zenit SLR. Many experiments followed but not a lot of success. Years and a design degree later I bought an eMac and had an early Kodak digital camera bundled with it. The wonder of digital meant I took a lot more photos but creatively the camera was quite limited. A few years on I got one of the first affordable DSLRs. I started doing photos for my graphic design work where there wasn't budget for a photographer. I slowly got braver eventually taking on photography only projects. I Now work on commercial projects mostly with digital medium format cameras. Next week is my first fine art exhibition.
Wow a great thread...
I took some snapshots as a kid (late 1970s/early 1980s) with an ancient Kodak Box-Brownie, but really got into it late-teens with a second-hand Olympus OM-1 (which I still have!)
Went digital in 2003 with a Canon EOS300d ("Digital Rebel") and never looked back - still have a 30D and a few lenses.
I took some snapshots as a kid (late 1970s/early 1980s) with an ancient Kodak Box-Brownie, but really got into it late-teens with a second-hand Olympus OM-1 (which I still have!)
Went digital in 2003 with a Canon EOS300d ("Digital Rebel") and never looked back - still have a 30D and a few lenses.
...I still don't think I've really 'taken up photography' yet, since I am still very new at it and I only really get out shooting when I travel. I'm not sure it's something I will ever be able to do that well, but I enjoy finding one nice photo in the hundreds that I take on a trip, and it makes my day.
My first non P&S camera is the one I have now, a Nikon D5000, which I purchased for dirt-cheap in 2011. My lens collection is also sparse, but I did just invest in a good tripod (still need to use it though!).
My first non P&S camera is the one I have now, a Nikon D5000, which I purchased for dirt-cheap in 2011. My lens collection is also sparse, but I did just invest in a good tripod (still need to use it though!).
1967, working with the yearbook staff in high school. Used a twin lens reflex Rolliflex. 120 size film, all b&w. processed all the film ourselves and did all the printing. Stuck with film until about 2002.
I started out back in 1997 with a Sony Mavica MVC-FD5, you know the old 3.5" floppy disc one. I followed that up with several more Mavica's through the early 2000's (the models escape me and I didn't feel like googling them all). Once Sony came out with the Cybershot line I switch to them, and used them throughout the rest of the 2000's.
In 2008 I actually bought an Sony Alpha A350 DSLR (this was before Sony made the switch to DSLT), but I did not take the time to learn how to use it, and was not impressed with it in auto. I returned it and went back to my Cybershots. I've used a ton of Cybershots over the years, my last being the HX9V (which I still currently have/use). I might be getting an RX100, but that will probably be my last P&S.
It wasn't until this year that I decided to really dedicate myself to learning real photography. I just bought a Nikon D7100 kit, and have started taking classes and reading books to really learn how to use it and the basics of real photography. All of this was spurred by a desire to get great pictures on vacations, as my wife and I recently purchased a timeshare in order to force ourselves to actually take them.
As for my gear, currently I have the Nikon D7100, 18-105mm f3.5-5.6 AF-S VR, 35mm f1.8G AF-S and SB700 Speedlite. I'm currently circling a decision on a telephoto zoom, probably the Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED IF AF-S VR, though I would love to get the 70-200mm f2.8, but my budget can't support it yet.
Right now I would say that photography is definitely a hobby, though I would like to turn it into a profession one day.
In 2008 I actually bought an Sony Alpha A350 DSLR (this was before Sony made the switch to DSLT), but I did not take the time to learn how to use it, and was not impressed with it in auto. I returned it and went back to my Cybershots. I've used a ton of Cybershots over the years, my last being the HX9V (which I still currently have/use). I might be getting an RX100, but that will probably be my last P&S.
It wasn't until this year that I decided to really dedicate myself to learning real photography. I just bought a Nikon D7100 kit, and have started taking classes and reading books to really learn how to use it and the basics of real photography. All of this was spurred by a desire to get great pictures on vacations, as my wife and I recently purchased a timeshare in order to force ourselves to actually take them.
As for my gear, currently I have the Nikon D7100, 18-105mm f3.5-5.6 AF-S VR, 35mm f1.8G AF-S and SB700 Speedlite. I'm currently circling a decision on a telephoto zoom, probably the Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED IF AF-S VR, though I would love to get the 70-200mm f2.8, but my budget can't support it yet.
Right now I would say that photography is definitely a hobby, though I would like to turn it into a profession one day.
I started in 1986 with a Minox 35GL (lovely small camera, great images) using slide film. Then a Pentax ME Super (using slide film). After that the digital era started. Still have the Minox and the Pentax, for educational and sentimental reasons.
Great cameras, still have mine. I started with A Mamiya Sekor DTL 128, and moved to a Nikkormat ftn with the obligatory 50mm f1.4.
I still think the best learner's camera ever was the Yashica Mat 124g. I used to give them out as birthday presents to aspiring photographer friends.
My last film camera was the Fuji 645zi, God I love that camera, wish they'd make a digital back I could stuff in it.
15 years ago. The choices for my GCSE subjects at school were poor and my Aunt and Uncle were photographers and I quite fancied it, so I decided to do an extra GCSE qualification outside of school on saturday mornings. I then did A-level, Foundation, HND and BA all in photography and digitial photography, before becoming a photographic assistant for a couple of years, then becoming a photography technician and eventually a photography teacher.
I've shot with most types of camera, learnt photography the proper way (film
), but have never been shy of new technology.
My first camera was an olympus OM10, then an OM1N, my first digital was a Sony DSC-707.
Nowadays I've got both the OM10 & OM1N still, but I've also got 2 Leica R6's, and a Nikon D200 (which I'm saving up to replace, but had to spend most of the money on a car when mine got written off). Then I've got a couple of knockabout cameras, an old hand me down nikon digital compact, and a Holga GFC120N
I also regularly shoot on a Mamiya RB67, a Sinar 5x4 and a Hasselblad XPAN (I can borrow these from work).
I've shot many things in that time, dogs, bands, festivals. But my main love will always be travel and documentary. I wanted to be a war photographer when I first started.
I've shot with most types of camera, learnt photography the proper way (film
), but have never been shy of new technology.My first camera was an olympus OM10, then an OM1N, my first digital was a Sony DSC-707.
Nowadays I've got both the OM10 & OM1N still, but I've also got 2 Leica R6's, and a Nikon D200 (which I'm saving up to replace, but had to spend most of the money on a car when mine got written off). Then I've got a couple of knockabout cameras, an old hand me down nikon digital compact, and a Holga GFC120N
I also regularly shoot on a Mamiya RB67, a Sinar 5x4 and a Hasselblad XPAN (I can borrow these from work).
I've shot many things in that time, dogs, bands, festivals. But my main love will always be travel and documentary. I wanted to be a war photographer when I first started.
Such amazing stories and journeys here so far. I'm terribly intimidated.
I began in December 2012 with a Canon T3, and I'm nervous to be here now, hahaha.
I began in December 2012 with a Canon T3, and I'm nervous to be here now, hahaha.
February 2012....when I finally got tired of months worth (including family holiday pics) of blurry indoor pics from my point and shoot. Realized it was time to do it the right way: buy a DSLR, learn how to use it, and how to shoot better. Kids grow so fast and I didn't want to look back and only have a few good pics....they ALL should be good.
I have always taken photos for as long as I can remember, but not really "purposefully" until 15 years ago (going digital 10 years ago).
Growing up in the late 60's/early 70's, I went through my share of polaroids & 110's, but my photography only coincided with family vacations. I never really shot except once a year in the summer. In the late 70's in high school I shot some B&W with a Nikon my high school had, and got involved in developing and darkroom. When I got into college in the 80's, I started shooting more but still not completely seriously. I went through my share of disk cameras, more 110 cameras and eventually settled on a fairly nice non-SLR 35mm camera (name escapes me at the moment). I used this camera through the late 80's (getting married in '89) and into the early 90's. Then, life got much busier with careers, house, moving, etc. and I really completely dropped out of photography for 5 years.
Then the world changed. We had our first child in 1995, and suddenly photography was important again! I started shooting again, and shooting a lot more. We had our second child in 1996; at the time the APS cameras were all the rage with their multi aspect ratio features, so I shot a couple of those for a while. I then started getting into scanning negatives and doing my own digital post-processing, and did that for a few years until I decided to skip the film step altogether and go right to digital. In 2003 I purchased my first digital camera, a Canon Powershot A70 advanced P&S. I really enjoyed that camera; even got an adapter and a few 3rd party screw-on lenses (tele and wide angle) to expand its capability.
By this time I was starting to really get intentional in both shooting and processing and by 2006 I was seriously looking at DSLRs. Nikon came out with the D50 that year and I jumped. From that point on its been a slow evolution of lenses and other gear. In late 2008 I moved to a D300 and have been using that ever since. I would like to upgrade bodies at some point - waiting for the mythical D400 to appear - but right now it's not the equipment that is holding me back. It's finding the time to shoot and process. I've centered on Aperture for my digital workflow and really like it. I've toyed around with LR but for now I have so much time invested in Aperture that I will only switch if Apple kills it.
My oldest starts college in the fall, and I know that over the next couple of years as our other 2 grow and eventually go off to college that I'll have a lot more free time. My wife and I love to travel so there will be no shortage of things to shoot.
Growing up in the late 60's/early 70's, I went through my share of polaroids & 110's, but my photography only coincided with family vacations. I never really shot except once a year in the summer. In the late 70's in high school I shot some B&W with a Nikon my high school had, and got involved in developing and darkroom. When I got into college in the 80's, I started shooting more but still not completely seriously. I went through my share of disk cameras, more 110 cameras and eventually settled on a fairly nice non-SLR 35mm camera (name escapes me at the moment). I used this camera through the late 80's (getting married in '89) and into the early 90's. Then, life got much busier with careers, house, moving, etc. and I really completely dropped out of photography for 5 years.
Then the world changed. We had our first child in 1995, and suddenly photography was important again! I started shooting again, and shooting a lot more. We had our second child in 1996; at the time the APS cameras were all the rage with their multi aspect ratio features, so I shot a couple of those for a while. I then started getting into scanning negatives and doing my own digital post-processing, and did that for a few years until I decided to skip the film step altogether and go right to digital. In 2003 I purchased my first digital camera, a Canon Powershot A70 advanced P&S. I really enjoyed that camera; even got an adapter and a few 3rd party screw-on lenses (tele and wide angle) to expand its capability.
By this time I was starting to really get intentional in both shooting and processing and by 2006 I was seriously looking at DSLRs. Nikon came out with the D50 that year and I jumped. From that point on its been a slow evolution of lenses and other gear. In late 2008 I moved to a D300 and have been using that ever since. I would like to upgrade bodies at some point - waiting for the mythical D400 to appear - but right now it's not the equipment that is holding me back. It's finding the time to shoot and process. I've centered on Aperture for my digital workflow and really like it. I've toyed around with LR but for now I have so much time invested in Aperture that I will only switch if Apple kills it.
My oldest starts college in the fall, and I know that over the next couple of years as our other 2 grow and eventually go off to college that I'll have a lot more free time. My wife and I love to travel so there will be no shortage of things to shoot.
I remember growing up we always had some type of camera around. We had Brownie's, Polaroids and the cube flash one's. I got my first SLR back in the late 70's, I won a Minolta SRT101 in a poker game. My friends and I were big into drag races and dirt track races in NJ, so I was always walking around with that thing. I was working in NYC at the WTC at the time and it was easy to walk to J&R and spend my money glass.
After I had my first daughter I sold the Minolta and went to a Konica P&S since it was easier to juggle kids with a smaller camera. Since then I had P&S film, progressed to digital about 6 years ago and last fall bought my current camera. It gets me out of the house on weekends and gives me an excuse to drive around and find places to shoot.
After I had my first daughter I sold the Minolta and went to a Konica P&S since it was easier to juggle kids with a smaller camera. Since then I had P&S film, progressed to digital about 6 years ago and last fall bought my current camera. It gets me out of the house on weekends and gives me an excuse to drive around and find places to shoot.
I'll be doing a Photography Foundation Degree in September, debating on what camera I should purchase (the Canon 600D or the Canon 700D). I've done gig photography as a hobby and I've really enjoyed it. Time to take the hobby a bit further.
I've got a pretty rubbish camera at the moment, this will change when I get my hands on a Canon 600D or a Canon 700D (still undecided on what camera to get). Cheers.
I've got a pretty rubbish camera at the moment, this will change when I get my hands on a Canon 600D or a Canon 700D (still undecided on what camera to get). Cheers.
I bought a Minolta SRT101 when I was in the 9th grade, early 70's. I remember that I knew enough about cameras to know what kind of SRT to get and. I remember wanting a Nikromat but the cost was to high so I got the Minolta. Being poor I processed the film and printed myself. I bought the black and white film in bulk and reloaded. It was dirt cheap, like a buck a roll.
I switch to nikon gear when auto focus came out then got into medium format and now I'm using my Nikon D200. I'm selling a bunch of older Nikon film gear and manual lenses, trying to reduce the space it all takes.
Mostly what I shoot now is people. The D200 does this well. The 50mm f/1.4 does best.
I'm thinking about going back to black and white film for a few projects. However this time I'd process it them scan the negatives.
I think I still have that 1973 vintage Minolta some place.
I switch to nikon gear when auto focus came out then got into medium format and now I'm using my Nikon D200. I'm selling a bunch of older Nikon film gear and manual lenses, trying to reduce the space it all takes.
Mostly what I shoot now is people. The D200 does this well. The 50mm f/1.4 does best.
I'm thinking about going back to black and white film for a few projects. However this time I'd process it them scan the negatives.
I think I still have that 1973 vintage Minolta some place.
What will you be shooting? What will the output media be? Is this for the web of fine art prints?
I've pretty much decided that all my work, now and in the future will be viewed on an electronic screen. Currently the best screens only have about 1000 lines but we know the next standard is going to be "4K". These screen will have about 7M pixels. So I doubt I'd ever need a camera with more than about 12MP. The large sensor would do better in low light and always have better color.
In terms of image quality you want first the largest sensor you can afford and then only as many pixels as you need and not one more.