How did everyone get started???

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Aeryk01

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Just trying to spark some interesting conversation... I was wondering how everyone got started in this hobby/profession?

Here's my story...

I got my girlfriend a Minolta DiMAGE Z-10 this past Christmas. She specifically requested this camera due to the fact she makes jewelry and wanted to be able to take close macro shots and the Z-10 allows this. So I got it for her and it basically just sat around until a month or 2 ago when I asked if I could use it to take some photos of a family function. Ever since then, it's safe to say, I've been using it a heck of alot more than her. Now... I have had quite a few SLR's in the past (Pentax K-1000, Canon EOS Rebel, & currently a Canon FTb), but I mainly used them for dabbling in Astrophotography(Yes...I'm a die-hard amateur astronomer). But I must say I'm quite impressed with what this Point & Shoot camera is capable of. As you all have seen, it does take a decent picture, but rest assured, I'm hoping for a DSLR VERY soon in my near future.

I always try and let everyone know, I'm literally just a beginner in this arena, and I find I REALLY enjoy the creative outlet it provides and the fantastic various forms of self-expression it gives me. I've never before quite understood what it means to actually create a form of art, other than music, but I'm finding that many of the shots I take & others I see here, are NOT merely just folks taking snaps, but instead, we're all actually trying to enhance our love for the craft & are forever in search of that "perfect shot". I often use the term "capturing magic" when I refer to my photography. And I sincerely believe that every REALLY good shot out of the hundreds we all shoot, contains that "magic"... that special element or combination thereof, that sets that one photo apart from the rest of the frames we shoot. Happy hnting and thanks to everyone here for exceptional words of constructive criticism & guidance.

Kindest regards,

Eric
 
I started when I was at junior school, with the wonders of a Zenit B, a 50mm lens, and a pokey little darkroom that had formerly been a cleaners cupboard.
 
The first camera I used was my fathers Voigtlander Perkeo II rollfilm camera (I still have it) and it got me hooked. The first camera I owned was a Zenith E (I stilll have it) and moved on to a Pentax ME Super (! still...you get my drift) :) I've never been a good photographer though I try and the trying is what it's all about after all.
 
nothing so traditional for me, i got a cheap a crappy little 1.3mp camera, didnt use it but then one day there was a williams F1 car at legoland, and it all kind of spiralled after that, started to show an interest, but the camera was rubbish, then i got a casio qvr40 and really got into it, have lots of books on photography techniques and theeory that i really must read, i found the casio to be not enough and bought a fujis5000 but then that too was not enough, i now have the 300D and loving it....

I really want to do some portraits, but need to find some willing victims first!
 
I originally bought a Fuji 602z and had lots of funs with it, its only when i noticed everyone on another forum talking about the 300d and how cheap they are now, i decided to buy one. The results are ALOT better from the Canon, and plus i can change lenses for different situations.
 
Started at age of 9 with something called a 'Fulvue' TLR. Hopeless - both it and me. :D Progressed to an Iford Sporti (yes, OK, I still have it), a Halina 126 thingy (still have...), a succession of dubious 35mm cameras which were the pride of the Soviet Union, and then a Canon A1 which is still my favourite camera of all time. I wish they did a digital version. When it finally broke, I got an EOS 50e and a Fuji MX1700 digicam. Later bought a G2 (still have...), then had a 300D for six weeks before swapping to the 10D. Recently bought a Sony P200 to keep in my pocket.

In the A1 days I used to do a quite lot of Cibachrome printing from slides, which was expensive and occasionally frustrating. Did I mention that I still have the darkroom equipment? :shock: Anyway, I gave up film altogether last year, and I'm not missing it at all. I have to concentrate on taking huge numbers of shots so I can save lots of money compared with the cost of film. :P
 
Silkstone - close?

fulvue.jpg


:)
 
LOL! Spot on! I never thought I'd see one of those again. I'm not sure what happened to it - it was my Dad's really. It came in a cardboard 'suitcase' with a bolt-on flashgun (magesium bulbs, of course).

Thanks for posting that - it brings back memories of 43 years ago :shock: :) Is it yours, BTW, or did you just have a pic?
 
silkstone said:
LOL! Spot on! I never thought I'd see one of those again. I'm not sure what happened to it - it was my Dad's really. It came in a cardboard 'suitcase' with a bolt-on flashgun (magesium bulbs, of course).

Thanks for posting that - it brings back memories of 43 years ago :shock: :) Is it yours, BTW, or did you just have a pic?
Click to expand...

I nearly bought one of those at my local flea market a couple of weeks ago but resisted as it was a bit shabby. Perhaps you might be tempted by this decent-looking example? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....;item=7502292472&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW
 
silkstone said:
Is it yours, BTW, or did you just have a pic?
Click to expand...

Yes it's mine, for my sins I'm a bit of a collector of old tat...erm...I mean old cameras :)
 
I started at the age of 6 with a folding Kodak 1A , it was my dads camera , he was also a photographer for the local paper at the time , i think he had a 35mm Canon something or other,

as time went by i went through all the formats including a disc film camera and an aps camera ( fantastic camera but the film was way too expensive to use ) and a medium format unit,
then got into 35mm with a Canon AT1 ( like the AE1 but non electronic ) , this served till i got a Nikon F401 AF unit , then a Nikon F601 ( my first Brand new camera!!!! ), both 35mm, then bought a couple of Nikons ( an F50 and F60 ) ,
before that i had a 1.3 meg Fuji, then the Fuji 4800Z, and then the Fuji S7000 , which was replaced a few months back by my Nikon D70

on top of this i did collect old cameras for a while amassing a total of 115

MyPix

btw, its great here in Oz, and have taken over 1200 shots in less then 2 weeks taking up 7 gig on my 40 gig viewer/HD, lol, EosD has seen a few of them so far 8)
 
@ Steep: I bet you don't have the cardboard suitcase! :) I have a small collection of old stuff, but not this. Slightly jealous, if only for sentimental reasons. :oops:

@ Adrian: Ta muchly for the link - it's mine if the price doesn't go too high!

@ MyPix: I have a Kodak 1A Autographic if you'd like to reminisce. :D
 
silkstone said:
@ Steep: I bet you don't have the cardboard suitcase! :) I have a small collection of old stuff, but not this. Slightly jealous, if only for sentimental reasons. :oops:

@ Adrian: Ta muchly for the link - it's mine if the price doesn't go too high!

@ MyPix: I have a Kodak 1A Autographic if you'd like to reminisce. :D
Click to expand...


i still have one to , lol

the best vintage camera i have is an Erniman Flim K, this Leather covered mahogany box camera is in mint condition and i have run film through it a few times, it was made in 1898 , and is valued around $200 according to the McOwans Guide i have from 2002, got it for a fiver at the local carboot :wink:
most of the kodaks are only worth a fiver or so in mint condition, and the ' fulview ' there is about the same value if memory servs, but its always best to check, lol

MyPix 8)
 
First camera was a Pentax Spotmatic that my grandfather gave me when I was 12. He also showed me how to dev and print my own stuff.
That was 1975 and I never looked back.

My mum lost the Pentax after I lent it to her for a Spanish holiday - she left it on a bar somewhere and forgot all about it until I asked for it back!
And she still wonders why I got annoyed...
 
:) Started with a Zenith E; progressed to a Nikon EM; then got me a Nikon 401S; P-Ex'd that for my first Canon - an EOS 100, inherited another EOS 100 along with a 10 and a 5 from my dad, along with a Hassleblad (500cm) P-Ex'd the 'blad for the EOS10D. Added the 20D and some L glass over the last few months. Along the way I have picked up a few oddments that I just can't get rid of (nor wanted too!) they include a Zorki; a Yashica T4 (lovely sharp little Zeiss lens on it) and an MPP Microflex. I nearly had a Reid with a 2inch TTH lens, but couldn't afford it at the time :cry: .

My godfather was a semi-pro back in the early 60's he stopped for a while and I got him back into it when I got my Zenith. He taught me how to process my B&W stuff (Ilford ID-11 etc) and I still have the Smith's timer he bought me! Had great fun in the school darkroom, printing my own stuff and anything I could lay my hands on (including some glass negatives laying around the school d'room!) Now I "process" on my homemade PC!
 
Photography for me its a hobbie.

I started with a Kodak with 110 roll, when I was a kid, then I have one with a huge roll, don't remember wich one was, but I remember that camera uses some funny flashes, in a little square, with 4 shots, one each side, then you have to throw it away. It was fun.

Then I have my first 35mm point & shot when I was in highschool, a PENTAX, I still have it, great for travel.
Some time later I started some classes of photography in school and my mom lend me his Canon A1 with a 50mm lens, great camera to learn the basics. Later my mom give it to me as gift.
Then I decided to study Graphic Desgin, and there in University I have Photo Class, and I needed some lenses, so a friend lend me his NIKON N6006, with some lenses, I don remember wich ones specifically but the kit has a FishEye, A telephoto, and a zoom lens. Actually with that camera I spend a lot of time taken B&W and color photos in class, in the dark room, printing, etc. It was great. But I have to give it back.

Then I buy a Canon Rebel XS with kit lens 35-80, of a friend who give it to me so cheap I couldn't resist, and then a Photographer friend of mine, sold me the lenses and the flash (75-300 USM, 28-105 USM and a Speetlite 430EZ), the same way, sooo cheap that now I have all that. I buy this stuff may be 2 years ago, for only may be US$400 all.

A few months ago, I get my first digital a Canon S70, and now I'm saving to get the 20D. (hopefully soon...)
 
I wanted to take a picture of a tortoise :? I remember being on holiday with my parents at a guest house when I was about 12 and the owners had this tortoise which just amazed me. They wouldn't take a photo so eventually I persuaded them to let me use all my savings to buy one of the Halina's with the 110mm cartridges you just slotted in. Motor wind and built in flash which was something else back in the 70's. I knew nothing about it but the design just appealed. My mother paid for the pics to be developed and alhough they were rubbish that was me hooked.

Then I saw some of the photos our neighbour took with his SLR and I had to have one so eventually I picked up a Praktica BX20 and a couple of lenses. That did me a few years until I was finished college and on a holiday to the canaries I picked up an Olympus 101, the one with the Power focus which was excellent. Then I became a gadget freak. Canon 1000F was the first autofocus, then a 100 then an EOS5. At various stages I was running a manual system as well and went through an Olympus OM10, OM40, OM2N, OM2SP, two OM4's (not the TI's) which I wish I still had, those Zuiko lenses were fantastic. A praktica BCA came and went during that time as did a Lubitel TLR, never could get the hang of it :(

About 6 years ago though I went into partnership with a work colleague and photography took a back seat until we could get the business established. After a lot of work I finally had time to get back into it and bought Minolta Dimage 7i about 3 years ago. And now I'm back to my SLR, a Canon 10D which I intend to make last for the next couple of years.
 
I started at around 6 I think, technically speaking. I used to love cameras. When I was 10 I went on a day trip around Birkenhead with an SLR. I took a shot that the guy in charge loved. He said it was really great with good tones and contrasts. We got to develop our shots too in a darkroom. While I was always "into" photography I could never really get into it as a full time hobby. Mainly due to film costs. Each summer I always planned to do more photography but never did. Then the digital age arrived. I got a Kodak DX3700 and took a few shots and started to find my artistic side again. I've always been quite balanced in being able to do geeky stuff and arty stuff. At school I was never really good at one thing more than another. I loved writing stories and creating things, but I had a knack for maths and science. I found this with web design too. I could code sites just as well as I could design them. With photography I found my artistic side again after doing my Software Engineering degree. It kinda brought balance back into my life. After a few months with the DX3700 and its battery issues I decided to get a Canon A70 after seeing what Dave's Canon A40 could do. From here, and thanks to the OcUK competitions and its members (people like Steve and Matt E) I got out more and took pictures on a weekly basis. I never thought I would get to the point where I would spend over £1000 on a camera, but I did. In the summer of 2004 I felt that I was being limited by the Canon A70 so I bought a Canon 10D to use on my Scotland trip. Thanks to photography I leave the house now and actually enjoy it. When I was unemployed I had no reason to and just sat in my room learning web design. Now I go out and spend time with people and see places. I've met a lot of new people through it and made great friends.

In short, I've always been getting started but it wasn't until May 2003 when I bought my Canon A70 and took my first macro shot that I was really hooked. Since then I've come to believe that I can overcome anything, do anything I want to if I put my mind to it and I know that even the worst things in life can make a great photograph. I've overcome problems in my life to get shots. I've never been a people person but I hate to regret things so I push myself to get the shot. Like my recent cowgirls pictures. I would hate to have missed that simply because I was shy. I am shy, but because I know shyness will last 5 minutes and regret lasts a lifetime I push myself on. My life has been changed for the better.
 
nice one Pete! Better not say too much, dont want to be accused of Ass Kissing!!!
 
Too late! :P
 
I started with a kodak instamatic type thing (was my parents but i used it more than they did), took cartridge film, then progressed up to the venerable Zenit E, had a coupel of lenses with that, is a long time ago now, know one was a 3 or 400 mm telephoto. From that i bought a canon ae1 program while on holiday in canada in 1984, still got that, 50mm, 70-210 and 500mm tamron sp telephoto lens (annoyed that the adaptall 2 fitting wont fit the EOS's).

I upgraded to an EOS50E, with a 75-300 and 28-80 lens kit (still got that too), bought the Nikon E995 digital and started toying with that, and kept the EOS running alongside, still wont give film up completely, but now with the EOS20D, i may change my mind on that one ! lol

Never been any good at taking pictures, get flukey occasionally, but like having records of places i have been etc, figured now was as good a time as any to start actually learning how to use it properly ! lol I never really go anywhere without a camera in the car, you never know ! :)
 
Believe it or not.. I got started by watching Spiderman (the original, not the new hollywood pap), and thinking... Peter Parker has a cool job!

I never got into reportage tho... started with landscape... got bored when I realised that's it's all technique and no story... then got interested in shooting people.
 
When I was about ten or so, one of the neighbours who was a chemist showed me how to make contact prints in the kitchen sink from old family box camera negatives. I was hooked straight away on the magic of watching that image develop on the paper. Eventually I ran out of old negs to play with and had to get a camera. :click:
 
When I was about 9 I used to help my father in the blacked-out bathroom to develop FP3 roll films and do prints using his enlarger. A year later I had my own camera (can’t recall what, but I can visualise it perfectly - just like a Hasselblad but only 5% of the cost!!) but it did 2 1/4 square and I was suddenly developing and enlarging my own photos. We used “Ergol” developer which needed the unusually high temperature of 77F. A few years later I acquired a Solida II. Synchro-Compur shutter, as I recall. Even worse, I recall using PHF1 flashbulbs! Then education got in the way. And marriage. In 1970 I purchased my favourite camera ever, a Pentax Spotmatic, the last of the metal bodied Pentax’s - minimal nannying but the tools to do the job. Almost twenty years later, lust set in and I bought a Nikon F401. A lovely camera to hold, but a big mistake. It doesn’t let you control it properly, and I never got on with it. A succession of digital point-and-shoot cameras followed with a couple of CoolPix’s being nice performers until they failed when just out of warranty.
I’ve just bought an EOS 500D to try and get back into the game. I only hope it doesn’t fail the moment it is out of warranty!
 
My Dad's always been a photography nut - he used to develop his own pics, slides etc. So it's been there in the background

Just over a year ago I bought a DSLR (Sony A200). Now all I need to do is learn how to use it properly :D
 
Bought a cheap compact in 2003 (Fuji A204 - http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/410E-LBrgEL._SL500_AA280_.jpg) when I started going to races regular, just as hobby. Upgraded to a Fuji S5000 in 2004, and got my first published picture in Autosport with it in late '04. Bought first DSLR (Nikon D100) after my dad and made contacts to do more media stuff, til I won the Renault/MSA Young Motorsport Photographer of the year in 2006, and got offered the job with the agency in work for now in Feb. 2007. And switched to Canon.
 
When I was about 11 , my BiL tried to get me interested with developing and printing his film but I was having none of it. then 18mths ago I was into keeping marine fish and wanted pictures. DSLR's were the way to go so I delved in and haven't looked back since.

Only the one tank left now which will soon be going as I can't afford that and photography.
 
I started at 4 with an old brownie with no film in it! :) I used to crawl around the garden "framing" shots. Then I learned how to develop and print as school and I was completely hooked. My parents would not allow me to have a camera because they thought it was a "passing phase" It's not passed in 30 years since!

When I started working I started getting cameras. OM10, OM40. EOS100F (which I was really bad with) Back to OM's. Then digital arrived and I got an Olympus E100RS (I worked for them back then and got a bargain!) Then onto Canon with a 20D, 5D and 1Ds. Added a Mamiya MF and a Hasselblad because I'm still a film whore!

Went semi pro in January and gearing up all the time to a fully supporting business which takes time.
 
I've always had cameras of one sort or another since I was a kid. I bought my first ones secondhand, I wish I still had some of them.

My Dad was into photography, he used to take a lot when he was a teenager and working as a draughtsman. In WWII he was getting frustrated being in a reserved occupation so engineered a way out of his job so that he could join up.

He was still frustrated by that as he ended up in the RAF police and never got to go anywhere. One day early on they asked if anyone had taken any photos and he foolishly put his hand up. Next thing he knew he was a Scenes of Crime photographer.

Got to use loads of great kit apparently and earned extra money doing wedding photography for a while.

I was amazed when at my aunt's funeral years ago looking through old photographs of her wedding to find they had all been taken by my dad. Quite weird seeing his signature on things. (he had died years before)
 
Started with my Dad's Exacta 127 rollfilm, bought my first slr (Practica LLC,) upgraded to the Olympus OM system (two bodies and several lenses,) - all of which some skank nicked. Started again with Canon, an EOS 5, then went digital starting with a 350d, finally bought a 1d. Down the years I've had Rollieflexes, Leicas, you name it.
I can still vividly remember holding E6 transparency film in a (dripping) spiral in front of a 500 watt photoflood lamp doing the reversal exposure. Happy days.
 
I used to enjoy watching B&W prints being developed in my fathers darkroom, then started developing my Kodak Brownies 127 film in a Johnson tank. Soon upgraded to a Kodak Twin Twenty using 620 film, then inherited my fathers Ensign 12-20 folding camera when he bought a 35mm Zenit SLR. I still have that Ensign, last put a film through it around 4 years ago. I then bought a Praktica Super TL2 and an MTL3, then an Olympus system, 2 OM1's and and OM2, then a Yashicamat 124G. At that time I used to print B&W via a lovely Beseler 23CII enlarger. When my daughter was born my interest in serious photography faded, all my kit was slowly sold and for many years I just used a reasonable wide angle zoom compact. Once a reasonable film scanner was available, a Polaroid Sprint Scan 35, my interest regenerated. I bought a used Canon T90, a Mamiya C220 and Toyo 45A 4x5, an Epson flat bed for scanning the larger negs and an Epson 740, then 1200 for printing. 3 years back I dipped my foot into digital with a Sony DSC-R1, an amazing bridge camera with an APS-C size sensor, and am still using it. Am currently looking to replace it, but can't find the camera I want. This would be a Nikon D300 or D90, but with a flexible screen as with the Olympus E30 or E620. Perhaps a future model?
 
When I went on holiday to Australia in 2007, my friend's parents got me into Photography and I’ve had the photo bug ever since :)!! I purchased my first DSLR camera in 2007 and haven't put the camera down since :). I probably sound sad saying this :lol: but I couldn't live without my camera, with Photography I've found something that I love doing and get a buzz out of (wildlife photography is definitely my favourite and always will be :)!!) :). Photography has been great for my confidence, before I got the photo bug, I didn't think I was good at anything because I found some things difficult at school. I've realised that if I don't give up at the first hurdle, sometimes I get a photo that I'm happy with.
 
with me it started when i was seven years old and i made stop motion movies, my dream was to be the next spielbergbut i realised that i did like art. i never took art GCSE as im not good at drawing but photography was the medium i was unique at and since then ive been getting a camera every year to upgrade, and this year i got my a300 which i can safely say i wont be upgrading for a long time.
 
Started with a Kodak 127 Brownie that my folks had lying around when I was about 7. Then at 9, I moved on to my Dad's old Ilford Sportsman rangefinder. This was a real learning experience as I had to use a separate lightmeter and binocular focus finder. All shot using Ilford FP-4.

For my 12th birthday, I was offered the choice of a brand new Zenit or a secondhand Fujica ST705. Since the Fujica came with a Fujinon lens and offered TTL metering, I took that. The through the lens metering was a revalation. There was a little needle in the viewfinder and when you stopped the lens down the aperture was set to get the needle in the middle of the range. The problem was that at small apertures, the viewfinder could get so dark you could hardly see the needle.

I acquired a Tokina 200mm f/2.8 lens in M42 fitment and that was my introduction to long lens photography, mainly for aeroplanes and motorsport where you had to prefocus and hope the target took the route you had planned for.

After my Dad died when I was 19 I inherited his Olympus OM-10 with a manual adaptor. This finally gave me the choice of aperture priority or fully manual.

Finally went autofocus with a Canon EOS500N in 1997 for a trip to Jordan. Had that with the 28-80 and 75-300 kit lenses. Added a EOS300 and a Sigma 28-200 and 170-500mm lenses for a safari in 2002.

Wanted a better camera and upgraded to a EOS30 in 2003.

Went digital in 2004 with a 10D
 
grumpybadger said:
Started with a Kodak 127 Brownie that my folks had lying around...
Click to expand...

Wow, same as that, nearly fell off my chair with reading that camera number, jeez, I used to pushbike for miles round country lanes with that camera and black n white film. Flowers, trees, insects, all blurred and out of focus.
I still have many of the dogeared tatty photos from that camera now. In fact, I'll search my parents loft at the weekend as I'm sure the camera is still there somewhere too.
 
This thread is from March 2005 :eek:
 
For me it all started in 2006, newly qualified as a marine engineer i went to work for P&O Cruises, I'd been wanting to get a P+S for a while but hadn't got round to it. Anyway the 2nd day onboard i got chatting to one of the female photographers onboard a lovely spanish lass :love:

Bought an Olympus Miu from the onboard shop and ran ashore at the next port to start playing with the camera (and hopefully impress said Spanish Lady :love:)


Hit a pretty rough patch with work so decided i was going to teach my self photography alongside the day job. When i got home i pestered/nagged a guy at my church who runs an advertising company and he said he would speak to one of the commercial photographers they use.

6 months passed and eventually the guy rang out of the blue and invited me down to the studio

Since then he's taken me on lots of outside shoots, is happy for me to give input on adjusting lighting and basically lets me pick his brains. Lets me use his studio and gives me free tuition in return for me giving a few days each week helping out.

I would say i have been pretty fortunate and i hope i'm able to pass on things i have learnt to others
 
I was travelling around the world in 2005/2006 and had been snapping away for months then I took the photo below with a PAS of course. I had handled a D70 two weeks prior and knew I wanted to get into taking photos with something better


I don't think I have taken a better photo since :(

382035-Wellington-Harbour-0.jpg
 
My dear Dad was responsible for my intrest in photographer, he was a keen snapper most of his life, I grew up with cameras and lightmeters draped around the house. Everywhere we went it'd be "wait while I take a reading" etc. I suppose it was only natural he got me a camera for my 10th birthday (a Cosmic 35, I still have) it was downhill ever since LOL.
 
2 years ago today when my wife bought me a (pretty awful by comparison) E-400 for my birthday. This was soon replaced by an E-510, then a few months after that, the E-3 which I still have now.
 
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