How/Why did you get started in photography?

DiddyDave

DiddyDave

Suspended / Banned
Messages
9,521
Edit My Images
Yes
Inspired by the newbie mistakes thread, just wondered what made you all pick up a camera in the first place? :thinking::thinking::thinking:

What were you trying to achieve, and have you achieved it yet? :thinking:

For my part - I wanted a nice picture of a Robin for my mum, and as I can't draw at all I thought a camera would help out with a nice close-up shot of a Robin

Only took me 27 years to achieve it! Finally, proudly, on her wall :clap:

So what's your story??? And how long have you been at it???
 
i was given a 1.5mega pixel fuji and loved playing with it. Then took it up for GCSE and then brought my self a 400d after using a OM-1.

so i have been at it for about 13 months only 1 1/2 months with the 400d
 
Since June this year.
I met up with a old school mate he had a Canon 300D and he let me look at a few pics he had took.
I thought they looked good so decided to get a camera and try myself.
It is going slowly but I'm enjoying it.
Getting out more and more getting lots of pics.
Most are poo but every now and then I get one that looks ok and it makes me want to do more.
 
I started at uni on a course and noticed that you were able to do Photography.

It never ocurred to me that you could study Photography full time.

So I ditched the boring course I signed up to and ended up with a BA with a photography minor :D

Cheers,
James
 
i want to become better and better until one day i will hopefully be v.good.

I am only young so still a whole life ahead of me

so bring it on.
 
I was bought a digital camera as a present six years ago. I never really used it much then thought to myself, 'I have a funky toy. Now use it!'

I started to take lots of photos of cars that was my main interest. I started getting picky and then quite a few friends started saying they like my photos and always wanted to see what I had. And it's gone on from there! :)
 
I've always loved taking photographs and have had a camera since I was little. Do I aspire to be more - until I came on here - yes I did, now I'm not so sure.
 
I wouldn't want to make Photography my only job, but the income that it's bringing in is most welcome. I guess there's a balance there, but to rely on doing the thing I love on a daily basis to food on the table might risk making it something that I resent, and that would be awful.

Cheers,
James
 
Ive been a photo whore for as long as I can remember :D

I had a Venture shoot a couple of years back and found I loved the studio environment. Then only this year I went on a picnic with some mates, one of which took her uber camera and I wanted to play!

Ive never known what I want to do with my life, but now I am damned sure. I am currently attending a night course teaching techniques and darkroom and I love it!

Ive found my calling, at long last :D
 
DiddyDave said:
Great stuff guys (gals?) - are you happy with photog as a hobby?

Do you aspire to more from it?
Click to expand...

Hobby for me with the hope in the very distant future of maybe getting a place in a comp
 
I can't remember that far back. I know that when I was 13 (I think) I had a good haul of cash for my birthday and was looking for a way to spend it. I had always enjoyed playing with my grandads Canon AE1 and thought "I know I want a real camera". So I went out and bought a secondhand fully manual SLR. My parents tried to persuade me agaisnt it as they thought it was a passing phase, but as any self respecting 13yr old boy would do - I ignored them :D. So I supose what I wanted to do then was to show my parents I was right - and if you look at it I have (I'm now 29).

I have recently decided that I needed a new goal - I want to make money from my hobby and go semi-pro (at least). I know (for me) this means getting better (well more consistant), and that means practice but at least with digital practice is free, at least it is if you don't count the cost of charging batteries & wear and tear. I have even banned myself from getting anymore kit unless it is paid for by making a sale.
 
19 months ago another member on here " ed34" sold me a kodak as he upgraded to a 350D..
well that was the slippery slope to bankruptcy.. he got me on here and i keep on aspiring to reach my peers..
well having 4 kids ive lots of models on tap and am trying to get to a certain standard with my portraits :bang:
DiddyDave said:
Great stuff guys (gals?) - are you happy with photog as a hobby?

Do you aspire to more from it?
Click to expand...

hobby yes.


aspire yes always if i can make some pocket money from it the wife will let me carry on..:lol:

that ok for you dave:wave:


md:thumbs:
 
easy one this.. I wanted some half decent pics of the kids growing up oldest is 11 going on 18 :lol: the father in law had this big heavy brick thing he called a nikon, said it took good photos, he also had lots of old cameras, and loaned me a Kowa SLR, taught me about fstop and exposure etc, the rest is history. along with any disposable income I may have had :bonk:
 
PHOTOGRAPHY???


Oh **** I'm on the wrong forum.
 
My dad was a pro photographer (Rolls Royce, then weddings) when I was born, so have been bought up with photography and so have really been into it since birth.
 
About forever ago (12 years) the wife and I planned and then went on a 4 week vacation over Xmas to SE Asia. Langkawi, Bangkok, Singapore, Borneo.
I'd decided that I wanted an SLR about 6 months before then so I bought a 500N during the summer and got used to it (I used P and the green square quite a bit a the start).
The wife said I'd never carry that camera thing everywhere. I did and still do. Although the bag and the contents have increased in size over the years.
 
Interesting stuff chaps - so far at least - let's see where it goes before someone suggests how we all turn a hobby into a business

That, for those who at least want to know how to buy gear at 20% to 50% OFF, will be interesting :)

Perhaps I should run a 1-day course on that? :lol::lol::lol:

Kidding - before anyone asks
 
so how do we turn a hobby into a business?
 
and how do you dd turn parts of your images into colour?
 
well i bought a small fuji for £150 at christmas expecting me to take some quick snaps ect ect, i read loads of books learning about aperture and shutter speeds until i understood fully since then i grew out of my camera in about 2 weeks then decided to buy a DSLR were i had nearly no limitations of settings. Been shooting for 6 months and only 15 so ive got a long way to go before i can really add to this thread.
 
400duser said:
and how do you dd turn parts of your images into colour?
Click to expand...

nikon mate they do that some times


stay in the light 400d stay in the light


md:coat::exit:
 
I was on my school holiday in Cornwall in 1962. I wanted to photography the Goonhilly Downs dishes as it was the time that Telstar transmitted the first TV images from the U.S.
Spent all of my holiday pocket money on a Kodak Brownie 44a. The rest is history
 
davidbridges said:
well i bought a small fuji for £150 at christmas expecting me to take some quick snaps ect ect, i read loads of books learning about aperture and shutter speeds until i understood fully since then i grew out of my camera in about 2 weeks then decided to buy a DSLR were i had nearly no limitations of settings. Been shooting for 6 months and only 15 so ive got a long way to go before i can really add to this thread.
Click to expand...

Hi Dave, I think I missed something there - but a well read person (especially if only 15?) is a mate of mine to be sure - so few read a book/anything these days and just hope their gear gets them through

Not TP members of course - but others definitely!
 
About 10 years ago or so a mate of mine got an SLR. I've always loved art and always wanted to draw and paint, but tbh I was crap, although I could always see the image I wanted to draw I could never get it on paper. Had a play with his camera and it clicked that I might finally be able to produce what I saw, so got an SLR for my 21st birthday. Unfortunately I was skint and found it prohibitively expensive to really experiment with film so ended up taking some OK shots but nothing amazing and over time with everything else going on at the time my interest started to fizzle.

Jump forward to August just gone and I was looking at DSLR's and realised I could get a Nikon D40 with lens for £260 (after cashback) and took the plunge and with some money from my 31st got my DSLR. I am now kicking myself for not doing it a few years back! The immediacy of digital and the ability to experiment as much as I want for the cost of nothing but a bit of time is like a dream come true! The only downside is whereas at 21 I had all the time in the world to do as I please my time is far more restricted and I can't get out with the camera anywhere near as much as I would like to. Am loving it though!

Where would I like to go with it? Ideally I would like to get to the point were I have some images with some stock agencies making me a bit of money on the side. I like the idea of doing it full time, but like all things appreciate that it probably sounds a lot more fun than it actually is unless you are one of the extremely lucky or talented ones.
 
DiddyDave said:
so few read a book/anything these days
Click to expand...

I have never read a book on photography :( Was taught the basics as I grew up by my dad, and have picked up many tips on here, but I just like trying settings to see what they do as a way of learning rather than reading how it "should" be done. This is probably why I never shoot to the rule of thirds etc though :p

Just read that and it didnt sound as jolly as it was supposed to (I blame not being awake) but I just meant is as "You don't always need a book to learn how to do something"
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top