# Your Photography Beginning



## Sabaki (Jan 21, 2016)

Thought I'd create this post to hear how everybody started in this wonderful world of photography. I'm sure there are many fascinating stories and if you folks don't mind sharing, I think we may read some good stories!


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## Sabaki (Jan 21, 2016)

I came from a family that bought the odd Kodak instant camera to take photos at birthdays but that was a very rare thing and I can't say I identified anybody in my family as a photography. 

Initially I picked up a Canon Powershot as a companion for my little journies I made with my ex, taking pics of the places we visited. And of course she loved having her pic taken!

I went through a very dark patch in a space of two weeks. My dad passed away and the very next morning, I got an eviction notice to leave my home of 32 years. 
One of my colleagues who called to sympathize also dropped me some news that our jobs may not be safe. 

Days before I buried my dad, my relationship of 6 years also ended and that was when I decided to get a lot more serious about photography, initially to fill a massive hole in my life. 

It wasn't long before I bought a Canon 500D, 18-55 & 55-250 bundle. Each photo I took stoked my passion for photography and I've not looked back!

Well, that is my story!


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## tolusina (Jan 21, 2016)

Bought a Pentax ME-Super back around 1983 for a trip to the South Pacific, a co-worker taught me how to load film.
Two of my best portraits ever 'happened' on the 1st or 2nd roll. I keep trying to improve.
My Mother-in-Law became my best portrait model ever, I could not take a bad photo of her.
We got on great, had no common language. ;D


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## takesome1 (Jan 21, 2016)

In the late 1960's I was 9 years old, my older brother had Playboy's hidden in his room and I found them. I remember a picture of naked women lined up around a swimming pool. It was then that I found my dream to be a photographer, and specifically a Playboy photographer. A dream I have yet to fulfill.

Later, black and white photography was one of my interests in high school. Developing our own film and producing our own photos.

I moved away from that, in my 20's and 30's I enjoyed hunting. I enjoyed the out of doors and wildlife. I always thought how great would it be if I had a big lens and camera and could hunt year round. But, at that time it was not to be, too many kids and not enough money to pursue the hobby.

Jump forward to about ten years ago, good job and enough money to pursue the hobby. Kids are grown now. I still enjoy being out of doors and prefer hunting year round with my 500mm. It is the best kind of catch and release. 

But sad to say, my wife will not let me pursue my first dream of being a Playboy photographer.


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## sunnyVan (Jan 21, 2016)

Sabaki said:


> I came from a family that bought the odd Kodak instant camera to take photos at birthdays but that was a very rare thing and I can't say I identified anybody in my family as a photography.
> 
> Initially I picked up a Canon Powershot as a companion for my little journies I made with my ex, taking pics of the places we visited. And of course she loved having her pic taken!
> 
> ...



Great story. The creative process can heal.


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## JMZawodny (Jan 21, 2016)

I was given a Kodak X-15 for Christmas when I was quite young.

My first real camera was a Pentax Super Program, which I still own. It works, but has not been used in decades. My last film camera was a Pentax Zoom90 WR.

When I was in graduate school, I had the enviable assignment of being the TA for the Lab section for the Intro to Astro course. One of my responsibilities was to to teach undergraduates astrophotography. We used 4x5 cameras on the university's 24" RC telescope as well as a solar telescope. We all had great fun taking photos and doing the darkroom work.

My first digital was an Epson PhotoPC (CP-100) which was soon followed by a Kodak DC265.

It has been all Canon since then. Having a young family as digital was also coming of age I upgraded frequently in the late 1990's and early 2000's.

My first DSLR was the Canon 300D and then the original 5D.

Along the way there were a couple of "point and shoots" for my wife to stick in her purse. My favorite was the S30 - fabulous IQ at the time - I shot an aurora photo with the S30 that ended up on the front page of our regional newspaper in November of 2004.


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## sunnyVan (Jan 21, 2016)

It all started when my son was born. I had this intense desire to capture every moment, even moments that don't seem at all interesting to others.


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## ajfotofilmagem (Jan 21, 2016)

I started doing video in the '90s I wanted to understand how it worked VHS camera, and a photographer friend explained to me the principles of ISO, diaphragm aperture, shutter speed.

I bought an Olympus OM1 (full manual), fixed-power flash, and film Fuji ISO200.
In 2004 I moved to Canon EOS 300V + 28-90mm + TTL Flash.
In 2006 I bought Canon Rebel XT kit lens, but continued using film Fuji ISO200 in serious events where I was going to do an album.
In 2007 I bought a Sigma 18-200mm thinking that this would satisfy all my needs for lens. How much I was innocent back then ... : 

Today I invest in bright lenses, and any current cameras overcome my limitations of the past.


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## JPAZ (Jan 21, 2016)

My Dad gave me an old Argus C3 and I started shooting Tri-ex while in college. Later, I got a Ricoh 3mm with a couple of lenses (50 and a 135 I think) and tried using a friend's dark-room. This evolved into a list of point and shoot cameras and even a Nikon 35mm Advantix camera (anyone remember those?). As digital came into popularity, I had a series of small, frustrating because of the lag time cameras (lots of photos of water while whale watching because the whale submerged by the time the shutter actuated). This led to my Canon G6 (I still have) and next an XTi that got me "re-hooked" into the SLR / DSLR world. Since, I've had a 50d and then went FF with my 5diii and G.A.S. ever since. 

So that's how I got here. But, I have a friend who shoots a large format Hassi.........Uh oh!


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## IgotGASbadDude (Jan 21, 2016)

In late August of 1982 I got my first full time job. I took my entire paycheck and purchased the Canon AE1-Program and two lenses (funny that Playboy was mentioned earlier cause I'm pretty sure I saw an ad for the camera in the magazine). Been hooked ever since.

On photography, not Playboy. 

Tried digital in 2005 but hated it. Finally got going with digial in 2012 with a Nikon D3200, followed by the 7D, followed by the 5D3 and a year ago, the prize: the 1DX. I'm about 2k away from being able pre-order the 1DX II. 8)


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## bholliman (Jan 21, 2016)

My step father got me interested in photography when I was in my teens, primarily for railroad photography. I advanced from a tiny 110 hand me down to a Nikon FM2 in a few years. I shot quite a bit of Kodachrome 64 for several years, but by the time I went to college, I had lost interest in photography. I eventually sold the FM2 around 10 years ago when my wife was pushing to clear out un-used items.

In 2008 our family started traveling quite a bit and we were visiting some very cool and beautiful locations. My wife was always the family photographer and took all the pictures. By 2010 my interest had grown enough for me to buy an inexpensive Nikon P&S. I was soon taking more pictures than my wife. I quickly became frustrated by the limitations of the point and shoot, since I had experienced with a much more capable film camera over a decade earlier. 

The event that caused me to buy my first DSLR was an award ceremony at a local football game where the lag time between shots on my point and shoot caused me to miss the key moments. I decided at that point I needed something faster and more capable. I looked at Nikon and Canon entry level DSLR's and eventually settled on a 550D/T2i with a kit lens. It was a great choice and I took 10's of thousands of pictures with it before moving on to newer cameras.


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## nhz (Jan 21, 2016)

My photography started around age 14 with astro-photography, trying to capture images from my telescope. Out of necessity I learned developing film and printing in the darkroom, and started a photography club at my high school. Within a year or two my first SLR - a Practica - was worn down and with money I made on the sidelines from my 'hobby' I purchased the then revolutionary Olympus OM-2 and some lenses. When I went to university my telescope had to go and I switched completely to landscape/nature photography on slide film.

After university I accidentally started my own digital imaging technology company as a result of experimenting with photography and graphics computers. For many years I had little time for photography but when my company became closer involved with digital photography in the late nineties I began experimenting with digital cameras for private use. Around 2003 I finally sold the OM2 gear and went completely digital with the Sony DSC-F717, a camera that I liked very much. One year later I also purchased a Canon 300D mostly because the Sony digicam was too slow for people shots.

I still like experimenting, both with new technology and new creative possibilities. One of the first applications of digital for me was infrared photography (soo much easier than with IR film!!) using an IR-converted DSC-F717. Currently my main subject is dragonflies (one of the few types of colorful 'wildlife' that is available in my area ...). I'm using a 450D DSLR that replaced the 300D in 2008 and looking for better gear to improve my images and dive deeper into the subject ;-)


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## TeT (Jan 21, 2016)

Girlfriend in high school was on yearbook and in photography classes. Picked up a 35mm Film Minolta with a telephoto zoom on it at a garage sale and never looked back...


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## cellomaster27 (Jan 21, 2016)

My first camera was an old film camera ( don't remember the model) and I didn't even finish my first roll of film. I was around 8-10 y/o. I may process it sometime in the future. Then parents bought me a panasonic lumix P&S my first year of undergrad. It got sand inside and a bunch of dust. I had saved up about 1k at that point and decided to jump into a dslr. I took a couple months of research and bought the T2i. Absolutely great camera but took terrible photos for the first 2-3 years. maybe 4? ;D I started purchasing good quality lenses and now have an SL1 after the T2i failed on me. Absolutely love to shoot! It's my stress relief and brings some extra cash on the side. What better hobby?! Only drawback is GAS. serious stuff!


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## monkey44 (Jan 21, 2016)

Was researching and writing a water production and conservation article - freelance - hiking up in the Sierras to track source water. Five days, on the fifth day, the journal sent a photographer with me. I got paid $600 for the article, she spent eight hours and got $500 ...

I immediately went out and bought a camera, learned to use it, and it doubled my income because I could both write and shoot for the same assignments. Eventually became more of a photographer and less of a writer, and eventually added sports to my nature focus...


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## C_Raven (Jan 21, 2016)

When I was around 12 years old, my sister gave me her old Zenit 12xp and taught me the basics (aperture, shutter and ISO speed). After a while the photometer stopped working so I was forced to develop a good eye to estimate exposure (no internet at that time to read things like sunny 16 or anything).
In the university (studying something completely unrelated to photography) I learned to develop and print, but just during that time the shutter broke. I remember being very sad because the shutter was stuck open so I lost a complete roll of film containing what I hoped were good photographs. I had no money at that time so I had to abandon the hobby for a long time.
Fast forward many years and I bought a used 300D with 18-55, and learned the digital workflow, this time with the help of the internet


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## Pookie (Jan 21, 2016)

My dad had an old Konica Auto-Reflex FTA bought during his tour in Vietnam. I found it in his Army footlocker... this was early 80's for me. I took BW film of trees in the fog the first day out and vividly remember waiting for the film to come back from the developer. I was hooked. In HS I signed up immediately for photography class and learned to develop my own film. 

I was an avid photographer for years all the way through college and grad school. I remember buying my first digital camera at Sears for a ridiculous amount of money and at the time the conversation was how you'll need at least 5mp to get anywhere close to film. Mine was a 3mp camera but that didn't matter to me as I was over the moon with the new digital. 

In 99' I started a company called KaloBios with 2 other people and we went from 3 people to about 20 by 2001. I had been working freelance as photographer on the side the entire time. As we recruited new staff we had just merged with a company and needed corporate headshots... A pro was hired and the day he was supposed to show up he flaked. So I stepped in, took the portraits and the pay the pro was supposed to get I got instead. 

I used that money to fund a proper studio. I was at a cross roads in science and felt the calling. Started full time in 2003 and have not looked back. Probably the best move I ever made as it turned a passion into a job that is still fun to this day. Not to say it's been all roses and champagne but I do love going to work.


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## kaswindell (Jan 21, 2016)

My first camera was a 110 Pocket Instamatic that I received as a birthday present when I was 9 or 10. After using that for about 3 years I got to use my uncle's FTb one day and knew that I wanted an upgrade! Unfortunately, instead of an SLR, I got a Yashica rangefinder for Christmas. Not a bad camera, but not what I wanted.

A couple of years later I purchased a Canon TX, which was essentially a stripped down FTb (no self timer, top shutter of 1/500) and a cheap 3rd party 135/3.5 lens. I loved it, but when I loaned it to a friend to take on a trip it was stolen. His parents made good on it and my next purchase a few months later in early 1980 was an A-1. I shot photos for the high school yearbook with that one, and acquired a Tamron 70-210 and a Canon 28/2.8 to go with it over the next year.

The A-1 and I went off to college where I started shooting for the school paper and yearbook. The early stuff was pretty bad, but over the next 4 years I acquired better skills and more gear. By the time I was done with college, the A-1 had a motor drive, and I had dumped the Tamron in favor of primes, ending up with a 85/1.8, a 135/2.0, a 200/2.8 and a 300/4.0 to go along with the 50/1.8 that came with the A-1 and the 28/2.8 that I had picked up in high school. Oh, and I got my FTb, having purchased one used to use as a second body.  In early 1984 I also got a Hasselblad 500C/M, but had to sell it the next summer to pay bills. 

After college I shot quite a bit for fun for the first couple of years, up until a couple of years after my first daughter was born. Then I kind of went dormant, with work, kids and joining a volunteer fire department consuming my time and so the cameras only came out for the usual birthdays, holidays and vacations, along with several family weddings. My wife did buy me a used F-1 (1st gen) in the mid-90s but the quality of my photos declined.

Things picked up about 10 years ago when my youngest brother gave me a 30D for my birthday (history repeats?) because he was tired of watching me work the old film gear. I replaced the kit lens about 8 months later with a 17-85 and added a grip. My middle daughter now has this combo, sans the grip. About 5 years ago I got a 70-200/2.8L IS II for Christmas. Two years ago I picked up a used 50D, but the shutter button stopped working properly last winter so last spring I upgraded to a 5DMk3 and a 24-105 to go along with the 70-200 and got a 2x III extender. I have been shooting much more in the past several years, getting better again, and learning Lightroom.


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## Cory (Jan 21, 2016)

Always had an appreciation for photography so figured that my daughter's entrance into high school volleyball would be a good time to start. While trying to figure out how to turn it (a Canon T1i) on a few parents said, "Look, we have a team photographer."
I screamed "NO!!!", but they didn't get it. Immediately bought the Michael the Mentor training DVD for the T1i and went to work. Relentless daily study with that and online and I'm fairly hooked. 
Have done about 12 or more paid shoots and tons of volunteer work (for community and Veteran causes, etc. including fundraising postcards and calendars). 
My flickr favorites are at www.flickr.com/photos/corysteiner/ not including the paid shoots.
I also have a community Facebook page strictly dedicated to photography that has almost 800 local peeps on already. Anything not photography related gets deleted which has demonstrated that photography brings all people together.


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## TwilightZone (Jan 21, 2016)

I saved up my money to buy my first camera, a Canon FTb, when I was 13 years old. It came with a 50mm 1.8 lens and that was the only lens I had for almost 5 years. (I got a 75-300 for my HS graduation gift from my Mom)

I took a few Adult Education Photography classes on weekends and in High School I was the school newspaper photographer for 2 years. During those two years, I still only had the 50 1.8 and it was certainly an education to shoot football games at night. After the games I would return to the High School and process and print the shots, in their darkroom, sometimes staying there until the morning hours.

After High School, I worked for 5 years at a custom photo lab printing Type-R photos up to 16x20. 

I was able to land a job overseas, on a small island, as Manager of a one hour photo lab which also had contracts with hotels and optional tours to shoot souvenir photos for their tourist guests. At that time, all of our work was conventional processing and printing. Our photo operations for the shoots consumed lots of film, and there were times when I would fly to the Philippines with two large suitcases, fill them up with film, and fly back home. At times I would carry 1500 rolls of film.... I always remember asking for a "hand check" of my luggage and the look on their face when they opened the cases....  I worked there for 11 years and ended up shooting just about everything... food, weddings, calendars, postcards, aerial, interiors, you name it. It was hard work as sometimes I was learning as I was shooting (and mostly on slide film), but very fulfilling. I still miss that job.....

Fast forward 15 years.... Im now in the Philippines. Over the past year and a half I have scanned all my negatives and slides, even the ones back from High School. I stored the files on two redundant external drives.... and just after I scanned the last batch one of the drives died... (always have a back-up). 

Just a quick thanks to all the regular contributors here.... I have always enjoyed this forum and find something fascinating every time I visit.... best regards


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## AE-1Burnham (Jan 21, 2016)

My dad had an AE-1Program with a few lenses when I was very young and always had been surrounded by his images from that camera. Dad moved into HQ point&shoots and his old, nice leather bag with the Canon gear (35 3.5, 50 1.8 and 70-210 4 -- all non-FDn) sat in a closet for years... In late pre-teens I experimented with very early Apple digital cameras (QuickTake 100 & 200) and Clarisworks & Photoshop, shooting lots and processing cheaply on the old PowerMac. Eventually I got my dad to loan me his SLR gear in the summer that I turned 13. This exploded into a passion of shooting 10s of rolls of film a week and eventually started shooting/developing/printing for my high school newspaper with a very good mentor, along with a girlfriend to be my muse/model. A sad day occured when my dad's AE-1Program died while having an autowinder attached to it (shooting high school sports) and it was replaced soon after with my mentor's old AE-1Program (never to see use of an autowinder again...). 'Worked and saved through high school and bought a used EOS 1N and a EF 100-3005.6L, then a EF 50 1.4 USM and then a Sigma 24 1.8 EX and then a 500EX flash. 'Took that to college and shot for university paper while slowly upgrading gear and eventually becoming photo editor of the weekly paper. 'Took a "history of photog" class while a pre-med student and teacher suggested I take a studio class -- I did and the following semester changed declared degree to Fine Arts Photography (and Sociology). 'Spent a few years shooting 4x5 and 120/220 and freelanced in Chicago newspapers regularly. 'Started shooting product and doing other integrated marketing services -- today providing broad design & communication services (incl. Photog) internally to offshore/fisheries industries on the west coast of Norway. 'Miss the view camera and miss my fingernails tasting like "fix"....


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## George D. (Jan 21, 2016)

14yo, the AV-1, impressed by cousin who was shooting WRC rally (Audi Quattro, Michele Mouton).


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## privatebydesign (Jan 22, 2016)

AE-1 in 1978, I got it after taking action photos of race cars with a Polaroid camera I was given! I realised pretty quickly I needed to shoot 135 film for cost, I didn't really have an issue with timing with that Polaroid but I only got one actual image, copies etc were very expensive as they needed inter-negatives.

Started shooting for the local paper at football (soccer) matches that were too small to send an actual photographer to after they saw some of my pictures  That morphed into weddings for friends and family and then paying customers, it's funny, I was shooting 'documentary style' and giving my clients the negatives 30 years before anybody else it seems! Did some aimless meandering around the world with the camera in hand, fell into shooting yacht racing in SE Asia for a massive developer, met some cool people, moved to the Caribbean where I shot everything from real estate to surfing to yacht racing to lifestyle and 'art' prints (Cibachromes), got in trouble because I didn't have a trade license for photography on the Island I lived on but smoothed that out (which is where the privatebydesign anonymity came from). Married a girl from the USA and moved there where I shoot mainly for developers with the occasional more interesting bit thrown in, I do regular photography teaching sessions for a local University and a camera club. I looked up to the guys at the camera club in 1978 and like to think I can pay back some of that help now to others. Still have wanderlust deep in my bones and travel regularly.

I am also a marine engineer and ships Captain, you know, the kind of stuff you fall into when Islands are your home for many years! I actually teach the Captains how to captain on one of the worlds largest sailing trimarans, but photography is my profession.


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## Dylan777 (Jan 22, 2016)

Good topic Sabaki 

1. 2008 and before: $99 P&S shooter

2. Late 2008, Welcomed 1st child: got a used 40D + 50f1.4

3. 2009 to 2014: went through 40d, 60d, 7d, 5D II, 7d II, 5D III and 1Dx + a lot of well known L lenses.

4. 2014 to present: exploring mirrorless world. I'm shooting with mirrorless more and more these days. 

My kids are still number #1 reason in photography.


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## Sportsgal501 (Jan 22, 2016)

Parents bought me a Mickey Mouse camera when I was 5 or 6 I believe it took the 126 or 110 film.
Than in grade school they got me the Polaroid Instant camera that I still have and in High School they got me a Ricoh KR -5 super from Sears. I know it was hell finding lens for it and ended up saving my lunch money to buy an adapter and 135mm and 50mm manual lens from some off name brand still have the camera and lens.
Every now and than I put them on my Pentax DSLR because of the K-mount you can use them in manual mode.


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## Zeidora (Jan 22, 2016)

In early middle school (80s), when I wanted my second Agfa pocket camera (the ones you push together to advance the film) with the WA and tele lens, my mom wondered why I need that, as I am not a professional photographer. Little did she know ... Did not shoot anything remarkable: boyscout camp, random around town shots.

In high school, got a Yashica FXD with Tokina 35-105 and a manual flash and shot quite a bit of B&W (FP4, HP5, some XP1), went to summer photo camp, and also did a bit of darkroom at a local youth center. Have some published photos form that area on a documentary DVD on the Dutch Jazz-post-punk band The Ex (also named a snail species for them).

Got a "real" SLR from my parents when becoming of legal age: OM4Ti, with Zuiko 50 mm macro, bellows, flash. Seriously cool! That opened the avenue for serious nature photography. Shot lots of KC64. Eventually, purchased more lenses, including a 35 shift (mom: the wobble lens), and a 300/4 (mom: the stove pipe). Put that in a Hugy underwater housing.

Once OM abandoned SLR, moved to Contax (RTSIII) and a bunch of Zeiss glass. Finally could also afford a 4x5" kit (AS classic compact) and some modern glass from Schneider 72XL to Nikkor T360/500/720. Still use that. I was rather unimpressed with digital for a long time, so scanned Provia 100F for quite a while. Have about 40K slides. Also got a stereo and a compound microscope, used half for work half for fun.

Once Contax abandoned SLR, I got a 5D2 as my first dSLR. 

Have always mostly shot nature/natural history. Thought that I needed to have my own image library to teach classes. That was before google image search. Still like to shoot nature/natural history, but mainly the under-appreciated subjects, like worms and slime molds. Birds and mammals are not my game. People scare me.


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## Hector1970 (Jan 22, 2016)

I guess film during the 80's. Disposable cameras. I used to like the Panoramic Disposable Cameras. Then a Canon 5000 and Canon 5 (which has an unusual focusing system that could track your eye). I then moved to digital with a number of Fuji compacts (which were very good for their time). Then I went to Canon for my first DSLR about 2010 (500D - which actually still take lovely pictures). I then made the leap to the 5D Mark III which is a remarkable camera still. Mine is completely battered but takes great photos. I aquired GAS along the way. Maybe too much gear has been acquired but Canon makes great glass. I've fallen in love with F1.2 which is really expensive. I have diverted to a Fuji X100s at one stage but its hard to beat full frame quality.
Besides a 600mm F4 II all I'm short is small compact APS-C camera with an articulated screen, that has good focusing that I could find in a reasonably sized pocket. I keep hoping the next EOS-M provides the platform for something like that. Either than or something like the Sony RX100 IV but with a 24-105 reach including an electronic viewfinder. Other than that it's location, location, location. I need to travel the world and explore more before my knees give up.
I'm in a club which makes my photography very social which is great. I also teach beginners which is very rewarding when you see the interesting in photography growing in them.


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## jwilbern (Jan 22, 2016)

In the mid 1980's, my brother left his Minolta X700 on the roof of his car and drove away, and he was unable to find it. He sold me his lenses and I bought myself an X700. My wife borrowed the camera and began a successful career as a fine art photographer (see www.floppypoppy.com). I had a couple of compact digital cameras and we went fully digital with the EOS 40D.


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## Luds34 (Jan 22, 2016)

Good topic, interesting to hear the stories and history of a number of you.

For me, I got my first real taste of photography in the early 90s. I was a freshman in high school and took a photography class. I loved the whole process, including the time spent developing in the darkroom. The slow, deliberate process (compared to today's instant images to social media) made each good shot that much more satisfying.

Of course I didn't stick with it and high school and college kept me busy. My 20's were a fun time, a blur of a young professional working on his career, an avid social life, etc. As I got a bit older, and started to settle down I really started to appreciate life and the little things more. Fast forward to almost 5 years ago and the upcoming birth of my daughter and I figured I had the best excuse to get a "real" camera and see if this photography, that had piqued my interested decades ago, would have any staying power. I did some homework, consulted with some avid hobbyest friends and eventually went to the wife with the idea of buying a T2i. She was against the idea, it was sooooo much money to spend and a new baby and maternity leave, etc. I still chuckle thinking about it as that initial purchase just seems too trivial today.

Anyway, my own expectations were completely blown away. I thought I'd enjoy the camera, taking pictures, etc. but I really have gotten into it. Granted, I look back at that first year and just cringe! The pictures are not all that great. And throw in zero to little post processing knowledge, I mean I still laugh at outdoor winter shots with lots of snow, completely underexposed with the white balance way off. Getting my first manual speedlite for Christmas in 2012 just opened my eyes to a whole other world, controlling and making your own light.

Anyway it's been fun so far and I keep trying to explore and improve. I got a little crazy there for a while, focusing on acquiring all the "right" gear. But I've recently sat down, did some analysis and consolidated to what I felt I really need, simplifying things a bit. That was liberating. Now I'm just focusing on getting out and shooting more.

Cheers!


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## mrzero (Jan 22, 2016)

Around junior high age, I started bugging my dad to let me use his Pentax SLR. After I shot a roll or two, he found a friend who was selling a Canon A-1 with the standard 50/1.8. I used that off and on, and in high school I bought a 28/2.8 and 135/3.5 on ebay (even had the box for one of them!). Took the kit off to college, shot mostly for fun. I declared a minor in art and took a basic design class just to get into Photography 101, where I learned to develop and print B&W. Bought an enlarger and all the supplies, put together a home darkroom in my closet, and printed almost nothing after the class was over! 

I completed a minor in communications, where I applied my knowledge of photography to videography and video production. That led to an internship at a local TV station, which led to a job in the production department, which led to a job in the news department as chief news videographer. Did that full time for a few years, during which time I barely touched my Canon A-1. 

Went back to school to switch careers. My wife bought me our second digital camera as a wedding present (Elph SD800 IS). Took that to Italy on our honeymoon, then a few other trips around Europe. When we had an opportunity to travel to Madagascar, I finally sprung for a DSLR, the new Canon t1i. Got my 20mm on ebay, and a 100mm macro on B&H. It's all snowballed from there. 

But I'm pretty sure there is still film in the A-1, and I keep mentally laying out the darkroom for when we finish the basement...


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## wsmith96 (Jan 23, 2016)

Nice topic! I wrote this a while back in another thread, but it sums it up nicely 

"I'll answer this question with a timeline. Back in 2004 my first child was born and like most parents we wanted to capture every moment of our daughter's life. Fast forward a few years, my wife and I were looking at the pictures we had taken with our Nikon 885 p/s camera and noticed that our pictures looked just as crappy as our parents picture books did. Though we did 'capture' family memories, we wanted them to look better and figured it was the camera and not technique (noob mistake). In 2009 I bought a rebel T1i and started with the kit lens and a 70-300 IS USM. I stuck with that for a few more years. 2011 - both kids start to participate in sports, so now I can't get where I need to be for a good picture being on the sidelines. Start really using the 70-300 but find that after 200mm the lens was too soft. I found this website/forum and started to learn as quickly as my brain could absorb. I lurked here for a year before really starting to participate in the forum. My techniques improved dramatically and I made smarter lens choices. I got lenses that complimented my camera: 10-22, 17-55, 60 macro, 70-200 Mk II L IS USM, 85 1.8, 50 1.8, a couple of flashes, a much improved tripod, and last a 1.4 mk III teleconverter. I focused on technique and glass rather than updating a body. During the last couple of years I explored macro photography, portraits mainly for family pictures, and nature/wildlife photography. As my kids got quicker in sports, I grew my skills there by asking our local high school coach if I could take pictures during games from the sidelines. He liked what he saw and gave me a season sideline pass so I could practice in return for the pictures. I also take pictures for my daughter's diving team and son's baseball team. Now, my kids have joined the 4-H club and I'm providing "event" photography for them - again, to build my skills. I have a few realtor friends who've asked me to photograph their new listings for them. They've called me back for more work, so I must be doing okay there. 

So why did I buy the camera to begin with? - to make sure my family memories don't look like crap"


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## scyrene (Jan 23, 2016)

I got into photography by accident really. Never had much interest in it...

In 2011 I had a blog, and wanted to take photos for it. The only camera I had was on my (first generation!) iPhone, which was terrible, so I decided to get a 'proper' camera - a DSLR (though like most laymen it was mostly that DSLRs had an aura, when I could probably have done just as well with a compact or bridge camera). I got the cheapest secondhand one I could find on eBay - a battered old 300D with the kit lens. But the image quality was so much better than anything I'd had before, I was very pleased.

Didn't use it all that much for the first year. Got a telephoto zoom, but I had very little idea what I was doing, so never got much out of it. Later I bought a couple more secondhand lenses.

But it was really the following year I started exploring, and accidentally taking an interest in birds, and photographing them. That led me to a series of improvements in my kit - longer lenses, extenders, a better camera (the 50D), and so on. From that point, it became something of an obsession, and I spent hundreds of hours reading the theory, reviews and forums, and especially trawling through Flickr.

The last couple of years I've spent mostly with the same equipment, but learning new techniques - astro image stacking, focus stacking, HDR, panorama stitching - and honing my fieldcraft and knowledge, travelling to new places and suchlike. I've not got bored of it yet, and I don't think I ever will now


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