how old are we?

[george_nedleman]

Am I the only O.F. here? I'm 71 but only a "mini" LF photographer

with a Horseman 980. The pack with tripod weighs in at over #25

which gets very old after a few miles. I'm sure my 28 marathons

have helped me drag the "stone" around. Just got back from the Greek

Islands where, because I've become enamored with my 2450 and 1280

Scanner/printer, I took more color than B&W.

[j._mose]

I'm 44. I first became interested in photography in 1971. My first

camera (other than a Polaroid Swinger) was a Crown Graphic. After a

year of taking this seriously and having several pictures appear in my

local town newspaper (Port Washington, NY), my dear father generously

bought me a Beseler 45MCRX enlarger and a new Nikon F-2 with three

lenses. My first love always remained with large format (and later

medium too). I received a college degree in photography but ended up

getting a BS and MBA in business. My career went in this direction.

I've worked at Lockheed Martin for 21 years and currently work in

international business. I moved from NY to LA to Atlanta and now Fort

Worth. I had a long absence from photography...I should have never

gone to school for it and kept it as a hobby. I guess I got burned

out on the subject. Between 1980 and 1997, I did buy a Hasselblad,

hoping to respark my interest. Finally in 1997, something clicked (no

pun intended). I now own a Linhof and a few Graflex products, along

with collecting early Hasselblads. Unfortunately, I don't have that

first Crown Graphic as I traded it for a Super Speed Graphic in 1974.

I'm grateful that I got my start with large format as I made several

mistakes and had to learn the hard way. The Nikon seemed like a cinch

after a year of 4 X 5! I guess one would say I'm an advanced amateur

who loves to read about photography as much as shoot! I collect

literature and have extensively studied the 40's through 60's period

(This is why I pipe in on questions about Graflex and Linhof

equipment). Over the past eight months, I have been building a

darkroom. I'm also a big fan of Leica and just traded up to the new

M7. I travel to Europe with my job a few times a year...this has

become my favorite time to shoot.

 

<p>

 

I admire all of you for your contributions and I have looked at

several photos and websites! Kerry's shots of Oregon still make my jaw

drop! I think websites like this has been a tremendous help for

me...my interest in photography is as stong as it was in the 1970's

(too bad I don't have as much free time as I did then!!!)

 

<p>

 

Joe...I think your question was a great idea, as I've enjoyed reading

about the others.

 

<p>

 

All the best,

 

<p>

 

J. P. Mose

[cxc]

50. Interested in photography off and on since high school. After

25 years of sitting in front of a computer all day, I have become

anti-tech in my hobbies. Thus most of my photography is either LF,

pinhole, or both.

 

<p>

 

The digital revolution got me spooked, fearing that LF would die out

before I had fully experienced it, so I am in a LF feeding frenzy.

Do it now, while you still can.

 

<p>

 

CXC

[nicholas_f._jones]

55. Been shooting 8x10 and 5x7 for two years preceded by Brownie,

Nikons and b/w darkroom.

[dennis_lee7]

I am currently 38, started LF 4 years ago, not addicted but just

can't quit. And I enjoy coming to this forum everyday.

[scott_soper]

40 years old, here in Indianapolis. And I feel younger at 40 than I

did at 25!

 

<p>

 

I've been shooting and printing 35mm since I was 20. I had a

girlfriend in college who was good in the darkroom, and introduced

me to B&W. Girlfriend�s long gone, but I still love photography!

Another girlfriend got me into playing music at church with her -

I'd do anything for a pretty face back then! Again, girlfriend's

long gone, but I still do church music today (professionally). Go

figure!

 

<p>

 

I've shot MF since I was 23, and I'm still breaking in my 4x5 which

I purchased last June. Or perhaps it's breaking ME in?

 

<p>

 

Thank you to all who contribute to this wonderful forum!!!

[fred_leif]

55, newly retired to devote time to photography.

 

<p>

 

Early recollections of my parent's darkroom, I helped 'soup' their

prints, (left hand in the developer, right hand in the stop and fix -

don't rub your eyes!).

 

<p>

 

Did my own developing/printing at 10 or 11. First 'job' was candids

and groups for my Jr. High Yearbook - 1963. 35mm Miranda D, tri-x

and D-76.

 

<p>

 

First MF, a Mamiyaflex C-3 in 1966.

 

<p>

 

First Calumet CC-402 4x5 in 1968. With 210 Symmar (convertible). As

I recall, all for about $300.

 

<p>

 

Now: 35, MF, 4x5 and 8x10. Current favorite combination: FP-4 and PMK

 

<p>

 

Some things just get better and better!

[peter_chipman]

30...Jeeze, you finally made me realize that I'm old, thanks!

[mat_nikon]

36 years old. In LF years, about 4 boxes of TMax 400. (Still a baby.)

Without the internet (and Ebay), I would never have known about this

large format stuff. I still feel like an idiot everytime I put my

head under the horse blanket in a crowded place. Perhaps the feeling

will go away when I'm pushing 50.

[mike3]

50 and don't know if I've ever seen someone else using an LF outside

of a studio. I hide out with my cameras in the country.

[chris_jordan3]

i'm 38 with a solid foundation of Seattle moss on the north side of my

bones; just mixing up my ginko-biloba/viagra smoothie here (helps me

remember what the f**k i was doing...). i'm fairly old in Velvia

years-- recently calculated the cost of LF film i've consumed over the

last 12 years and realized i could have paid cash for a really nice

bay-view condo. yikes. instead, i've got 54 gigabytes of 0's and 1's

sitting here on my hard drive (which i wouldn't trade for any condo in

the world...).

 

<p>

 

~cj

[nigel_turner]

40 I think! Been using large format since 1988. Originally from the

UK but now resident in Las Vegas, USA.

Use 4x5, 5x7 and 8x10.

 

<p>

 

www.nigelturnerphotography.com

 

<p>

 

Nigel Turner.

[dan n.]

lemme see......4x5=9 that's when I started to play with my dad's

Rolleicord then 6x6=36..adding up those figures....arghhhh my math is

wrong....ain't no good in math, better go back to the dark room.... :)

[hugo_j._zhang1]

41. 8x10 for 2 years after 1/2 of that time on 4x5.

[erik_gould1]

38-- started taking pics when i was 5 with a 126 instamatic. got

hooked on 4x5 @ 19. Can't believe its been so long. Now I shoot

1/2 frame on up to 4x5, with a heavy dose of 6x9 these days.

Joe, since you asked, I think it falls to you to add up all these

numbers to get our average!

[trevor_crone3]

Joe,

Don't you know its rude to ask a LF photographer their age. I'm 52 and already forgetting what day it is, let alone what F-stops to use!

 

<p>

 

Cheers,

[danny burk www.dannyburk.]

Just turned 39. Again.

 

<p>

 

OK, actually 41...

[floren_pge]

I'm 27 and have been shooting 4x5 for 3 years. Don't have much time

for it now because of med school. Instead, I photograph my classmates

with a Mamiya C330 and get dirty looks. They think I'm working some

evil mojo on them or something.

 

<p>

 

Cheerio

[frank_ferreira]

76 years old in what seems to be the body of a 90 year old. started

in l938 with a 39 cent univex and soup bowls for trays. in 39 got

very used, leaky bellows graphlex. now have 6x9 4x5 and 11x14.

still love it. frank ferreira

[david_g_hall]

I am bored sitting here at work.

 

<p>

 

61 people so far. Assuming Joe Kras is 49, the average age is 39.66.

 

<p>

 

So far.

 

<p>

 

dgh

[jorge_gasteazoro4]

44, MF, 4x5, 8x10, 12x20....so far so good, we will see the next 44

years...:-))

[alex_weiner]

57 and counting. Primarily MF 32 years. LF (4x5) 17 years on and off.

Now (for last 2 years) primarily 8x10. Shooting less film but enjoying

it more!

[donald_brewster]

Age 44 here -- more MF and less 4x5 and 8x10 than I'd like these days.

[eugene_singer]

I'll raise the average age with my stats. Yesterday, I celebrated my

72nd birthday. Made my first print in a darkroom at age 16. Addicted

to photography ever since. Started large format with a 4X5 Speed

Graphic at age 18. Hand held large format photography. Very difficult

for a little guy to haul that huge fiber box filled with film holders

and flashbulbs. Soon, moved to a much more compact, lighter, and more

practical Rollei TLR. A stint in the in the armed forces using a 35mm

Exacta. Back to civilian life, and medium format and 35mm for the

next 26 years. In 1982, purchased a Calumet 4X5, and it's been B&W

large format negatives ever since. Much easier to print than 6X6 and

35mm negs. I leave the small format and digital imaging to my young,

beautiful wife.

[john_mcdonald]

I am 40. I got started in large format about seven years ago so that I could

photograph furniture with a corrected perspective. Then I saw the fluid work of

Jack Welpott. When I went outside, he was sitting there on a bench. I took an

intensive with Jack, who showed me a way.