When did you get your first camera?

[gabor_szabo3]

<p>Since I refused to fill out the Census forms, I'll give this QA a shot. Seems painless enough :</p>

<p>1. I used the family cameras at an early age ( 5 or 6 years old); Keystone 126 - I fondly remember the low whine of the flash recycling and anxiously awaiting the orange ready light to go back on. I had a few personal 110 cameras of my own until I was 8. Then my Uncle Laszlo shoed me the fundamentals of photography with a Contessa-Nettel Picolette.<br>

<br /> 2. A camera is usually within reach most any place, most any time.<br>

<br /> 3. Sometimes I go "naked" and travel without a camera, but I usually take one "just in case".<br>

<br /> 4. Self-taught B&W darkroom age 12, took HS Photo class anyhow, mentored under noted wedding portraitist and learned color darkroom printing as a teen. Handful of other non-photo image processing apprenticeships afterwards.<br>

<br /> 5. Never a break from photography for past twenty years. Dektol still runs through veins ( nasty patches of dermatitis made me realize gloves were a good investment).<br>

<br /> 6. Photography in one form or the other pays the rent and keeps the kids in new shoes.</p>

[Jeffrey L.T. von Glück]

<p>1. Ca. 7 years old, a Kodak Brownie Starmeter, which I still have.<br>

2. Yes.<br>

3. Absolutely.<br>

4. No, self-taught, but had semi-pro relatives as tutors.<br>

5. Never.<br>

6. Some money.</p>

[Jeffrey L.T. von Glück]

<p>I will just add that I never gravitated away from photography and I always incorporated it into other hobbies, e.g. astronomy, trains, architecture, travel, boating, etc. It is the medium to record the other avocations.</p>

[ryan_moore1]

<p>11,yes,yes, no,yes...i earn some side money and a lot of pride<br>

-RM</p>

[mark_drutz]

<p>1. My father-in-law gave me my first camera when I got married in 1965. I was 21. He gave me a Kodak Instamatic 100 to take on our honeymoon. I still have the camera, the pictures, and the wife.<br />2. no<br />3. no<br />4. no<br />5. I did very little shooting from 1989 to 1995. Lost interest. Rediscovered interest. Don't really know why.<br />6. I've never sold a picture. I've been offered paid jobs, but I don't need the aggravation.</p>

[patrick_stack]

<p>Probably about age 12, the old C-3 brick that my Dad used, three lenses, actually not half bad.</p>

<p>Since then, absolutely. 40 plus year commercial pilot career provided enormous opportunities for travel related photography, I have literally a closet full of boxes with prints and chromes stored away. Eventually I had to create a rather complex referencing and locating system, in order to find individual items. </p>

<p>Well, not literally, but I'm painfully aware of the chance of losing a great opportunity if I don't have one at hand, so I take the neccessary steps to keep one at the ready MOST of the time.</p>

<p>No.</p>

<p>Nope, pretty much stayed with the hobby since the early days. I'm approaching 70 now, with health issues that limit my abilities somewhat, but I stay as active in the hobby as I can. It's as satisfying as ever. </p>

<p>Yes, but only due to folks that knew I had several pro-level sytems and formats. The occasional invitation to shoot something for someone would appear, ie: three profession related magazines, annual or quarterly report shots, one phone book cover, family portraits, etc. Just flukes really, never sought work, just a few things came my way by chance, most I turned down and referred to pro's.</p>

[flatulent1]

<p>

<p><em>1. At what age did you get/use first camera?</em><br>

11, I think. 4th grade photography club, anyway. It was a plastic roll film camera, if I remember correctly.</p>

<p><em>2. Have you always had a camera around?</em><br>

No.</p>

<p><em>3. Do you consider yourself a bit lost when you dont have your current camera readily to hand?</em><br>

No.</p>

<p><em>4. Did you have any formal training?</em><br>

I studied photography for a year at the university before I decided I was a lousy student and wanted to do other things. Oh, I certainly enjoyed photography classes and darkroom sessions, it was the calculus and geography classes I couldn't complete.</p>

<p><em>5. Did you have a break from photography or did you stick with it? What caused the break? Do you wish you didnt break away for a while?</em><br>

I had at least two <em>long </em>breaks from photography when the trumpet took up most of my attention. I've never regretted it, I was a much better musician than photographer.</p>

<p><em>6. Do you earn from it or consider images commercial enough?</em><br>

Not even close. I've never had an artistic 'vision', I've always only been an enthusiast.</p>

</p>

[jay_66]

<p><em>1. At what age did you get/use first camera?</em><br>

About 7 or 8 years old; a second-hand Kodak Signet 35.<em> </em><br>

<em>2. Have you always had a camera around?</em><br>

Absolutely!<br>

<em>3. Do you consider yourself a bit lost when you dont have your current camera readily to hand?</em><br>

Most certainly.<br>

<em>4. Did you have any formal training?</em><br>

Totally self taught.<br>

<em>5. Did you have a break from photography or did you stick with it? What caused the break? Do you wish you didnt break away for a while?</em><br>

Never!<br>

<em> 6. Do you earn from it or consider images commercial enough?</em><br>

Retired now, but worked for UPI starting as a combat photog in Vietnam in the late 60's.<em><br /></em></p>

 

[GerrySiegel]

<blockquote>

<p>Since I refused to fill out the Census forms,...</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I was a census followup worker in 1990. Quite a few people put the form aside. " Oh that thing is around somewhere, I forgot it." <br>

For those that don't fill it out on some grounds of privacy,or libertarian idelology, they are delusional or misguided. Of course I know that is not the case for any one who posts on Photo Net. (I had to throw that aside in as Gabor,you originated, as an aside also, the subject of the decennial census. My son is slogging around the back woods of Alaska to track down those vital and brief questionnaires this week. Enough said or I get on my civics soapbox again.</p>

<blockquote>

 

</blockquote>

[mariosforsos]

<p>1. 12 - during a trip abroad I bought my first Minolta XG9 with 50mm lens.<br>

2. Yeah...through all the 8 or so cameras and over 30 lenses I've gone through over the years, I've had a camera with me pretty much all the time...;-)<br>

3. Most of the time yes...but sometimes I manage...;-)<br>

4. Nope, but I have shot over 2500 rolls of film and over 30,000 digital photos, have a library of over 60 photography books, spend an average of 2 hrs a day reading and experimenting...<br>

5. No, not real break. Even during my military service, I was always lugging around my P&S until I eventually became the unit;s official photographer...;-) I did let it lapse for about a year though while going through a really nasty breakup...:-((((<br>

6. Last year I made approximately 35%, but this year I project I'll reach over 60% of my total income from photography (photo sales, shoots, books, lessons, etc) The rest of the time I'm a boring business consultant for international banks...:-((((</p>