When and how did you get bit?

Scatterbrained · Jan 24, 2015

Me? I knocked my wife up. Apparently photography is a little talked about side effect of procreation.

Gary A. · Jan 24, 2015

Nice ceiling.

rexbobcat · Jan 25, 2015

I was in a multimedia class my sophomore year of high school. Over the Christmas break we were tasked with taking photos for one of our projects, so I picked up my mom's PowerShot something or other lol. I've never been a very creative person, but I got hooked on photography for some odd reason. Granted, this was 5-6 years ago, and I began with digital, so it might have been something about the technological aspect of it.

Then I began shooting for the yearbook since nobody else wanted to and it went from there.

Not really a spectacular beginning.

Ray Hines · Jan 25, 2015

About 4 years ago I had a heart attack and had to have 5 bypasses. I was told I needed to excercise more so I bought myself a Fuji Bridge camera to give me a reason to get out of the house. I'd always had a interest in photography but never had the money to spend on cameras, film and developing. Not long before my heart attack I'd taken my PO pension early so I had a few quid spare. I wanted more than a P&S but I didn't want to lug around a DSLR, that's why the Fuji. I soon grew out of that camera and got myself a HS20EXR which allowed me to do just a little bit more. It got to the point where I could happily take 100 shots and keep just 1. The end result counted but the process was what kept my interest. I now have my Pentax K-r and 5 lenses, and 3 types of lighting to keep me interested. I do get out sometimes but a nice warm spare room and something to light keeps me happy.

Plus Photoshop and Photomatix can make everything worthwhile.

Torus34 · Jan 25, 2015

I was 'hooked' by the B&W photographic process around age 12. My first camera was an inexpensive one that used 127 film. Developed the ortho film in the bathroom by inspection using open trays. Cut mattes from manila cardboard to produce white borders on contact prints. When I reached high school a year later and found out there was a darkroom there, it was 'Nelly, bar the door!'

That was some 68 years ago. Though the equipment I use now's more complex, I'm still fascinated as I watch a print come into being in the developer tray.

407370 · Jan 25, 2015

Photography only took my fancy when digital was introduced. I have had various point and shoots but now I am deliriously happy with my FUJI HS 20 bridge camera and cannot see me buying a "proper DSLR" anytime soon.

KmH · Jan 25, 2015

1980 - When I was gifted a then 10 year old Minolta SR-T 101 and a couple of Rokkor lenses.

weepete · Jan 25, 2015

My dad was quite into his photography so I pretty much grew up with it. I took a lot of photos as a kid on my dads old Pentax K. Then I had a break in my teens where I was more into painting. When I moved in with the Mrs I knocked her film EOS and shot holiday pics on that. From there I got a powershot digital and spent a few years shooting at all different kind of settings until I managed to scrounge my dads old 10D and a couple of lenses which I used for another couple of years until I got a lovely Christmas present of a 7D. I figured since I had a good camera I should really make an effort to improve.

So I guess the fascination has always been there for me but I never really nurtured it until a couple of years ago.

I don't think I will put it down now.

mgrayis · Jan 25, 2015

It was 1972 for me...my big brother was in high school and he showed me his Pentax k1000 that h received for his birthday from our aunts. I was 10 at the time when my interest began. I used point and shoots until I went to Jamaica in 2012 that I bought a camera with an interchangeable lens. Since then, I have 2 ICL systems and a greater desire to create art from my photography.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

PWhite214 · Jan 25, 2015

In 1968 I got to know a photographer in my high school senior class. We talked about photography and cameras. When I entered college I managed to buy a used Pentax H1A, some Tri-X and chemistry. The university had darkrooms in several locations, free for use. The H1A died in the mid 70's, probably due to a dunking in the Gila River on a backpack trip. The replacement was K1000. Except for the hotshoe, it still works. Made the move to Minolta, Konica Minolta and Sony. Still shooting, and processing film.

Phil

dennybeall · Jan 25, 2015

OK, Hard to remember exactly but I was 15 or 16 and Dad handed me his Speed Graphic 4X5 and sent me out to get shots of the new officers being sworn in at the local Moose Club.
The 5X7 B&W's were worth 9$ a piece as I recall. More stuff on and off - then school yearbook and on to the Nikon "F" and news work.
Only occasionally full or part-time pro since. Even did a couple of weddings and hated it!!!!

deeky · Jan 25, 2015

Probably the late 80's when I was a kid, my mom had an old Kodak 110 she gave me. I used it on a couple of trips until I laid it down at the Grand Canyon gift shop and never saw it again. Fast forward a few and I spent the summer after my freshman year of college in Fairbanks, so my parents bought me a Kodak Advantix p&s. Took it to Fairbanks, Israel, and Poland through college. I then got a K-1000 near the end of college and was off and running. My b-i-l later hooked my up with a VERY barely used 20D. Come to think of it, I've never bought a camera body, just a lens or three.

480sparky · Jan 25, 2015

deeky said:
Probably the late 80's when I was a kid, my mom had an old Kodak 110 she gave me. I used it on a couple of trips until I laid it down at the Grand Canyon gift shop and never saw it again. Fast forward a few and I spent the summer after my freshman year of college in Fairbanks, so my parents bought me a Kodak Advantix p&s. Took it to Fairbanks, Israel, and Poland through college. I then got a K-1000 near the end of college and was off and running. My b-i-l later hooked my up with a VERY barely used 20D. Come to think of it, I've never bought a camera body, just a lens or three.

Hey! That was your 1,000th post!

dxqcanada · Jan 25, 2015

Back in the early 70's I took apart my fathers camera. Then I took apart my grandmothers 110 camera.
Then they bought me my own camera ... this time I did not take it apart, I actually took pictures ... then I took it apart when it stopped working.

... hmm, and I am still taking apart cameras !?! Though I am better at getting them working again.

pgriz · Jan 25, 2015

Ages 6-10ish, some cheap plastic thingie using 120 film. Have a few negatives from that era. (Age 6 was 1959).
Ages 11ish to about 16, plastic camera using 35mm film. Learned to develop film - Dad had a small darkroom (also known as the bathroom), and a little after-school activity in the school darkroom.
Ages 16-30-ish, Practica TL, 35mm camera. A "real" camera, f/1.8 50mm lens. With bellows, discovered macrophotography. With a microscope, discoverd micrography. With my 4-1/2" reflector, discovered the universe, solar projection photography, guided astro-photography... With IR film, discovered another world. And because the Practica had a rather useless lightmeter, learned how to use a Gossen LunaPro lightmeter, and how to estimate exposures by eye. One of my daughters has that Practica - think it is now moonlighting either as decor or as a paperweight.