how long have you been a photographer

[cmptrdewd]

I got my first digital camera on my 12th birthday and loved snapping pictures of everything. After studying about photography I found that my 1mp point n' shoot really didn't provide the creative features I wanted. So after a lot of practice with my "p n' s" and studying different cameras I found the one I wanted! The Canon PowerShot Pro1!!

My parents had told me that I had to buy it myself because it was so expense. I saved and saved for what seemed forever. I had $400 in my savings account and it was getting around Christmas. I never expected the present I was going to get this year!!

My heart leaped for joy when I opened that box!! "It's... it's... it's the camera I wanted!!" My dad said that all the money in my savings account was gone to pay for half the camera, but I didn't care, I had what I wanted for so long!!

I got that camera just this last Christmas and I consiter myself an noob/serious hobbist and know my stuff (one word: Books, lots of books!). I'm going to take a photography class soon because lately I've been in a creative slump. For me being 15 and stuck in the house most of the time (homeschooled) it's hard to find good picture oppurtunities, you know? I'm going to also use photography as a second income as soon as I can drive and have my own job.

But any way, I love my camera and photography and I always learn something new around here.



Have a day,
Aaron

 

[LizM]

'Bout 20 years or so. Bought my first SLR (Pentax K1000) with money from my first part-time job.

I consider myself an amatuer (it lets me enter contests!).

 

[Islair]

I have and AA in Professional Photography, work in a portrait studio, work with customers and all of that jazz. I would call myself a professional but I prefer the term "artist" for the simple reason that I dont enjoy portrait. My real love is going out and seeing what there is to capture. I sell editions, though not many yet. My biggest fear is getting my hobby into a career though, nothing worse than it turning into work.

So I enjoy my time behind the lens and hope it stays fun.

 

[bumsrmyfriends]

I've been a photographer for about a year, but just recently got fully committed to it.

 

[Middlemarch]

Got my first SLR 2 weeks ago. I'm a newb, and proud of it.

 

[Dweller]

I took my first shot since deciding to learn about photography in April of last year. Today I finally started organizing all my negatives so have been able to determine that I have shot about 684 shots in that time...

I should have gone Digital

 

[dalebe]

I have been into photography now for the last 12yrs, but seriously about five years, i used to be a fanatic bodybuilder with a passion, but photography far exceeds any passion i have ever had, i go to bed thinking of it, and i wake up thinking of it, so i would consider myself as a keen amateur

 

[Vmann]

Been shooting with slrs. Started developing and working in a darkroom at thirteen. I would still consider myself a novice.

 

[Patrick]

22 years off and on....mostly on.

 

[darin3200]

I've been taking a lot of snapshots for most of my life, I developed (no pun intended ) a serious interest in photography around April or May of this year

 

['Daniel']

~Less than a month :shock:

I got my camera at christmas but only very recently started taking serious pictures.

I'm suprised so many of you have DSLRs after not even a year photographing.

 

[montresor]

Since early 2004.... Read an article about the Holga and that was the end of life as I knew it. Since then, shooting when possible, but job gets in the way. I like cameras that are old and/or weird -- Koni-Omega Rapid, big Crown Graphic, Agfa Isolette I, Kodak Retinette 1a (German), Mamiya C330S... plus plastic toy cameras from the thrift store, a P&S in the pocket, a cheesy Fuji APS I got for $2.02 at ValueWorld (home of palindromic pricing). Recently jammed up a Contaflex real good.

Professional? Um... I got $50 for a moody portrait of Pierre Boulez I took for the local alternative weekly this year.

 

[darin3200]

I'm suprised so many of you have DSLRs after not even a year photographing.

Its the inexperience, after they shoot for a while and get better they relize the errors of their ways and go to film

 

[summers_enemy]

I had a camera thrust into my hands by age 7 and have rarely been without one since then....so make it roughly 14 years I am definitely an amateur...

 

[Rob]

The last three generations of my family have been keen amateur photographers, so I was introduced to cameras in a "take a picture of mummy & daddy" way from about the age of seven or so and started with my own camera at about twelve. So on and off sixteen years.

As for professional, I regard a pro photographer as someone who devotes most of their time, and gains most of their income, from photography. I have a day job, but get the occasional wedding or corporate gig with which I usually get a few £££.

Rob