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What first inspired you to begin making photographs, and how did it affect your life?
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Feb 3, 2018 23:17:28   #
SWFeral Loc: SWNM
 
1Feathercrest wrote:
The first thing that caught my eye was that you used the correct word "affect" instead of the ubiquitously mis-used word "impact". I surmised that you were of a previous generation, as am I. It irritates me to no end that no one seems to be able to define the nuance between the words. For those of you who think, "what is this old coot talking about", I shall explain. An impact is an action such as a hammer striking a nail, while the result is the hammer blow "impact" producing the "effect" of driving the nail ("affecting"). "Impact" is the action and NOT the result, which is how the hammer's "impact" produces the result of the nail being driven. (The nail being affected"). The previously used word "ubiguitously" means widely used. So why do the main of men now widely mis-use the word "impact" and its derivation "impactfull" ? Ignorance of "The King's English" (which now should, perhaps, be labeled "The Queen's English". I expect that this lecture has gone over the heads of most readers and has not "affected" their ongoing mis-use of "impacted".
The first thing that caught my eye was that you us... (show quote)


Get over yourself. I liked what this guy had to say about his Dad's camera, not so different from my story about my Dad's camera, and all this grammatical bullshit gets in the way. Yes, people use language different(ly) now. Language evolves in accordance with the times, like it or not. As Harry Styles sang, "Just stop your crying, it's a sign of the times." Perhaps that comma should have been a colon or semicolon.

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Feb 3, 2018 23:22:33   #
SWFeral Loc: SWNM
 
It was in the family blood to make photographs. Some relatives did better than others, and my father had a knack. He passed the interest on to me. It has affected my life entirely: I always have my camera with me, and always plan outings to include photography. It's a beautiful world out there and I want to show others what I see. Not everyone can get out into nature.

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Feb 3, 2018 23:33:11   #
rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona
 
My mom worked for Kodak in a retail sales store. My dad was a photographic enthusiast. That was the wonderful family into which I was born. At the age of 5 my parents, for either my birthday or the following Christmas, gave me a Leica IIIf for a present. I still have it and still use it.
--Bob

Hyperhad wrote:
The camera in the picture belonged to my (deceased) Father. He was born in Great Britain. After doing his "National Service" in the military, which ended 1949, he attended Westminster College in London to become a Teacher. At some point in the next two years, he purchased this camera, and used it regularly. Our family emigrated to Canada (in 1967). Fast forward to 1972. I was 13 years old, shy, a poor student. He discovered the camera in a box that had been stored in the basement, and brought it out to show the family. Of the five children, only I showed any interest. I was not just interested, I was fascinated! This mechanical device, so complicated, and that my Father had used years ago, ignited my imagination. I knew nothing about cameras, never mind photography. So, I went to the Library (you younger members might want to Google "Library"!😁. I found all the books I could, read them, and my interest grew. I bought some 620 roll film, and began using it. Photography interested me more than anything else ever had. I put dozens of rolls of film through it, developing my technique. I learned about shutter speed (the camera had a leaf shutter), aperture, film speed (called ASA then, changing to ISO in the 1980's). I was hooked. When I was 16, I got my first job in a local photography store, called the "Film Factory". I was in heaven. I sold cameras, advised people how to use their own cameras, and learned all I could from the head salesman. I purchased my first camera, a Ricoh 500G. I kept learning and delving deeper into the world of Photography.
I don't want to bore you all, so I'll condense the rest of my journey (somewhat). I joined the Canadian Forces, spent a year doing 2 United Nations tours in Egypt and Syria (taking pictures all the time). I returned home and attended our local College to study Film Production. My previous knowledge served me well. I remember vividly, the first time I made my first black and white print. It was magic! Upon graduation, I worked in video and film production, and photography. This led to a 2-year "consultant" position with a school board, which led to my getting a job teaching a newly-developed course at the high school level, Communications Technology. I worked at that, passing on my passion for photography and video production to my students, for 24 years. I retired last year. Throughout that time, I continued to practice and learn whatever I could about photography.
Now, the point of this is that seeing that old camera my Father had used in the early 1950's began my interest in Photography, and to every other job I had throughout my life. It is still my passion to make photographs, and it still excites me to take a camera in my hands (now a D850), go outside, and make photographs.
A good number of my students went on to become Photographers, or work in Film or Video. I like to think that I kindled some of what I felt when I began my journey in my students. Photography has been a major force in my life. It has brought me so much. I can honestly say that without photography, I do not know if I would even be here now, writing this. And, that first spark I felt seeing and holding that old camera began my journey. It has been a good one.
The camera in the picture belonged to my (deceased... (show quote)


(Download)

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Feb 4, 2018 03:11:11   #
Cheese
 
1Feathercrest wrote:
The previously used word "ubiguitously" means widely used.


Pomposity is an affliction that those who cannot spell can ill afford.

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Feb 4, 2018 08:57:06   #
gnadeau80 Loc: Rowley,MA
 
Hyperhad wrote:
The camera in the picture belonged to my (deceased) Father. He was born in Great Britain. After doing his "National Service" in the military, which ended 1949, he attended Westminster College in London to become a Teacher. At some point in the next two years, he purchased this camera, and used it regularly. Our family emigrated to Canada (in 1967). Fast forward to 1972. I was 13 years old, shy, a poor student. He discovered the camera in a box that had been stored in the basement, and brought it out to show the family. Of the five children, only I showed any interest. I was not just interested, I was fascinated! This mechanical device, so complicated, and that my Father had used years ago, ignited my imagination. I knew nothing about cameras, never mind photography. So, I went to the Library (you younger members might want to Google "Library"!😁. I found all the books I could, read them, and my interest grew. I bought some 620 roll film, and began using it. Photography interested me more than anything else ever had. I put dozens of rolls of film through it, developing my technique. I learned about shutter speed (the camera had a leaf shutter), aperture, film speed (called ASA then, changing to ISO in the 1980's). I was hooked. When I was 16, I got my first job in a local photography store, called the "Film Factory". I was in heaven. I sold cameras, advised people how to use their own cameras, and learned all I could from the head salesman. I purchased my first camera, a Ricoh 500G. I kept learning and delving deeper into the world of Photography.
I don't want to bore you all, so I'll condense the rest of my journey (somewhat). I joined the Canadian Forces, spent a year doing 2 United Nations tours in Egypt and Syria (taking pictures all the time). I returned home and attended our local College to study Film Production. My previous knowledge served me well. I remember vividly, the first time I made my first black and white print. It was magic! Upon graduation, I worked in video and film production, and photography. This led to a 2-year "consultant" position with a school board, which led to my getting a job teaching a newly-developed course at the high school level, Communications Technology. I worked at that, passing on my passion for photography and video production to my students, for 24 years. I retired last year. Throughout that time, I continued to practice and learn whatever I could about photography.
Now, the point of this is that seeing that old camera my Father had used in the early 1950's began my interest in Photography, and to every other job I had throughout my life. It is still my passion to make photographs, and it still excites me to take a camera in my hands (now a D850), go outside, and make photographs.
A good number of my students went on to become Photographers, or work in Film or Video. I like to think that I kindled some of what I felt when I began my journey in my students. Photography has been a major force in my life. It has brought me so much. I can honestly say that without photography, I do not know if I would even be here now, writing this. And, that first spark I felt seeing and holding that old camera began my journey. It has been a good one.
The camera in the picture belonged to my (deceased... (show quote)


I never really liked or gave a second thought to photography in the past. It started about a year or so ago after a few nature photos with my cell phone. I eventually moved up to a nikon b700 and hope to upgrade from that in a year or so. I was always too busy to get out and enjoy natures beauty, but now I find it very relaxing and exciting.

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Feb 4, 2018 10:01:57   #
rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona
 
I should add that want inspired me to making photographs, as opposed to just taking pictures, was when I first viewed and Ansel Adams print. The foundation and encouragement my parents provided was the stepping stone.
--Bob

rmalarz wrote:
My mom worked for Kodak in a retail sales store. My dad was a photographic enthusiast. That was the wonderful family into which I was born. At the age of 5 my parents, for either my birthday or the following Christmas, gave me a Leica IIIf for a present. I still have it and still use it.
--Bob

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Feb 5, 2018 06:34:33   #
Sam Dog
 
There was no one that influenced my decision to start taking pictures. I remember looking at pictures others had taken (old polaroids) and remembering that specific time. I was living at the Grand Canyon from 1982 to 1989 when I decided to pick up a camera a do things for myself. My first camera was a Canon AE-1. Since then have owned various camera's and lenses, and kind wish I kept them all to show the self progression. But as it is I didn't. I really never considered myself a photograpgher, I just like taking pictures. Quite a few has commented over the years and saying I have a good eye and maybe I do I don't know. I just shoot what I think would be nice and shoot all angles. I am currently using the 6D and for some reason have always been a Canon guy but have owned Nikon in the past. Would love to try advancing to the next format but my wallet says no. :) As I have stated I still consider myself a novice. If I see a photo I like someone else took I sometimes say I have to go photograph that for myself. Thus last years vacation back out West. Well, not much of a story, but there it is. I'm the only one in the family to persue photography this far.

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Feb 5, 2018 12:42:01   #
dickwilber Loc: Indiana (currently)
 
I had an older bachelor uncle who loved to record his travels on film - movies as well as stills. Right after the end of World War II (I was all of six years old), he gave me an Ansco box camera. I loved it, though I was very limited by the amount of film and processing my parents would spring for. Then, when I was eleven, I used the proceeds from my paper route to buy a camera very similar to the one shown by this threads originator, a folding Kodak with a flash gun. I loved that camera, though still very limited by the cost of film and processing. When exploring Yellowstone with that same bachelor uncle at the age of fourteen, I came away with some amazing images of a moose. But then light leaks made that camera useless. And I discovered girls, then A GIRL, then the business of making a living and raising a family, and photography was pushed way to the back of my priorities.

But, eventually things settled down and I rediscovered my interest in photography. First, a quality 35 mm rangefinder, then the need for greater control and interchangeable lenses brought me into the world of SLR's. I began exploring the world of developing and printing, and I discovered a Camera Club where I was exposed to many photographic talents, new techniques and views of the world around us. As my photographic abilities and interests grew, the world around us changed. The corporate job which had sustained my family disappeared, but my family was grown, and I was free to pursue my interests. I would briefly own a studio/lab - not a wise choice just as the world began switching from film to digital imaging, and then I would make my way as an "event photographer" (weddings, bar mitzvahs, retirements, graduations, family reunions, concerts, sports, et al), which I found to be the greatest way to make a living I could imagine. Not terribly lucrative, but very rewarding.

Today, happily retired, I find I have a grandchild interested in photography, and I am renewed once more.

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Feb 5, 2018 13:32:44   #
Tracy B. Loc: Indiana
 
dickwilber wrote:
I had an older bachelor uncle who loved to record his travels on film - movies as well as stills. Right after the end of World War II (I was all of six years old), he gave me an Ansco box camera. I loved it, though I was very limited by the amount of film and processing my parents would spring for. Then, when I was eleven, I used the proceeds from my paper route to buy a camera very similar to the one shown by this threads originator, a folding Kodak with a flash gun. I loved that camera, though still very limited by the cost of film and processing. When exploring Yellowstone with that same bachelor uncle at the age of fourteen, I came away with some amazing images of a moose. But then light leaks made that camera useless. And I discovered girls, then A GIRL, then the business of making a living and raising a family, and photography was pushed way to the back of my priorities.

But, eventually things settled down and I rediscovered my interest in photography. First, a quality 35 mm rangefinder, then the need for greater control and interchangeable lenses brought me into the world of SLR's. I began exploring the world of developing and printing, and I discovered a Camera Club where I was exposed to many photographic talents, new techniques and views of the world around us. As my photographic abilities and interests grew, the world around us changed. The corporate job which had sustained my family disappeared, but my family was grown, and I was free to pursue my interests. I would briefly own a studio/lab - not a wise choice just as the world began switching from film to digital imaging, and then I would make my way as an "event photographer" (weddings, bar mitzvahs, retirements, graduations, family reunions, concerts, sports, et al), which I found to be the greatest way to make a living I could imagine. Not terribly lucrative, but very rewarding.

Today, happily retired, I find I have a grandchild interested in photography, and I am renewed once more.
I had an older bachelor uncle who loved to record ... (show quote)


Having your Grandchild interested in photography must be so wonderful!

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Feb 5, 2018 17:22:30   #
rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA
 
In December 1966 I was walking past a hobby store with a friend when we saw a really snazzy-looking model of a Burlington locomotive. I had been raised along the Burlington, but I had never seen such an attention-grabbing locomotive; he was quite sure Tyco wouldn't just make things up. Later I discovered they had combined the snazzy silver color {usually was accompanied by under-stated lettering} from Burlington passenger locomotives with the snazzy lettering {usually accompanying understated pale gray paint} from Burlington freight locomotives.

In the meantime, I decided I needed something more reliable than my memory, so I began a lifetime of "capturing today exactly before tomorrow comes and everything changes".

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Feb 5, 2018 17:24:49   #
E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada
 
“Why Can't the English Teach Their Children How to Speak”...Wasn't that a song form the Broadway musical “My Fair Lady”! Sung by Rex Harrison?- It's one of my favorites, my being a Brooklyn native with my own kinda vernacular! So despite the learned input by some many of the “English professors” and masters of semantics and etymology on this site, I still like the word “IMPACT “when it comes to my life in photography. When you are impacted, you are forced or pushed into a trajectory- you move rapidly in a certain direction and so it was and is for me.

As a kid, I always wanted to express my self in some visual way. I had a good sense of deign, placement of objects and I had an appreciation of light but alas, I could not draw or paint beyond stick figures and whitewashing the basement walls with a paint brush. There was always a camera or two in the house, I was attracted to them- loved to tinker with stuff I was not supposed to touch. Eventually I was allowed to actually use one and take pictures. Everyone was amazed, including myself, that I was rather good at it. I could adjust the thing according to the instructions that came with the film, I could at least center my images without “decapitating” members of my family and all 8 exposures did materialize at the drug store on each and ever roll of V116. It was a Kodak folder with f/stops, shutter speeds, a footage scale setting and a crystal/mirror viewfinder.

My main fascination with this photography thing was that I could then make images of things and folks that I liked and that when I photographed people and showed them the prints, the were pleased, they laughed and smiled. Some thought they were ugly or I had caught them in an embarrassing state- like with hair curlers in the morning- and got pissed off at me- but that was fun too- POWER! Most of them stuck my pictures in their albums, tacked them up on the wall, put them them in little frames- WOW!

I remember being a shy kid but I soon discovered that in order to get folks to cooperate with my photographic adventures, pose for me, let me in to places to get interesting shots, and get people on my side I had to quickly learn to communicate with folks, “ask nicely”, say please and thank you and assert myself. From the start, photography IMPACTED my personality.

I was not any kind of child prodigy or genius-just a regular kid. I played stick ball, got onto fights, took a few music lessons, threw water filled condoms off the roof, set fire to the contents of garbage cans and went to school. The only difference was that I somehow integrated photography into of all of these activities. Did the high school year book thing and instead of getting an after school job at the grocery store or the car wash, I became a gofer/janitor/indentured servant/apprentice at the local portrait /wedding studio. I was in awe of the work of the professionals and wanted to learn exactly how to do just that. I decided at the age of 14 that photography was gonna be my JOB! Notice I say “job” not art, profession, calling, or passion. In my neighborhood people had JOBS, they learned a TRADE and went to WORK! I figured that if I could actually earn my living making good pictures, getting folks folks smile and messing around with very cool equipment and chemicals- that's exactly what I was gonna do. Perhaps the artistry and the professionalism would come later.

My grandmother wanted me to be a doctor and my teachers said that might be an option because I talked like doctors write. My grandfather told me I was gonna be a “picture bum” like my cousin Harvey- well, he was actually “beach bum” but he eventually redeemed himself and became a dentist. My mother scolded that if I did not go to college, I would become a garbage collector. Little did she know that those guys, what with their unions, earned more money than most photographers. Cousin Ruby wanted to take me into his funeral parlor business and Uncle Joe was encouraging me to take up plumbing. My dad was an electronics technician and taught me quite a bit about his field but encouraged me to go with my own dreams. My mom was a secretary and bookkeeper- her handwriting was like calligraphy and she was extremely organized. And very pretty. She could take shorthand and type 80 words per minute. Sadly, she passed away when I was 13 – she was only 39. I still miss her.

A that point I got to be a kinda rough kid and began to “act out” but photography and my job kept me off the street and help me grow up fast. My boss had me assist at weddings along with some other young men. He laid down the law- no booze, cussing, no bad manners, no chasing after the bridesmaids and threatened that if we were caught doing any of that he would “come to our houses under the cover of darkness and murder us in our sleep”- his exact words. We all got his drift and remand gentlemen at all times. Now that's IMPACT!

So...it came time to do my military obligation (THE DRAFT) so I enlisted and went to (you guessed it) the Army photography school after basic training all all that gun and killing stuff. I was so determined to do photography in the service so I just kept signing papers for God knows waht but they wouldn't give me a nice cushy job taking public relations pictures so...long story shot, I ended up hanging half out of an aircraft taking reconnaissance shots in a very unfriendly place with a whole bunch of bad guys shooting at us and the jumping out of the damn plane with the film magazine. NOW THAT IS IMPACT! As this was going on, I wondered why, I didn't sign up for the cook's school-I ain't too bad in the kitchen!I will spare y'all the other gory details!

When I came back to the world, I spent all of my GI bill benefits, ALL my money on photography school, workshops and private classes, and loads of equipment and did that ever IMPACT my bank account. With whatever I had left and whatever I could borrow, I oped up my first studio. Oh- I forget- I also married my lovely wife who came from a long line of established portrait photographers. To this day she insists that she was not infatuated with my good manners, my magnetic personality, my ugly face or my rather large physique but only with the quality of my 4x5 black and white negatives!

Well- I will be 74 years old in a few days and I am still married to the same great lady and I still work just about every day. We did good- raised a couple of great kids, we live an a nice place and have a decent car. Its a great job that entails lots of hard work, stick-to-itiveness, dedication and continual adaptation to change. I still teach, train and mentor younger photographers and hope that my efforts will have some good IMPACT on theses kids.

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