JudyTee23 Loc: Eastern U. S.

My best friend, teacher and general mentor gave me some money for my sixteenth birthday (1999). Like most teenagers, I could not wait to spend some of it, so I ran off to a local flea-market. I had no idea what I wanted to buy. On one of the back tables, attended by an elderly lady, I found a Nikon FTn SLR camera. Price, 25 dolars. I put on my best sad face and told the lady that all I had with me was ten. That was true, as I had left the rest of my gift at home. So the nice lady let me have the camera for ten. It was dirty and the case was falling apart, and I had no idea if it worked at all, as I knew nothing about cameras.

When I got home, my friend looked at it and grimaced. Nevertheless, after studying it and snapping it awhile, he declared it to be in perfect condition. I still have it and it still works fine.

Over the next three months or so, he taught me about optics and the basics of photography. He took me to museums to see outstanding photos and to study the paintings of famous artists. I became so engrossed in art that I went to college, took a degree in fine art and now I teach art at a small college, five days a week and teach a photography course five evenings a week.

I do both painting and photography and manage to supplement my income with sales through galleries and sell my photos mostly through several tourist gift shops. I guess you might say my photos are mostly post card views or calendar art, and I do not consider myself a "pro, " just a lucky hobbyist. But a dollar is a dollar and I enjoy both painting and photography.

My friend and mentor is still with us and still guides me in many ways. I now have my Masters degree and, someday, hope to have a Doctorate in art history. All that has stemmed from the impulsive purchase of a little old flea-market Nikon FTn.

fototaker27 Loc: Dumfries & Galloway Scotland

Heh! a Country330 I started in the early 70's in the RAF at RAF StAthan. I bought a pentax Spotmatic 1000 very soon found the cost of D&P to expensive so started to take pictures of RAF dances and events. Progressed to taking Serviceman's children then local weddings. On Leaving the RAF took a job working for a Schools Photographer. Then went freelance until starting my own computer company in 1995. I sold my company in 2003 and bought my first Digital equipment. My first paid job was doing a manual time lapse over 3 days of the stage build for a Rock Concert in Bristol, 1 pic every 5 minutes. The sponsors were so pleased with the resulting vid that I worked front of stage for them at the concert, and I have been doing that ever since.

rickfinn2013 Loc: Mesa ,Az

Wow that was a long time ago...
When I got out of High School took photos for the American Legion
so they could place them into the news paper .
Then became a "Stringer" for the paper. Unfortunately Stop doing photography for a long time.
Now getting back into it.

Big difference using an AE1 to the Digital age.

sinatraman Loc: Vero Beach Florida, Earth,alpha quaudrant

i got started at 7 years old by my father who was a photographer for the Army.then went to Brooks Institute, and eventualy hired as director of photographic services forFerris State College, which he retired from. My first camera was a kodak boxy instamatic, when I showed talent and interest I got one of Dad's used Nikon F's. I should have taken advantage of dad's acumalated wisdom and expirence (He was a fantastic portrait shooter, I couldn't shoot a decent portrait if my life depended on it. However as a teenager at the time, who thought he new better then dad, (is there any form of life more obnoxious then a teenaged male? I kick myself. Dad was srtickly film, he retired before digital started to boom. I often wonder what he would have thought about giving up his chemical darkroom for a digital one

dad, me and one of his student photographers

sinatraman Loc: Vero Beach Florida, Earth,alpha quaudrant

Dang double posts!

edgorm Loc: Rockaway, New York

In 1965 I was stationed in Hawaii and met the late Robert Ebert who was the chief photographer for the Honolulu Star Bulletin at the time. He sparked my interest in photography and I've been there ever since. (photography, not Hawaii)

Trevor Dennis Loc: New Zealand (South Island)

What a strange thing to ask? How would anyone with a conscience expect to make money as complete beginner?

C.Ashbeck1 Loc: Wisconsin

I have loved takin pics since I can remember my dad with the instant polarod camera my wife alway's made fun of me when I would be taking pictures I would alway's take two or three takes of the samething just to make shure it would turn out.My wife bought me my first Nikon for my birthday last year. It's not the top shelf it's a Nikon D60 my first week with it I took over 2000 pic's I love it. Now it's atleast a hundred pic's evertime I take it out.

Niner6

I started around 1956/58 bought my first Asahi Pentax SLR,Moved on to Yashica 635 TLR,Then a neighbour gave me old 35mm 1930 something Leica,Nikon,I know i missed a couple,Today use a Canon 7d and shoot everyday all weather.Thank you for posing the question brought back memories

GWR100 Loc: England

Hi Kurme

The problem is now days with the growth of digital cameras, it is almost impossible to take a bad picture and every Tom Dick & Harry thinks they are a photographer, and some of the results of weddings, portraits etc i have seen, that people have paid good money for, they would have been better to buy a camera and do it themselves. The street markets are full if stalls displaying framed mediocre prints of corny views, and more surprisingly people are buying them. If you want to go down that road and make 15 or 20 dollars a print you will make a bit, but i guarantee that most of your work will end up in the bin in a short while.
If you just want to earn money this is fine, but i would ask yourself if you want to be recognized for being a creative photographer, in which case you will always be in demand, or a run of the mill snapper?
If you can run your photography alongside your existing job, get a good web site, send pictures to magazines, press agencies, etc and some times national photo comps, then you will get recognition if your work stands out from the crowd.
Try to think outside the box, look for a new angle, don't be afraid to experiment, Remember solarizeation was discovered by accident.
We can learn a lot from the past masters such as Man Ray and Lee Miller and always keep in mind that a good photo starts in the eye & mind.
Good luck, and i hope i wont be able to afford some of your work i the future.

oldmalky Loc: West Midlands,England.

In 2008 bought a Sony Alpha a200 now I take photographs when I can.

Al McPhee Loc: Boston, Massachusetts

I had a Brownie Hawkeye in the fifties, and a Kodak "Retina 2" ( think) in the sixties. Lost interest, restarted in the late nineties with a Nikon N70. Happened upon a photo I sold for enough money to buy an F100 and kept on going.Retiring from my "real" job, very soon to concentrate on Family and photos!

Carl A Loc: Homosassa FL

I got interested in photography in the 50s
I had a baby brownie . I even had a small dark
room in the bathroom. Must have been 13 or 14
back then

Findoc Loc: Australia

I started with PHD cameras (press here dummy) in 70s. After a while I realised that my shots didn't convey what I wanted to say. Read some books about technical stuff and more importantly composition and got an Olympus OM1 (completely manual, but had a light meter in view finder). Gradually learnt by trial and error.

Then the digital cameras took over and the convenience seduced me and I had many other things to do and no money.

Then when my eyes got so bad I couldn't see what I was shooting on the LCD screen, went looking for camera with a view finder, found a Cannon EOS and rediscovered the joy of composing photos and expressing myself again.

I have never been paid for one of my photos, but that's not why I take them.

Enjoy it first. Find out what makes great shots and express yourself.

If you gave Lord Lichfield an Instamatic, he would still take better photos than most of us, but enjoy trying.

The attached is a wallaby in our garden, actually very rare despite the myths, but captured in the moment when he is thinking "is there somebody there?"

Fin

Gitchigumi Loc: Wake Forest, NC

My first camera was a Brownie Hawkeye that my grandmother had given me as a Christmas gift. That was in the mid-50's... I had so much fun with that camera! Film, flash bulbs (I still remember the smell of them when they were used!) and taking the film to the drug store to get it developed.

Then, in the service in the late 60's, I bought my first SLR... a Minolta SRT101, which I still have. Later, I retired that one for a new Minolta 7000i. Wow, what a step up! Automatic focus, programmed scenes... amazing for its time.

Now, I am in the digital age and loving it! Now using Sony DSLRs which are amazing me every time. No more expense of film and processing. And, the power, versatility, etc. of these new cameras is amazing. It has certainly revitalized my interest in photography.

I am not a Pro. I am a hobbiest, still learning and having great fun. What a hobby!!