I'm a closeted coveter. Yes, indeedy. I want — quite a bit, too.
You see I was bitten by the photography bug years ago. I was likely only around six at the time. I had been, pardon the pun, exposed to the joy of creating images with a Polaroid camera, with various Instamatics, and I wanted a camera of my own early on.
Back in 1970-something, when I was but a wee thing, I picked up my dad's camera and took my first "real" photo (meaning it was properly framed and there was no typical kid-like motion to it). From that moment on, I was hooked. A few years later, I had my first SLR, a really nice Nikon. I shot with that camera, along with a couple different 110 and 35mm automatics for a long time.
Photography courses during summer school and beyond kept me busy and fully intrigued by the possibilities of art by camera. By the time I reached high school, I was rarely seen without a camera in hand. I was on the yearbook staff, of course. Hours and hours were spent in the dark room. "Shh, be vewy quiet. We'we hunting wabbits." Maybe you had to be there to understand the last part. Regardless, I was hooked.
At the end of my high school career, I upgraded my first SLR for another, bigger Nikon with a couple of nice lenses. My boyfriend at the time indulged my interest in photography and often took me out for shoots to the desert or the beach. It was wonderful!
By the time I graduated from high school, I knew I had to pursue an education involving the arts in some fashion. I enrolled in a graphics course at a local community college, mainly because I couldn't get into the photography class. No matter, I was happy to work on other artsy endeavors. Too quickly, my interest waned as the instructors failed to engage my "obvious interests and talents." It didn't take long for work to overwhelm me and this meant the camera, the pencils, and the t-square sat idly on a shelf in my closet.
I never lost my eye, but I didn't carry my camera with me to imprint on film all the wonders I found on my adventures. Eventually, my Nikon was handed off to someone who didn't deserve such a precious gift and I satisfied my occasional need to take pictures with an entirely ridiculous little Instamatic again. With this camera, I would sometimes capture a truly wonderful image, but the burning desire to shoot incessantly was sufficiently subdued for the time being.
Cut to my first experience with motherhood and I began to carry a camera almost constantly again. I never knew when my daughter would smile or make a silly face worthy of a photograph. I figured even if no one else appreciated her beauty and sweetness, I would and I vowed to record every moment of her childhood I possibly could. And I did. If nothing else, I would have plenty of material that could one day embarrass her while delving into the family photo albums with her future boyfriends.
Article comments
1 - diana hartman
gawd...if only i had a nickel for every -- well, you know...
what a wonderful camera i could buy...
2 - Joan Hunt
yeah, welcome to my world Diana. It's been pretty damn lonely here and I could use the company.
3 - diana hartman
when are they going to redecorate the poorhouse, anyway?
c'mon, a little paint, a couple of throwpillows...
4 - Joan Hunt
It has been redecorated. Can't you tell by all the shabby chicness?
5 - Mark Saleski
ooh ya, i had some of the same ambitions joan. i have fond memories of my mother yelling at me from the other side of the bathroom door ("c'mon, i've gotta go!") ....the one i had taped shut, enlarger propped up on the toilet lid, chemical baths in the tub, print dryer on the floor.
by the way, check out this article, a friend of a friend is into photography and does some pretty amazing macro work.
dang, i gotta get a camera soon.
6 - Joan Hunt
cool beans, Mark!
I do have quite a bit of macro work under my belt and have written a brief (published!) macro tutorial for a wildlife group.
If you ever have time, you are welcome to check out some of my photos on Flickr
7 - Joan Hunt
P.S. You're a horrible, horrible man for teasing me with tutorials for a camera I do not yet possess.
8 - Mark Saleski
i'll check 'em out.
i got "re-interested" in photography again after seeing jerry's article on macro. he does some crazy stuff, like taping eyepieces to the front of the camera...there are some pics on there that show either salt or sugar crystals up close.
...which is sort of up my alley as i like to take very close, textural photos with the context removed.
9 - Joan Hunt
yeah, I'm eyeing his snowflakes at the moment and drooling.
you know, one of the best and worst aspects to flickr is the incredible wide-ranging spectrum of "ability" there. Some of the photographers floor me with such amazing work. I try to focus on them.
10 - Mark Saleski
sorry about the camera thing. as with reviews (making poor people go out and spend their money on new cds), my aim is of course to make people buy other "stuff" as well.
;-)
11 - Phillip Winn
I've got some Canon lenses, so I guess I'm a Canon guy for life, now. The new Canon Digital Rebel XTi (aka 400D outside the U.S.) looks like a pretty nice target for me. Not a 5D, of course, but I can't afford a 5D. :-)
On that macro tutorial: When shooting sensitive exposures (like moon shots of the Harvest Moon the other night), I use the timer mode so that vibrations in the tripod have time to die down. Or the remote, of course, which is also good.
12 - Joan Hunt
Oh, if you only knew how many cameras I've lusted for, Phillip! Actually, I think we may have had this convo before. Good advice on the timer/remote!
Mark, I think you must tell your wife that half your salary this month is going toward MY new camera.
La la la...it's obviously bedtime for Bonzo here. I should never covet while exhausted.