When Cameras Take Pictures!

I bought myself a new digital camera for Christmas, 2017--a Nikon. 

I’ve been interested in photography for years. Growing up, I had some hand me down cameras: a brownie type camera, a polaroid (black and white film) an ancient box camera and finally a Kodak camera that used (I think) 110 film. 

My Ricoh 35mm camera was purchased I believe in 1978. At that time, I had birthed my first baby, deemed him perfect and beautiful and bought my beautiful new camera to take beautiful pictures.
Posing for Mr. Kendall or one of my classmates. I
think this photo was in our yearbook.
I had taken photography in high school, learned how to take professional photos all on expensive cameras. I learned to develop negatives and then the photos, in the school darkroom.

Photographs in my younger days required both a steady hand from the photographer and the subject(s)holding their poses and breaths while the picture was taken. 

Mr. Kendall was not only one of my favorite teachers of all time, but knew his photography. He was a professional photographer who gladly shared his knowledge as a teacher.
Mr. Kendall (teacher) demonstrated to the class how to use the portrait camera on...me! He chemically turned it sepia and backed it with a stiff cardboard.
After that, I dreamed of owning my own darkroom, but after I purchased my 35mm camera, I sent my film away to be developed, instead. I could use color film with different speeds, black and white or slide film.

If you are young enough, you might be confused over the mention of slide photography. It’s possible that you might never have sat through a slideshow of vacation photos. If so, count yourself lucky since those things could go on for hours.

Three or four years ago, my dad and daughter helped me clean out most of my attic, I found boxes of  photo slides. I knew I had some stored away downstairs, but others were found in the attic. 

I wrote a little about my slide to DVD transfer over at The Ruralhood. I also posted a sample of the photos.

T.

Comments

Hi Teresa -I never had lessons ... but perhaps would have enjoyed it ... we did use a dark room at home for a few years ... mostly sepia now - and nearly all gone! But as I mentioned ... I've left my slides to see what happens while I'm away! Fun to work with your Dad and daughter ... good memories - cheers Hilary
Pat Hatt said…
Don't think I've ever even seen a dark room haha but at least I know what they are.
Back in the day we too learned to develop film and photographs. It was satisfying and fun.
I am grateful for digital cameras though, and the ability to ditch woeful photos.
Susan Kane said…
What a passion that started so early! Like E.C. above, I really appreciate digital. But it makes me sad that there will be no old b/w photos of our ancestors for them to ask about.
Mary Aalgaard said…
A quality camera is a worthwhile investment. I have no regrets on mine. I love shooting photos and have great shots for our memories as well as sharing them, even having a few published.
Mary at Play off the Page
Arlee Bird said…
Your history of camera ownership sounds similar to mine. I've always had an interest in photography and used to take a lot more photos back in the seventies when it was kind of expensive getting them developed. Now with digital it's easier and cheaper, except I usually forget to take pictures or don't have my camera with me. There's always my phone camera, but even that I tend to forget.

I've also had that dark room dream, but that one never came true. I don't recall ever having to sit through an unbearably long slide show, but I've heard tell of such a thing. I might have actually enjoyed one if it had a lot to do with travels.

Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out

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