Capturing the Vision

When did the photography bug hit me?

A 110mm camera just like the one I had

It might have been when my parents got me my first 110mm camera for Christmas back in 1977. It was a flat camera that I could tuck into my pocket, ready to shoot whatever I saw. Built-in flash. Auto focus. No difficult controls to master. Just point and shoot. Loaded with a roll of 24 exposure film, I was ready to make my mark on the world of photography.

How did people even fit in a Fotomat booth?

There were a few hurdles that had to be overcome. First, I couldn’t see if I got the shot I wanted, because I had to wait for the film to be developed. Yes, there was a place called Fotomat you could drive to, drop off the film, and wait a few days for the developed prints to come back. Do you have any idea how long a few days seems to a nine-year old child?  

The pictures never really looked that good, either. The film format was so small that everything came out grainy. The flash was wimpy. There was no zoom, so everything was shot so wide, you had no idea what you were looking at.

With these results, my dreams of becoming a photographer were put on hold. For about 40 years.

During that off time, cameras developed. Every year, more features were added, and every year, the prices would drop.

Instagtram is a great place to share photos

Professional 35mm film came to consumer-grade cameras. This was followed by digital cameras where you could see what you had immediately after you snapped the shot.  Zoom became a standard feature, so you could get up close to your subject without having to get directly on top of it. Tripod mounts became di rigeur, allowing photographers the opportunity to get sharp photos in dim light without relying on a flash. Social media sites such as Instagram have opened the photographer’s virtual gallery to share his or her work not just one print at a time to family and close friends, but to thousands of other enthusiasts across the world.

My Sony A5000

In 2015, I picked up a Sony Alpha 5000 interchangeable lens compact body camera loaded with the features you would have seen on much more expensive models just a few years earlier. With that camera – and the improved cameras that came with my cell phones – the fire in my belly was reignited.

Was it intimidating, trying to learn about camera controls? Of course it was. There were dozens of blurry, out of focus shots that never saw the light of day, banished forever to the digital trash bin. In the digital world, that’s absolutely fine, because there is no cost to experiment. To try new things. To get out of your comfort zone.

The shot that impressed me most

How did I know the first time I got a great shot? It was easy. I downloaded one day’s worth of shots onto my computer and expanded them on my monitor. There was a photo of the Chrysler Building in New York City, captured during a night snowstorm. It was a well composed, properly exposed shot – wow. I sat in amazement, looking at what I had done with a stock lens on a modestly-priced camera.

And, I was proud of what I had captured.

Happy little trees!

On this blog, the Rookie Photographer, please join me on my journey into this brave new world. Have I made mistakes? Plenty. Have I learned from them? You bet. Are there many more lessons to be learned? Absolutely.

But, as my TV idol Bob Ross said on his PBS show The Joy of Painting, “talent is a pursued interest. Anything you are willing to practice, you can do.”

Won’t you join me as we discover this fascinating world of photography together?