Photography and Life

[polloloco81]

I am curious about how you guys and gals became interested in digital photography. The when, why, and how. Are you guys just enthusiasts, or doing this on the professional level.

I'll start: I've always been artistic (mainly paint and draw) and never really took photography seriously until I entered my University's College of Fine Arts as a graphic design major. At the same time, my friend just got a D60 and did some nude photography of some of the girls at our school, and that got me thinking "wow, photography is pretty versatile" :D Anyways, I was given a Canon G3 a year and a half ago as a gift and I fell in love with it. The G3 was my first real taste with digital photography. I soon upgraded to the G5 when it came out and now I have the DRebel. My friend and me have come together to start a photography studio. We even have a 3rd that is a hair stylist!! I don't really do a lot of the photographing when we have a shoot, I'm generally just there to direct the model and do post processing work as well as web design.

As far as how photography have impacted me, it really has elevated me into a higher creative plane. It compliments my design work quite nicely and I am hoping to be able to get a spot in a good design firm one day. Anyways, that's my story, what about you guys and gals!? :P

[robertwgross]

Photography is life.

---Bob Gross---

[chris.bailey]

I didnt quite start with a box brownie but not far off. Had a Kodak box camera (cant remember what but it used large format film), then used to use my Dads Pentax Spotmatic F when I was a teenager (fond memories), did Photography O' Level at school, had a darkroom for B&W under the stairs at home, bought a succession of Film cameras (most long forgotten) and the 10D is now my fifth digital (2 P&S, 3 SLR). though I do take some shots for work purposes, mostly it is a hobby and one I wish I had more time to persue.

To me the beauty of digital is the immediate feedback either from 'chimping' (we ALL do it) or reviewing on the computer screen. I do however miss sniffing the film developer :lol: I rarely travel anywhere without a camera on me (have an S50 for portable use) and just cant imagine life without a camera

[PhotosGuy]

I couldn't draw, so got involved in "making pics". First cam: see the avatar. Did anyone notice that I upgraded it?
:lol:

[DocFrankenstein]

I've always been intrested in photography. Never pressed my parents to buy a cam, so I've spent a camera-free childhood.

Now I'm making some of my own money and bought an S1 IS. First cam.

Now I realize that Rebel is the minimum for what I need. DOH!

[Lamplight]

I was always a little interested in photography, but I always had bad luck with film cameras. :( Once consumer level digital cameras began to really improve in quality, I bought one (4mp Olympus). After a year or so and thousands of pictures I bought my DRebel. Now I can't put it down. :D

[polloloco81]

One funny sidenote I have to point out is that because I pretty much went straight to digital photography without any of the 'classical' education of traditional film, my photography instructor at school always give me a hard time. The sum of it is pretty much the "back in my day..." speech and how traditional film is still considered the more 'artistic' medium.

Sure I have a respect for traditional technology, but personally, I believe it's all elitist BS. My rebutal to my teacher's argument is a question directed toward her "Do you drive a car or a horse and carriage?". My point is, technology changes, generally for the better, so I see nothing wrong with embracing what is most contemporary.

[PhotosGuy]

My point is, technology changes, generally for the better, so I see nothing wrong with embracing what is most contemporary.

I agree with you, with an exception: I haven't seen any digital grain that looks as good as film grain. Other than that, film cameras just don't have the options available in digital.

[ndh]

When I first got access to web space and a scanner, I would scan trip photos to share with friends who lived in other cities. Last fall I played around with my sister's PowerShot A60 and immediately loved the way I could take endless numbers of crappy pictures to try for the occasional "gem".

I guess the big thing is that having no film expenses and instant turnaround encourages me to experiment and try to learn about composition and technique.

Plus, I've been into computer graphics for a long time (I'm a geek) and I think all the possibilities with photo editing, compositing, panoramas, etc. are way cool.

I pretty much went straight to digital photography without any of the 'classical' education of traditional film, my photography instructor at school always give me a hard time. The sum of it is pretty much the "back in my day..." speech
Yeah, my high school English teacher couldn't understand why I didn't do 1st drafts on paper, either. I thought, why use paper when you have a Commodore 64 with Bank Street Writer?? (We need an emoticon with crow's feet for "I'm old". :P)

[polloloco81]

My point is, technology changes, generally for the better, so I see nothing wrong with embracing what is most contemporary.

I agree with you, with an exception: I haven't seen any digital grain that looks as good as film grain. Other than that, film cameras just don't have the options available in digital.

Yeah, I agree with you on the grain too. This is probably one of the reason why my teacher thinks film is still a better artistic medium. But honestly, with photoshop, I can emmulate the graininess of film pretty easily.

[John_T]

I agree with you on the elitist number, but that just arises out of ego and inferiority complex. It's not infrequent that people become teachers of something they are not so directly successful at. Anyone who inhibits you from your medium or tries to force you into theirs, no matter how well intended, is simply a criminal in my book.

As a kid I shot and developed my own B&W and Ektachrome, but that was one of many interests. Photography has always been close to me in one way or another both professionally and privately. Professionally more as a client, director or producer, still and video, with someone else behind the camera with my chin on his/her shoulder. Privately, from the heavy stuff to the pocket toys.

When the camera met the computer, even when it was only over a scanner, it was a wedding in my heart. Free! I could do it all myself!

I now delight in every new development. The more compact and powerful the camera, the more versatile and powerful the computer counterpart, the more I disappear in the medium. The scope, the potential, so exciting!

[PhotosGuy]

...with photoshop, I can emmulate the graininess of film pretty easily.

Grain, yes. "Film" grain? To me it's way different! A whole different "feeling" the way the clumps form.

A scan from a slide of a print made from a neg... :? (I've GOT to recopy these someday!)
http://img72.photobucket.com/albums/v218/PhotosGuy/Forum%20Junk/Pam_Dawber_03A.jpg[/quote]

[stopbath]

One funny sidenote I have to point out is that because I pretty much went straight to digital photography without any of the 'classical' education of traditional film, my photography instructor at school always give me a hard time. The sum of it is pretty much the "back in my day..." speech and how traditional film is still considered the more 'artistic' medium.

Sure I have a respect for traditional technology, but personally, I believe it's all elitist BS. My rebutal to my teacher's argument is a question directed toward her "Do you drive a car or a horse and carriage?". My point is, technology changes, generally for the better, so I see nothing wrong with embracing what is most contemporary.
Yes, digital is just another medium. Similar to how 35 mm is just another technological change from film plates (4x5), which was a technological change from the glass negs used, which was a technilogical advancement over using no negatives (original photos were negatives - then they figured out how to make positives...)

Your buggy and whip analogy works well. Same with quill, fountain pen, ball point, digital tablets....

It's all a matter of using the form of technology you wish to use for whatever reason you want to use it for...

For me, digitial is the way to go. I have no qualms leaving behind 35mm, 4x5 sheet film, or even glass negatives, that have worked so well in the past for earlier photographers... Also, I don't beat my clothes with stones, store my food in a hole in the ground, write with a quill, or migrate with seasons. We use lightbulbs instead of candles too... We even have indoor plumbing :shock: All for the better I say (generally...) :wink:

Much has been said about grain. It's just a property of the medium. Just like video noise shows up on digital shots. It's there, and part of the medium.

[DavidW]

That link doesn't work.

I presume that you're talking about the products found here (http://www.alienskin.com/).



David

[Lightstream]

I agree with you on the elitist number, but that just arises out of ego and inferiority complex. It's not infrequent that people become teachers of something they are not so directly successful at. Anyone who inhibits you from your medium or tries to force you into theirs, no matter how well intended, is simply a criminal in my book.

Ahh, that is great wisdom! :)

I was one of those guys who 'grew up digital' (apart from a film P&S - and none of us had any idea what aperture or shutter speeds were in those days, the camera helpfully hid it from us too). I grew up on zoom lenses, oooh, the shock and horror to those who insist that photography *MUST* absolutely be learned on a 50mm lens with film. Or even worse, that you MUST absolutely learn on a 50mm even with your 1.6X crop digital camera (forgetting that the lens then becomes a short telephoto).

Myself - I see photography as a means of realizing MY vision. I don't mind if folks choose to learn a specific way, but please don't force me to do that. For this reason I have never taken a photography class, my 350D was responsible for putting me through the paces and I think I came out pretty OK. I shoot largely for myself (I already have a job where I work for others, so that's taken care of), and therefore, as long as I'm happy with the results, it's good enough. Still, I keep pushing myself saying that I can do better, I keep trying to improve.

I also tried film again after my 350D, it was an interesting learning experience. Didn't shoot more than a couple of rolls though, but it was enlightening. Film grain does have a unique feel of its own. And full frame viewfinders, even film ones, are soooooo beautiful.....

.. and yes I own a 50 1.8 ;) fun lens in its own right but by no means the be-all-end-all.

[Rich Brown Photography]

I have been into photography about four years now. I started as a sophmore in high school for a photo/video class i took. I needed to have a 35mm slr and asked my parents if they had one i could use. To my suprise, my dad had a pentax k1000 (a completely manual 35mm slr) that he let me use. It just so happened that i was going on a trip to mexico during the duration of that class so I shot my roll of black and white film there and also shot a bunch of color photos with a cheap $20 or so 35mm camera. That really sparked my interest in photography and let me see things in a whole new way, especially since i was in new surroundings to begin with. Some of the pictures i took won some awards at a showing and my interest just grew from there. Now i shoot with a canon eos 20d thanks to my graduation money and work for my college newspaper, The Aquin. Simply, I love photography.

[liza]

I shot film for as a serious enthusiast for about 20 years before switching to digital. I've found the change to be quite liberating to say the least. Not only am I the advisor/primary photographer for our high school yearbook, I also shoot for the newspaper and have my own senior portrait and sports photography business. This summer I'm expanding my services to include weddings. My teenage son, who needs to save for a car, is going to be my assistant. :)

[mbze430]

Oh where do I start?! Hahah... My parents tells me that when I was a kid (5-7), I used to take their old Instamatic, I used to play with those cube flash for them. It was great. I remember smashing them :)

As I got older my parents just gave me cameras, nothing memorable, because they are not gear geeks. I just took pictures.

It wasn't till 15 or 16 when someone looked at my pictures and said I had to the eye. Than I took it seriously and study photography/photojournalism. Took my first photography class in HS all the way through college.

As of now, I do this part time professionally. I shoot for fashion magazines, commercial products, events, and adult contents. All A-List stuff :). I take landscape, nature, and others for relaxing.

[JayHawk]

Started out "borrowing" my dad's Olympus OM-2, then he bought me my own Olympus OM-G when I was in high school. Worked for the school newspaper in high school and in college, then started freelancing as a sports and news photographer after college. Ironically, one of the reasons I moved away from photography as a career was everyone was starting to move towards digital (this is back in 1998-1999) and the cost of a DSLR was still around $13k! There were other reasons I changed careers too, but that was one of them. As a freelancer, I just couldn't justify the expense of new cameras, computer, etc when the amount of income per job was staying the same.

I never jumped on the digital bandwagon because the cost of the DSLR's was the limiting factor. When I saw the image quality and cost of the digital Rebel XT, I figured it was time to check it out.

Now I've picked up photography as a hobby in the digital format, and I absolutely love it. Not worrying about the cost of film and processing has allowed me to try more things, and focus on areas I never would've ventured into before.

[NYC2BGI]

Photography has become my favorite hobby and I am thinking of stepping it up to doing it as a parttime job. I am ready to really invest in some more studio equipment and try to be also an on-location photographer. I never really liked film but love digital. I love all of the advatages that digital photography offer.

[dietcookie]

Yeah, I agree with you on the grain too. This is probably one of the reason why my teacher thinks film is still a better artistic medium. But honestly, with photoshop, I can emmulate the graininess of film pretty easily.


no way.

[bornagain]

Well, its my turn :) I am still learning. Took a photo imaging class in the beggining of my high school junior year for an easy A. then my teacher gave me a new pair of eyes. I wanted to learn more about my new eyes so i joined photo imaging 2. now i know how to use my new eyes and i look at the world diffrently. i have been using film cameras and i often wonder... will my children know what a 35mm camera is?

[Carzee]

Interesting to me how a thread from 2004 can get resurrected, other forums lock off old threads after 6 weeks or so.

wtg POTN.