What got you into photography?

I came into photography in a odd sort of way.. First I picked up Adobe Create Suites 2 and started with vector graphics and drawings. At the time my father was into studio photography but, i never had an interest. One day my father came to me and asked me if i could vectorize some angel wings for a picture of my niece. I think the photo came out really good, and I thought I should try out photography so i can further increase my Photoshop / ILLustrator skills by tweaking photos more. So I picked up a camera and started shooting..
Now I like to both take pictures and the post process work. HOwever, ive only been shooting for less than a year, plus i had a late start.. So its going to take a bit to get to the higher level..

Probably my older brother, sister and cousins during the early 1950s who had box cameras and let me use them. I remember going to the store to buy film, taking pictures, and getting them developed and printed.

While in elementary school (mid 50s), I attended an after school program in a community rec center that, among other things, taught us how to develop and print b/w film. Very good photo education for someone 10 years old!

Before you start, mention:

what level your at, pro, amatuer etc etc.
[Masayako] amatuer

your first SLR
[Masayako] 40D

Age of first interest
[Masayako] 32

things that kept you motivated
[Masayako] A candid smile, a passion that i happen to capture, the emotion that can't be described by words, it requires a picture

and most importantly, what got you into photography.
[Masayako] One time, I walked along la Jolla Cove, sat next to the clive, watched the sunset. Next to me, there's a girl playing flute. The whole environment is truly peaceful and makes me think.... The moment inspire me to capture it.

The main reason for me, goes back 30+ years. I was/am a big sports fan, and also liked photography. After watching some incredible "once in a lifetime" plays during a sporting event on TV, I thought, "Gee, the same play will never happen again. and if someone didn't take a picture of it, that "moment" will be lost forever."

So I decided right then and there that I wanted to become a sports photographer, so that I could possibly one day have the chance to record some incredible plays.

As time went on, my love/passion for photography increased. I managed to shoot several major league sporting events (with photographer's access), from C.F.L. football, NHL hockey, NFL football, NBA basketball, World Championship Boxing etc for several years.

I had to put my photography on hold for 5 years or so because of family issues, but when I got back into it, I decided to change my main focus onto Nature/Wildlife photography.

when i begun to travel and when i finished modifying my car, im still a noob shooting with a compact but slowly learning the various settings on a camera, and shooting with a tripod

what level your at, pro, amatuer etc etc.
I consider myself an amateur, but I do some professional work. My sports photography pays for a few things here and there, but it is not my day job.

your first SLR
My wife's Rebel XT. I bought it for her in Nov. of 2005, and sort of took it from her.

Age of first interest
I was 26.
things that kept you motivated

POTN! The photos here really inspire me. It gets me to try new things and keep my eyes open.
and most importantly, what got you into photography.

My daughter and POTN. I had ZERO interest in photography, but my wife was tired of the pics from our P&S. I started researching a new camera and found POTN. I got bit hard by the bug and have been here ever since.

"Your pathway to today"

What has the evolution of your photography cycle been like?

what level your at, pro, amatuer etc etc. - I'm a semi-pro. Photography isn't my main source of income, but I can generally make enough money from it to pay for most of my toys.
your first SLR - Canon AT-1 in 1979
Age of first interest - I started shooting when I was about 10 or 11 years old.
things that kept you motivated - Capturing a great image and knowing that I wasn't just lucky but that I planned the shot and made it happen.
and most importantly, what got you into photography. What got me into it? Probably the magic of capturing a slice of time and being able to keep a permanent record of it.

what level your at, pro, amatuer etc etc.
-amature

your first SLR
-some pentax manual camera that my dad had

Age of first interest
-16

things that kept you motivated
-got to go to school plays and concerts for free
-my photos in the high school year book

and most importantly, what got you into photography.
-shooting for the high school year book

Amateur, never sold a thing, first SLR was a NIKON F, then nothing for 10 years, then a rebel g and a few lenses, then nothing for another ten years, then the kids started getting scholarships and dad bought a DSLR and has been hooked ever since. I remember shooting 110 in a pocket instamatic at 10. I stay with photography now because it exercises my technical brain and expands my creative brain and keeps my physical body outdoors and active. I got started cause it was magic, way cool magic.

What got me into photography? A copy of the 16-April-1965 issue of Life Magazine, which I found in the Valley Stream (NY) public library sometime in 1984, when I was 9 years old.

This issue of Life Magazine had the photo essay Yankee Papa 13,shot by Larry Burrows as he followed USMC Helo Squadron 163. I looked at the images and immediately decided I wanted to be a photojournalist.......​.......shortly after finding this photo story I turned 10 and picked up a 1965 Nikomat FS with Nikkor 50f2 and I was off and running.

You can view the images some images from Yankee Papa 13 here:
http://www.digitaljour​nalist.org/issue9711/r​eq22.htm

What level you're at, pro, amateur etc etc.
I would call myself an enthusiast.

Your first SLR
My 2-month old 40D

Age of first interest
I didn't discover it until I was 18.

Things that kept you motivated
Positive feedback from friends and family, plus a yearning for the beauty in nature.

And most importantly, what got you into photography.
It was my 18th birthday. My mother bought me a Sony DSC-W1 P&S. I haven't looked back since.

I'm an AM for sure.
My first slr (well, dslr) is a second (maybe third, i have no idea) hand 20d, still using it. Wishing I could afford some decent glass.
I first got interested when i was 15, when i got a point and shoot for christmas, I'm 16 now.
I'm kept motivated because i love trying new techniques, off camera flash stuff, my riding.
I got into it because of my riding (BMX freestyle), which i like to document as well as possible. All i could do for a few months after Christmas last year, when i got my first point and shoot was take pictures because of a bad head injury last year. My Dad also was/is a good help.

It was so long a ago I can't remember.

I consider myself an advanced amateur, shooting mostly boring real estate catalog photos. My first SLR was a used Exacta VX-IIB bought in 1968 from an NYC pawn shop. I did 35mm SLR B&W photography from high school through college, but stopped after graduating college (at about the same time I got burglarized and all my camera equipment was stolen). I worked one summer while in college as an assistant to a professional retail merchandise catalog photographer. I built sets and arranged lighting, etc. But I actually only got back into photography about 8 years ago, photographing foreclosed homes for U.S. Government agencies like HUD and Dept. of Veterans Affairs.

Today, I don't get to shoot much at all. I'm physically handicapped and I work in the marketing dept. of a huge real estate company, mostly post-processing the crappy shots taken by our field staff.