[Chako]

What drew me into photography?
My father always liked cameras. He would buy Popular Photography magazines back in the 70s and 80s, and leave them in the washroom. One could say I grew up reading them on the toilet lol. When I got old enough, he lent me his cherished Kodak Retinette 1A. I still have that camera to this day. It has more sentimental value then it is worth, but the photos it took were amazing. Come to think of it, I was an odd kid. I was fiddling with a rangefinder and external light meter by grade 8. One could say that I grew up around cameras.

What aspects of photography do you enjoy the most?
My two preferences are wildlife and macro. What I like about them are at opposite ends of the spectrum.

With wildlife, I enjoy the nice peaceful walk and the excitement of getting a bird in flight, or some other elusive critter or bug. I find this really relaxing, and the big enjoyment is that you never know what you will find.

In macro, I enjoy the difficulty and challenge of just getting a good macro. Fiddling with backgrounds, skittish subjects, small depth of fields, and blowing wind. Macro is a real challenge. I enjoy it for the exacting masochistic demand on technique that it requires. I also like it because I feel there is always room for improvement.

What level do I consider myself?
I would like to think I am an advanced amateur. I have shot a few weddings for money, but really didn't enjoy it. So I am not a professional. I am definitely a hobbyist. In fact, I found I enjoyed the process of photography less when I got paid for it.

[khardur]

I've often wondered, and wanted to hear, what it is about photography that draws each of us to this hobby/profession.

I be interested to see your comments about these things

What drew you to photography?

What aspects of photography do you enjoy the most.

at what level of skill do you consider yourself?

and any others things that I haven't included.

What drew you to photography?
10th grade graphic arts class. More specifically, a wonderful teacher who was passionate about his class, teaching, and life. Very few teachers posess that magic, I believe. I learned B&W photography and darkroom techniques, and worked on the yearbook for a couple years. (I was/am cheap, and the photo paper was free - why not?)

What aspects of photography do you enjoy the most.
Sometimes, the solitude. I like nature, I like exploring, and hiking around the mountains here is a good workout. I feel adventurous when I'm exploring places I've never been, and I get a rush when I press the shutter and know I'm looking at a spectacular image.

Then again, I admit it, I love wowing people. I love showing off some of my shots of rather ordinary places that people have seen bunches of times, but with different twists that make it special and not so ordinary.

at what level of skill do you consider yourself?
I consider myself a pro, though at the moment it's certainly not my only means if income. And I'll be the first to admit there are many areas of which I don't have a lot of experience. Ask me to do a studio shot, for example, and I'll tell you right now I'm a total amateur.
But I did make my living doing this at one point a few years back, working for a newspaper. I since got a slightly higher, steadier paying job (because of a child on the way) that had much better health insurance, and photography was lost for a few years.
Now I'm getting much more involved again, especially since buying the DSLR at the end of 2006, and I've sold many more pictures this year than any years past. It is only looking better and better right now.

anything else
My favorite moment of late was when I was leaving the house early on the weekend a few weeks back, my 3 year old had awaken and asked what I was doing - I told him I was going out to take pictures, he said "I want to go take pictures too!"

So I got him dressed and got him breakfast, and we went up to a nice spot to see the sunrise. He was having a blast the entire time. I chalked it up to being a nice bonding moment, he took all the pictures that day, I just tightened the tripod arms when he said he was all set.

[Scott Rylance]

I love looking at Photographs.....to see a shot that makes my jaw drop inspires me to go out and shoot. I shoot for myself, and if others like it....that's great too. At the end of the day....it's all about the photo for me, getting the result I'm after......and if I can make money from it( I'm getting a bit of paid work now. which is nice) what more could I ask for...

[RoxnDox]

I've often wondered, and wanted to hear, what it is about photography that draws each of us to this hobby/profession.

I be interested to see your comments about these things

What drew you to photography?

What aspects of photography do you enjoy the most.

at what level of skill do you consider yourself?

and any others things that I haven't included.

I don't recall what got me started, but I first got serious about it when I got my K1000 for HS graduation gift. I took a lot of pictures and tried to (a) have fun with it, and (b) see if I could be artistic and keep developing skills... Then college and life kinda put things on the back burner, and I didn't do a whole lot of photography until the digital era got affordable.

After a couple of digital point & shoots, I got a K100D last Christmas and now I am back into trying to make myself a better photographer. Trying to develop my skills while still recording the memories I really want to preserve.

Aspects I enjoy the most is landscapes and our son's activities, I suppose. He was in marching band and Junior ROTC drill team in high school, and is still in marching band at Iowa State University. I take lots of pictures, my wife does scrapbooking with the good ones, and I have lots of pictures for my computer wallpapers

As for levels, I'd consider myself a mid-level amateur. Mostly I just do this for the fun of it, though I'd love to do better things with my gear and maybe published/recognized/whatever someplace.

Jim

[blwnhr]

What drew you to photography?

I did a photography course at school in 1999 (I was 16) and loved it. All B&W, shot with full manual camera. Learnt the skills of loading film canisters, exposure, developing the film and processing. Got some fantistac shots from that I really should scan.

In 2000 I bought an MZ-50 under recommendation from a local camera store. I got it with the kit Sigma 28-80. I didn't understand the finer points of exposure or ISO but took thousands of photos, spending every last cent I had on film and processing. I bought a cheapy Sigma 100-300 to complement my motorsport photography addiction.

I loved the thanks from people for capturing their special moments on film and this drove me to do better.

Eventially I ran out of money and the MZ lay idol in the cupboard for a few years.


What aspects of photography do you enjoy the most.

My absolute passion is supplying friends with shots of their work to capture that moment.

Call me vain but I do like the complements too.

Given I shoot motorsport and, to be honest, I don't see many really pushing the bounds. This is what I aim to do. I want to help redefine motorsport photography!

And, as Khardur said, the solitude. Sure I shoot with other photographers at the events I attend but I', away from the public and have time to just zone out from the worlsd and concentrate on my art. I LOVE totally imursing myself and just concentrating on one thing. It takes me away from my long hour job.


At what level of skill do you consider yourself?

I would class myself at mild professional?

The genres I shoot I consider myself pretty good at, however genres outside this I still struggle with (I SUCK at portrait!!!). I think this is what I consider the difference between an amateur and a professional. I've been published in some of the best selling magazines in Australia, does this make me professional?


And any others things that I haven't included.

In 2005 I bought an *istDL, soely because I could use my 100-300 as I couldn't afford anything else. This launched my back into photography. I'd been using a P&S digicam and the MZ had been laying idol. I rediscovered the art I loved and haven't looked back!

In May this year I tossed the *ist on favor of the K10D and love it. This has caused a well known phonomenon (sp?) called LBA. I'm still coming to grip with this...as is my bank account and my girlfriend.

[pentaxbling]

-What drew you to photography?

I always loved it when I was a kid and one of my parents would let me have the camera to take a picture... they would always say "Don't waste all the film!!!" I would immediately start taking pictures of every thing around me that caught my eye, and would have probably used up the whole roll in under 5 minutes unless one of them hadn't made me give them the camera back... so I wouldn't waste all the film lol... I remember the first time I saw someone using an SLR camera, it was at a church function... I was probably 7 years old or so... I remember he had this really pretty camera strap, and the camera didn't look like the one my parents used. It had a lot of buttons and a big lens. I would watch him line his shots up and turn the lens, push different buttons and then take the picture. I wasn't sure what he was doing or how it worked, but I immediately wanted a camera like that lol... I got my first SLR for Christmas years later as an early teen after begging my parents...

-What aspects of photography do you enjoy the most.

The actual act of taking the picture. Being out in the open with my camera. The moment I spot that perfect scene that I know will make a wonderful shot. Framing it up taking it. For that small moment I am completely out of my self.

-at what level of skill do you consider yourself?

Just another "advanced amateur" lol

Well, since I originated this thread, I guess I should answer some of the questions that I posed.

What drew me to Photography?

Arnold Schwartz. . .. .. .. I went to Elementary, Middle and High School with Arnold. Starting around grade 5, Arnold started showing up with his camera and taking photographs of various activities. Arnold had, what I now know to have been, an SLR (Brand unknown). I was always fascinated when Arnold was taking photos that he had to get out his light meter, meter the shot from several different angle, spend what seemed like a lot of time pushing buttons and turning dials and then taking the photo graph. Our family had a camera, it was a big rectanular box and used what was called 620 film and it was just a P&S camera.

Fast forward about 15 - 20 years. In the mid 70s, I decided that it was time to have something better than the Brownie "Hawkeye" that I was using, so I bought my Frist SLR, a K1000 and began my real photography hobby.

Waht aspects do I enjoy most?

I enjoy the looking for the shots, taking the shots and the comments I get on them aspect.

My skill level?

About as amateur as you can get..




It's been very interesting reading everyones comments and stories. Thanks to all.