[disconnekt]

Since this forum has photographers at various experience levels and in a wide age range, thought this would be an interesting thread on how everyone here got interested photography (film, digital, etc.)

So like the title says, what got *you* into photography?

[lesmore49]

I worked as an editorial assistant at a publishing company when I was around 18 to 20 years of age. One day the publisher called me into his office and said I would have to be 'more useful' and directed me to get a camera. I didn't know anything about cameras and asked him what kind of camera...mentioning if he meant the small point and shoot 35mm cameras of the day. He said no, either a Pentax or a Nikon single lens reflex...something that can produce 'publishable' photographs.

After work that day, I went to a camera store and discussed my photographic needs with the store staff. Their recommendation was a Pentax S1a camera. I checked out prices at various shops and by the end of the week had purchased an S1a and a small ten buck, hand held Sekonic light meter.

I still have that camera and still have that light meter and both still work. I bought them in February, 1968. Both the Pentax and the Sekonic became valued, reliable tools and I used them hard (but never put them away wet ) for a number of years.

From there, I developed a passion for photography, which to this day I've never been able to extinguish. I've had quite a number of different camera makes in the ensuing years...but Pentax and Sekonic have always been my main brands, as they never let me down when I earned part of my living with these two fine pieces of equipment.

[tokyoscape]

I was a bit over weight and looking for a way to force myself to exercise + I used to like taking night photo when I was in college with a Pentax Z1 film.
Loose +20 kg since then.

[boriscleto]

My uncle gave me a camera...



Later I got my first 35mm. One of my best photos was taken with it...I was like 13...



Then I got a K1000 with an A 50/2. A photo from that combo received a gold key from the Scholastic Art Awards when I was in high school...28 years ago...Now I'm feeling old...Maybe that's why I hang out on the forums, usually it makes me feel young

[Kozlok]

Just always have been interested in the visual arts; painting, drawing, photography. No telling why...

[UncleVanya]

My school was raising money and one of the prizes was a plastic camera like this:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana_(camera)

I was 5. After I showed strong interest and with my dad ending up in the industry, I had a number of other cameras and many opportunities to shoot. I loved black and white film, and liked odd quirky shots as well as people and wildlife.

I shot a lot of film.

Eventually dad ended up representing Pentax as a salesman, so naturally I bought a used F2 Nikon!

Eventually after dad had moved on to other jobs I got a Pz-1. That's how I came to shoot Pentax.

[monochrome]

My grandmother got me started on a Brownie. I think I was six. I tripped while running to photograph a squirrel, the camera flew out of my hand and opened on contact with the ground, spoiling the film. I was devastated, she was angry as only an old German tyrant can be angry - and that was it for Photography until HS.

In 1968, beginning in 8th Grade, in addition to a challenging curriculum, we were compelled to play three organized sports, have three extra-curricular, and three service activities. I ended up taking class photos for the yearbook and reportage photos of Speaker Series guests for newspaper as one of my extra-curriculars. i had ‘my’ Spotmatic and a ST35/3.5, ST55/1.8 and ST105/2.8 (I was told I didn’t need any other lenses) and instructed to shoot at f/5.6 and move my feet. This went on until 1973 and it was a DUTY/CHORE the entire time.

My Grandmother eventually forgave me and presented me a KX and K50/1,4 for college graduation in 1977. I still have them.That camera and an MESuper and M50/1.4 I won in a sales contest in 1984 did most of my documentary photgraphy until 1997.

Then I discovered eBay.

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Last edited by monochrome; 10-06-2019 at 08:35 PM.

[MarkJerling]

When I was 14, my parents gave me one of these for Christmas / birthday:


(Not my image)

I had hinted for an SLR but my dad had no idea about photography and was also immensely cheap when it came to buying presents. It was some years before I could afford to buy a Pentax SLR for myself.

[stillshot2]

An ex-wife that wanted a DSLR to take food pictures of her cooking creations. I did a lot of research about them and bought one for her, and taught her what she needed to know to get good pictures such as relationship between shutter speed, aperture, iso... she was like no thanks, so I realized I enjoyed the camera and it became a passion of mine. Her, not so much lol

[Rondec]

First it was traveling with my wife and wanting to capture some of the landscapes that we saw.

Eventually it was wanting to take photos of our growing family. I suppose the biggest revelation to me along the way was that while the cameras were fairly capable, even early on, the photographer often wasn't.

[Jonathan Mac]

Originally I liked the idea of an electronic gadget that could take pictures - really just another gizmo to play with for someone who likes gizmos. The liking of photography came later.

[aslyfox]

Simple

my dad shot Yashica and then Pentax

I started with a range finder, for a short and then moved to Pentax SLR using Vivitar SLR lenses

then when I started photography back up again went Pentax K 5 II in earnest in 2015 to prepare for a trip to Tanzania in 2016

[Zooland]

When I was 14, my parents gave me one of these for Christmas / birthday:


(Not my image)

I had hinted for an SLR but my dad had no idea about photography and was also immensely cheap when it came to buying presents. It was some years before I could afford to buy a Pentax SLR for myself.

That was a terrible camera.

[UncleVanya]

Simple

my dad shot Yashica and then Pentax

I started with a range finder, for a short and then moved to Pentax SLR using Vivitar SLR lenses

then when I started photography back up again went Pentax K 5 II in earnest in 2015 to prepare for a trip to Tanzania in 2016

My first 35mm was a Yashica Electro 35 cc.

[hadi]

this was some 10 or 12 years ago. My sisters and I were walking in the frigid cold arctic Vortex in the middle of winter in downtown Toronto. We turned a corner, and came across a massive protest. Flags burning, signs, marching and chanting people.

My sister had some canon point and shoot super-zoom camera. She wanted to take some images, but was shy and was also afraid that she may get hurt, as the protest was getting a little rowdy.

i snatched the camera from her hands, and ran head first into the crowd.

though i knew nothing about photography at the time, the images i got back were really powerful. I knew then that i wanted to peruse this further.

I got a job at Blacks Photography shortly there after, earned enough, and got myself the Pentax Kx as my first camera.
what started off as documentary style photography, eventually got into landscape, nightscape, portraits, slowly transition into weddings, and now back to portraits.