My Camera Journal - Part 1
I wish I could remember the model of the first camera I used to take pictures. I had a little plastic point and shoot Olympus back in middle school and high school but I didn't really think about photography too much then. Odds are I probably just used a disposable camera most of the time anyway.
In college, when I first started to show some interest in the field, my dad let me borrow his old SLR Olympus or Minolta camera one summer. I recall getting the shutter checked out a local camera shop, and they told me the speeds were all out of sync (who knows if I knew what that even meant). Anyway, the camera was old, the camera was heavy, and I don't really remember the model. The one thing I do remember though is it had one of those cool leather cases that encompassed the whole camera. Despite the poor shutter speeds, I used the camera for a photography class I was taking taught by this dude name Tom Cruz. Right? Cool name. :)
So this was pre-digital revolution and Mr. Cruz made us shoot slide film, Kodachrome probably. I didn't appreciate this at the time, at least not as much as I would now, but I should say thanks to him. Though now I'd also probably be a bit bothered by having to pay for film. Ha. Whatever though, great class. Thanks, Tom Cruz, wherever you are.
Later that summer my dad bought me my first SLR camera. The Canon Elan 7. Kit lens and all. :) I'm proud to say I still own that camera. Do I use it? Nope. But at least I still own it.
So, with my new camera in hand, I returned to college with a passion. I would take it everywhere with me. Shot all around campus and Malibu coastlines with it, got my film developed and printed at the local Ralphs. Haha.
Oh man. I used to post these pictures on websites that I can no longer remember. Man, what was that sort of emo website that people posted on? Not the livejournal one, but the one that artists liked? This is back in 2001/2002. Pre-MySpace. Dang, I wonder if my account still exists.
Anyway, this Canon Elan 7 was a great camera for me. I don't know anything about the specs. Did people even really care about specs back then in those pre-digital days. What did we care about then? Flash sync speeds? Goodness, I don't even know. I know I didn't really care about the specs. Those were some stress free days.
Let's see...the camera had autofocus. I thought that was pretty cool. I think it also allowed for double exposure. Maybe, I don't know. I think so though. Can't say I really remember actually. Whatever, it was my camera and I loved it and I took it all over the place with me.
Anyway, the reason I bring this all up is because over the last 18 years, I've found myself going through a lot of cameras/gear/tools, whatever you want to call it. And honestly, yeah, we all like to play with the new toys, but once the "newness" wears off, I'm still the same photographer taking pictures of my feet (not really my feet), but you get the point.
We all like to have good gear, but that doesn't make us a good photographer.
I'll continue this little series in the next few posts going through the gear I've enjoyed over the years.
Canon Elan 7: http://amzn.to/2B8LIaC
Kodachrome: http://amzn.to/2AwvHvZ
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