How Young Were You When You Started Making Images ?
- Thread starter Ian Grant
- Start date
Lesley Jones
Otherwise know as Zooey
I was about seven and wanted to be like my Dad. Mind you... he always used a cine camera, while I have only ever been interested in still photography. I do still have prints from my very first roll, but I haven't got round to scanning them yet. I still have the camera too - a little Kodak Instamatic. I gave it to my Mum when I moved up to an Olympus Trip and she gave it back to me a few years ago, shortly before she died.
Rob MacKillop
Edinburgh Correspondent
Ha, great shots, Ian, and a good idea to recreate them.
Ian Grant
Well-Known Member
You'll note that 20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . years later I didn't allow my sister to put her sticky fingers on my lens
My first real images were with my mothers old Brownie 127 about 6 years later.
Ian
Dan Cattermole
Dan Down - The Steampunk Womble
I'm not sure, my parents were never into photography as a passion like I posses these days. It was more of a necessity to feed the desire that was to document mine and my brothers upbringing, I was never influenced with photography by my parents at all. 35mm compacts were probably 'expensive' and 'novel' when I was a toddler leaving them probably 'not for the toddlers to play with'.
My earliest memory of taking photos was around 12 years old when I bought my first disposable in Paderborn Germany from the pocket money I saved from a couple of weeks, that included the development too at a later date.
My mum thought I stole it from a shop and didn't believe that I had the ability to save for it. She demanded that I returned it to the shop that she believed I stole it from. I had the receipt in my back pocket that I showed her...... She knew I was right, but never apologised. I remember that moment to be my earliest start into photography because of being disappointed that my mother couldn't apologise to me..... She still struggles with admittance these days.
I repeated this process smugly thereafter a few times.
I still didn't get into photography 'properly' until my mid twenties, I'm now 30 and my passion/obsession is still increasingly day by day.
In case you have not guessed, my 3 children are my influence in photography. I will make it my duty so that they have every freedom to use any of my cameras they like (except for the D7000). My eldest daughter Grace who is 4 has an astonishing understanding about film, she can even load her own 35mm compact un assisted, understand that light makes the picture 'happen' and not to open the back before the roll has finished, and when it does, we go and get it developed. Without going into more detail and sounding biased, she is incredible!!!
I will not stop her, and neither will she stop. That, I cannot fault.
My earliest memory of taking photos was around 12 years old when I bought my first disposable in Paderborn Germany from the pocket money I saved from a couple of weeks, that included the development too at a later date.
My mum thought I stole it from a shop and didn't believe that I had the ability to save for it. She demanded that I returned it to the shop that she believed I stole it from. I had the receipt in my back pocket that I showed her...... She knew I was right, but never apologised. I remember that moment to be my earliest start into photography because of being disappointed that my mother couldn't apologise to me..... She still struggles with admittance these days.
I repeated this process smugly thereafter a few times.
I still didn't get into photography 'properly' until my mid twenties, I'm now 30 and my passion/obsession is still increasingly day by day.
In case you have not guessed, my 3 children are my influence in photography. I will make it my duty so that they have every freedom to use any of my cameras they like (except for the D7000). My eldest daughter Grace who is 4 has an astonishing understanding about film, she can even load her own 35mm compact un assisted, understand that light makes the picture 'happen' and not to open the back before the roll has finished, and when it does, we go and get it developed. Without going into more detail and sounding biased, she is incredible!!!
I will not stop her, and neither will she stop. That, I cannot fault.
Pete Askew
Admin
You can't fool us Ian. We can tell that your sister was explaining what to do! 
I started in my early teens but with cine (after a disappointing Xmas present of an Instamatic). I returned to stills in the early 80s at about the same time as I started using photomicrography as part of my job. Never stopped since.
I started in my early teens but with cine (after a disappointing Xmas present of an Instamatic). I returned to stills in the early 80s at about the same time as I started using photomicrography as part of my job. Never stopped since.
Chris Dodkin
West Coast Correspondent
What a great pair of historical images Ian - what a great memory to have after all these years - and the recreation was a great idea!
I was given a 120 roll film Kodak camera at about the age of 7, I think it must have been something that my dad or granddad had, and they gave it to me to play with.
I had film, but it was way too difficult for a kid to load and use, so I just pretended to take photos with it - I vividly remember the red window where the film number showed through
I then got a Kodak Instamatic (126 Film) at about the age of 8-9 - and used that through my childhood years.
I remember going to Boots the Chemist for film, developing & printing, and those little plastic flash cubes.
Although it was completely the wrong sort of camera, I took my first 'proper' portrait with this camera - of a girl I rather fancied.
Even then I was trying to use camera gear to impress the girls!
Ah, Rebecca - you were a great model for this aspiring photographer.
I used my Granddad's Eumig 8mm cine camera a fair bit at this time as well - I loved shooting movies, and hand edited them using a splicing block and tape.
I didn't get an SLR until I was 18 - my first student grant check in fact - I went straight off to Boots and bought a Fuji STX 1 with a 50mm Lens - I was off and running
I have my first 35mm film somewhere - I'll see if I can dig it up.
I was given a 120 roll film Kodak camera at about the age of 7, I think it must have been something that my dad or granddad had, and they gave it to me to play with.
I had film, but it was way too difficult for a kid to load and use, so I just pretended to take photos with it - I vividly remember the red window where the film number showed through
I then got a Kodak Instamatic (126 Film) at about the age of 8-9 - and used that through my childhood years.
I remember going to Boots the Chemist for film, developing & printing, and those little plastic flash cubes.
Although it was completely the wrong sort of camera, I took my first 'proper' portrait with this camera - of a girl I rather fancied.
Even then I was trying to use camera gear to impress the girls!
Ah, Rebecca - you were a great model for this aspiring photographer.
I used my Granddad's Eumig 8mm cine camera a fair bit at this time as well - I loved shooting movies, and hand edited them using a splicing block and tape.
I didn't get an SLR until I was 18 - my first student grant check in fact - I went straight off to Boots and bought a Fuji STX 1 with a 50mm Lens - I was off and running
I have my first 35mm film somewhere - I'll see if I can dig it up.
Pete Askew
Admin
Wonderful Chris. And what a fine portrait.
Chris Dodkin
West Coast Correspondent
Here's my first effort with a 35mm SLR camera (1983) - by the time I got the FUJI home from Boots, had read the manual and loaded some film, it was dark - so I went up to the bridge over the A1 to try and shoot some light trails with my trusty cine tripod and cable release.
I had no idea about exposure other than the the instruction manual and a 'free' book that came with the Fuji - so I'm amazed anything came out at all!
STX-1 Manual Cover courtesy of butkus.org
This is the view looking towards Stamford on the A606 - with me standing on the A1 bridge
Love the glossy print with rounded corners - It's all so LOMO!
No idea how I've managed to hang onto the album with these shots in it - given that I moved country 10 years ago and threw away most old photos.
I had no idea about exposure other than the the instruction manual and a 'free' book that came with the Fuji - so I'm amazed anything came out at all!
STX-1 Manual Cover courtesy of butkus.org
This is the view looking towards Stamford on the A606 - with me standing on the A1 bridge
Love the glossy print with rounded corners - It's all so LOMO!
No idea how I've managed to hang onto the album with these shots in it - given that I moved country 10 years ago and threw away most old photos.
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Chris Dodkin
West Coast Correspondent
Just for the hell of it I ran this location through The Photographers Ephemeris - given that I know the location, approx date, and I can see the moon in frame.
Looks like it was Sat Aug 27th 1983
Looks like it was Sat Aug 27th 1983
Pete Askew
Admin
Excellent Chris. And a great bit of sleuthing.
Rob MacKillop
Edinburgh Correspondent
Rebecca looks gorgeous. Where is she now? Must have driven you crazy!
Brian Moore
Moderator
Beautiful shots, Chris. What film did you use for the shot of the A1? (It looks like slide film to me.)
Chris Dodkin
West Coast Correspondent
Well, I think she's over near Glenn's neck of the woods these days
Random fact, her Great Grandmother was on the Titanic, and survived! They had her Titanic life-saver ring on the wall of their living room.
Chris Dodkin
West Coast Correspondent
I can't remember Brian - I suspect it would have been Kodak colour print film though as I didn't start shooting sleds till later.
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