# Your first ever photo and present day



## shents (Dec 20, 2012)

Hey pro's, amateurs I thought I would post a thread for you to post your first pictures and present day ones , to compare and inspire and give us newbs something to aim for, aspire to

Also  what can I learn from most? any help , tips on my first attempt , would be great ... Shents 


All my first pics were taken with a sony cyber shot crap i know! I LIKED THESE YOU MAAAY NOT ha, The reason for buying a nikon d5100 is so 
I dont miss out on great shots on my travel's


looking at them I see I missed bits, cut bits off didn't really think

I guess these would class as my first attempt? I shall also post my first pics with the nikon when I get it


ANY FEEDBACK ON THESE WOULD BE GREAT THINGS TO CONSIDER IN FUTURE?????????
 India 2010

View attachment 29431View attachment 29432


Morocco 2011

View attachment 29433View attachment 29434


Amsterdam 2012

View attachment 29435



My first ever shots on nikon d5100, NO thrills, NO idea on settings..YET!

View attachment 31197


I shall post some after my beginners  photography course to see if there is any improvement


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## Frequency (Dec 20, 2012)

Hey Shents; nice idea.... i am posting one among the oldest images i have taken, at least 20 years  back, when i was using a very ordinary autofocus film camera of Rs: 450/= (nearly five dollar)
I cannot locate the date exactly because it is a lost and recovered image using recovery software. Seeing this image, you will think"O, twenty years are wasted; he now stands where he had begun" 
Thank you for this thread


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## shents (Dec 21, 2012)

Frequency said:


> Hey Shents; nice idea.... i am posting one among the oldest images i have taken, at least 20 years  back, when i was using a very ordinary autofocus film camera of Rs: 450/= (nearly five dollar)
> I cannot locate the date exactly because it is a lost and recovered image using recovery software. Seeing this image, you will think"O, twenty years are wasted; he now stands where he had begun"
> Thank you for this thread



HEY THANKS FOR POSTING WHERE WAS IT TAKEN?


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## DannyLewis (Dec 21, 2012)

I thought this would be a large thread. Maybe the holidays slowed it all down.


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## shents (Dec 21, 2012)

DannyLewis said:


> I thought this would be a large thread. Maybe the holidays slowed it all down.



Yes hopefully it will pick up, There are some talented people on here it would be great to see all how far they have come, Have a great christmas i'll have my cam after I think i'll end up with the d5100 hopefully its a good choice


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## AgentDrex (Dec 21, 2012)

Nice idea.  This shows a three year improvement in my skill (or I hope it is an improvement).

From 2009 (Olympus E-520 or Canon Powershot A3000 IS):


From 2012 (Canon 1000D):
View attachment 29323


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## shents (Dec 21, 2012)

AgentDrex said:


> Nice idea.
> 
> From April 2009:
> View attachment 29322
> ...




Hey youuu, Thanks for posting we haven't had snow like that in AGES!! what cameras if you can remember did you use? sorry to be a pain  I am like a sponge absorbing all the info on this ruddy site


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## kathyt (Dec 21, 2012)

Oh lordy, I don't think you want to see some of my early stuff. It is scary. I would slap on some actions, crank up the saturation, and I thought my pictures looked damn good!


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## AgentDrex (Dec 21, 2012)

Come on, that's what we want to show...how horrible we were and how not as horrible we are now


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## shents (Dec 21, 2012)

kathythorson said:


> Oh lordy, I don't think you want to see some of my early stuff. It is scary. I would slap on some actions, crank up the saturation, and I thought my pictures looked damn good!


 Hahaha I think that is what mine will look like  I haven'T started yet, I get my d5100 chrimbo then start a beginners photography course jan, So are you all in for a treat when I post my first ones .. NOT


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## kathyt (Dec 21, 2012)

shents said:


> kathythorson said:
> 
> 
> > Oh lordy, I don't think you want to see some of my early stuff. It is scary. I would slap on some actions, crank up the saturation, and I thought my pictures looked damn good!
> ...



We all started somewhere, and I am sure all of us have some doozies!


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## snowbear (Dec 21, 2012)

I don't think I have any of the real early stuff.  I might have something out of the 80s; I'll have to look around.


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## shents (Dec 21, 2012)

snowbear said:


> I don't think I have any of the real early stuff.  I might have something out of the 80s; I'll have to look around.



Thank youu


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## Derrel (Dec 21, 2012)

The shot of my son and some very tall fir trees was made in 2012, using an iPhone 4...sort of the box camera equivalent of the 21st century.


Here is an image I made with my very first camera!! A plastic box camera that used 620 rollfilm. This is from 1974,and shows my brother crossing a small stream using a fence as a "bridge" of sorts.


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## shents (Dec 21, 2012)

Derrel said:


> Here is an image I made with my very first camera!! A plastic box camera that used 620 rollfilm. This is from 1974.


  Thanks for posting derrel..  I actually love the look of the old pics


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## EIngerson (Dec 21, 2012)

Then


IMG_0820 by Ingerson&quot;PCD&quot;, on Flickr
Now.



MX 3 by Ingerson&quot;PCD&quot;, on Flickr


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## shents (Dec 21, 2012)

EIngerson said:


> Then
> 
> MX 1 by Ingerson&quot;PCD&quot;, on Flickr


   Wow Thanks


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## Tuffythepug (Dec 21, 2012)

This post has caused me to really think about whether I've gotten better in the 40 years I've been at it.   I think the answer is yes, which should be encouraging to anyone starting out,.    I'll post pictures that were made approx 40 years ago vs. pictures of similar type taken this year.  I think I've improved don't you ?  The first one is a picture of my oldest daughter then (1972) and now


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## shents (Dec 21, 2012)

I love past and present I know I have no technical knowledge but artistically I love them spesh your daughter, I am a sucker for vintage photography , thank you


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## mishele (Dec 21, 2012)

First post....





Last flower post....


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## shents (Dec 21, 2012)

mishele said:
			
		

> First post....
> 
> Last flower post....



Thanks mishele 

The second pic I love, very Monet esk , thank you for sharing


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## snowbear (Dec 21, 2012)

OK.  I found a few snapshots.  These were taken about 1978 or 1979 - middle of a bright, sunny day in an open courtyard.  Kodak Tri-X, Minolta SRT201 and a 50mm, maybe a Vivitar 200mm for the "closeups."  Printed on Kodak paper, though I have no idea which one.  These seem to have a slight greenish tint, I guess from the scanner software; the originals do not have it.




cmw3_srt201_windfall1 by cmwrenn3, on Flickr




cmw3_srt201_windfall4 by cmwrenn3, on Flickr




cmw3_srt201_windfall5 by cmwrenn3, on Flickr


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## KenC (Dec 21, 2012)

Some of you apparently have better storage systems than I do.  I actually still have negatives from about 35 years ago when I first bought an SLR, but they're in a box somewhere and I haven't seen them in quite a while.  The oldest I can come up with is this one, which I took in about 1990-91 on TMax 400 and scanned in 1997 when I had just bought a scanner and was just learning.  I still have a darkroom print of this that looks better than the scanned processed image.


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## invisible (Dec 21, 2012)

KenC said:


> I still have a darkroom print of this that looks better than the scanned processed image.



If this is the scanned processed image, it's nothing to sneeze at. In fact, I think it's great.


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## shents (Dec 21, 2012)

invisible said:
			
		

> If this is the scanned processed image, it's nothing to sneeze at. In fact, I think it's great.



Me too thanks everyone that is taking part in this thread


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## KenC (Dec 21, 2012)

invisible said:


> If this is the scanned processed image, it's nothing to sneeze at. In fact, I think it's great.



Thanks!

The scan was too light and too low in contrast.  Either I hadn't learned to use curves in the scanner software, or its capability was very limited at that time; I just don't remember.  At any rate, as a consequence I had to do a lot of manipulation in curves in PS to get it where I wanted it, and ended up with a sort of "comb" histogram where there are gaps and some of the transitions are a little abrupt.  The print had better tonal rendition and highlight detail.

I still have a film scanner that I bought in 2004 and used for a few years, but don't know if I can get a driver for it, and then of course I'd have to find the negative :lmao: - there's just something about having moved four times in about seven years that's not conducive to finding old stuff easily.


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## henryalg01 (Dec 21, 2012)

mishele said:


> Last flower post....



tell me how to do this lol


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## mishele (Dec 21, 2012)

^^^Tell me why I should.


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## AgentDrex (Dec 21, 2012)

Because good deeds bring good karma???


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## mishele (Dec 21, 2012)

AgentDrex said:


> Because good deeds bring good karma???


F that...lol


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## AgentDrex (Dec 21, 2012)

For crying-out-loud grinch, don't be a mishele...have a little holiday spirit and give us the secret...


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## henryalg01 (Dec 21, 2012)

mishele said:


> ^^^Tell me why I should.



LOL my bad..." Do you mind if you tell me how to do this ? " "beside you promised me want to help me grow with my camera :mrgreen:"


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## Tuffythepug (Dec 21, 2012)

shents said:


> I love past and present I know I have no technical knowledge but artistically I love them spesh your daughter, I am a sucker for vintage photography , thank you



I'm glad you liked the pics.   I should have noted that in the 2nd set of photos the little girl in the wagon is my youngest daughter who is now the mother of the little boy in the lower picture.   I hope it doesn't take you 30 or 40 years to notice some improvement like it did for me !


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## TamiAz (Dec 21, 2012)

Ok..I'll play.

Here is one of my very pictures with my D5100 in Sept. 2011.. :???:







Here are a couple of my most recent pictures..


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## BrianV (Dec 21, 2012)

This is one of my Sister's favorite pictures.

Taken in 1972, I was 15. Minolta Hi-Matic 9, with "E-Z" Flash. Set the Guide-Number, camera used "Follow-Focus" to change the F-Stop as you focus.

Kodachrome or Ektachrome... I forget.


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## BrianV (Dec 21, 2012)

Late 1970s, taught the daughter of one of the students how to use a Nikon F2a. I think she was 9. Her shots came out pretty good, and I think one was in the University Year Book.

Shot with a Nikon F Photomic, 43~86 F3.5 zoom. Panatomic-X (ASA 32) in Microdol. I took notes, found them with the negatives when I scanned these in over 10 years ago. The Nikon F Photomic had a built-in Incident light meter that I used most of the time. Panatomic-X in Microdol had extremely fine grain, was amazing stuff. Long gone.

I still have both cameras used for the pictures, and the F2a that "Zoe" is using.


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## shents (Dec 22, 2012)

TamiAz said:


> Ok..I'll play.
> 
> Here is one of my very pictures with my D5100 in Sept. 2011.. :???:
> 
> ...




Love this one... like I said before technically I am clueless till jan, I start beginners course, I just love the look of it, where was it taken?


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## Mach0 (Dec 22, 2012)

This was back in 2007 or 2008





This was more recent ( I should have cloned out the black spot in the receiving dock but never got around to it lol.) This was also my first time with taking a photo of a car since the car above. 




Or this 2009






To this 2012


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## shents (Dec 22, 2012)

Mach0 said:


> This was back in 2007 or 2008
> 
> 
> View attachment 29427
> ...




You can see your progress a lot, There is hope for me yet . I see what you mean about the black spot I prob wouldn't have thought of that s a newb . Thanks


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## Frequency (Dec 22, 2012)

Hey friends, please report the year of old shot.... Then only one knows how far is  "then" from "now"


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## bentcountershaft (Dec 22, 2012)

This was taken in the mid to late 90's with a disposable "Panoramic" camera: 




IndyLate90sa by bentcountershaft, on Flickr



I didn't own a camera for years and never really thought about photography until I started messing with my wife's point and shoot.  This is the first image I posted here in 2009:








This is my most recent photo posted:




IMG_7342a by bentcountershaft, on Flickr


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## shents (Jan 4, 2013)

Hey I have updated my post

Here are my first ever shots on my nikon d5100, I literally put the sdhc card in and snapped

NO thrill's, NO editing, NO IDEA!!!

I start my course 16th Jan I shall upload updated ones then.


View attachment 31203

View attachment 31204


All taken with kit lense, ANY HELP OR IDEAS would be great. I have just received Scott Kelbys book so shall read over the weekend 



Thanks people


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## DGMPhotography (Jan 4, 2013)

This was last Spring (when I started) using my Canon Powershot in Monroe Park:


This is about last month with my Nikon D5100:


Yeah, it's not the same subject, but you can see my skills with composing the shot have at least improved a little. I think how good you are is proportional to how much you practice. I wish I had taken some product shots when I first started so I could show you a better comparison.


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## Geaux (Jan 5, 2013)

Dec 31, 2009.  One of my first CC posts on this site.




The Bridge to .. by NOLA_2T, on Flickr




Old Waterfountain by NOLA_2T, on Flickr

March 2010



Untitled by NOLA_2T, on Flickr

Pretty much exactly 1 year after owning camera



Wife (after Skin Smoothing) by NOLA_2T, on Flickr

Oct 2011



Untitled by NOLA_2T, on Flickr

Exactly 2 years after owning camera



Untitled by NOLA_2T, on Flickr

Present Day (making 3rd year)



Family Christmas Shoot by NOLA_2T, on Flickr




All of the Lights by NOLA_2T, on Flickr




Huge Ornament by NOLA_2T, on Flickr




Untitled by NOLA_2T, on Flickr

All "self taught" aka learning from websites, youtube videos, books, practice.  Never took an official photography class (that's what I mean by 'self taught' lol)


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## shents (Jan 5, 2013)

Geaux said:


> Dec 31, 2009.  One of my first CC posts on this site.
> 
> 
> 
> ...





THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE INSPIRATION!! .. there is hope for me yet haha


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## pickle788 (Jan 5, 2013)

mid 2011 when I started                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             now ish


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## shents (Jan 5, 2013)

pickle788 said:


> mid 2011 when I started
> now ish




Thanks for sharing I can not wait to have a day out using my camera. Since My card arrived I have been tied to work no tiME


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## pickle788 (Jan 5, 2013)

Yeh in between work and kids I get no time to get the camera out and practice so it will be a while before I get good


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## Awiserbud (Jan 5, 2013)

Great idea for a post, its good to see how people have progressed over the years and also a good reminder to yourself that no matter how frustrated you sometimes get you can always look back at old shots and tell yourself you are making progress even if it might not seem like you are.

None of my old 35mm stuff is in digital format yet, but when i started shooting withy a DSLR this is what i thought was Flickr worthy

June 2010




tranquility by steve watson photos, on Flickr

December 2012




Grand Canyon Sunset by steve watson photos, on Flickr


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## shents (Jan 5, 2013)

Awiserbud said:


> Great idea for a post, its good to see how people have progressed over the years and also a good reminder to yourself that no matter how frustrated you sometimes get you can always look back at old shots and tell yourself you are making progress even if it might not seem like you are.
> 
> None of my old 35mm stuff is in digital format yet, but when i started shooting withy a DSLR this is what i thought was Flickr worthy
> 
> ...




Wow steve that Grand Canyon shot is wicked! I love it, That is a place I would love to go


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## Awiserbud (Jan 5, 2013)

Ive been wanting to go for years, we finally treated ourselves to a trip to vegas over christmas, i wanted to drive down to the south rim but time was against us so we settled for the west rim which is only a 2 hr drive from Vegas. It really is a stunning part of the world.


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## o hey tyler (Jan 5, 2013)

Kind of a big share... But I've been shooting since '09ish. 

2009, got a Sony A200. Noobin' it up. 






WOW CHECK OUT THIS EPIC SHOT!






2010, doing it for the lulz. Now with a Canon T1i.






omg whytebalanze






Air mattress backdrop, still 2010. Now I have a flash and umbrella, YIPPEEE! 






2011, I was asked to shoot a wedding of a classmate I graduated with. 





















Late 2011. My girlfriend and I goofing off in the woods. 






Early 2012, commercial shoot for a website. 











A June Wedding in 2012 











A July Wedding in 2012






135 f/2L... What a fantastic lens to shoot. 






30x60 inch softbox photobooth fun!






From an October wedding











An October wedding... On a lake!











(probably my favorite wedding image I've taken thus far)





And finally a few random images I took on my own time in 2012





















Left a few shoots out... 2 e-shoots, and 2 weddings. But I got my favorites in. Sorry for the excessive amount of photos.


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## Awiserbud (Jan 5, 2013)

I like the first 2 shots the best....you posted these most recent first right?... J/K...nice work, you have clearly come a long way in a short amount of time.


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## o hey tyler (Jan 5, 2013)

Awiserbud said:
			
		

> I like the first 2 shots the best....you posted these most recent first right?... J/K...nice work, you have clearly come a long way in a short amount of time.



Those were the ones i put the most effort into. ;-)


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## shents (Jan 5, 2013)

o hey tyler said:


> Kind of a big share... But I've been shooting since '09ish.
> 
> 2009, got a Sony A200. Noobin' it up.
> 
> ...






Thanks for the share, No problem , I love looking at peoples work, Its inspiration for me,


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## rmr1923 (Jan 5, 2013)

Great idea for this thread, I'll have to dig through some photo albums next time I'm at my parents' house.  Somewhere they have the actual first photo I ever took, they got me a toy camera when I was about 5 or so and the first shot I took was of my ear... had the camera turned around backwards apparently lol.


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## oldhippy (Jan 5, 2013)

http://s780.beta.photobucket.com/user/edandhazel/media/009.jpg.html




have a goat thing tonight


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## Josh66 (Jan 5, 2013)

My "first ever" photo is long gone, and I don't even have a clue what it would be.  I flipped through a photo album and scanned 3 prints though...  I tried to find old prints that I had a current similar photo to pair with.

Mid 1990's (Can't remember exactly when this was):





2012:







2001:





2010:







2001:





2011:


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## CA_ (Jan 6, 2013)

*May 2012:
*(Bought my first camera, a Nikon D5100)



*January 2013:*

View attachment 31420


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## smithdan (Jan 6, 2013)

Found this in mother's treasures and remember taking it with her Jiffy 6-20.  My Brother is about 2 and I would be 8.  60 years later, still can't get the "x@^&+ focus right


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## TimGreyPhotography (Jan 7, 2013)

*First day: 
*

















*Present Day:
*


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## jowensphoto (Jan 22, 2013)

Circa Spring/Summer 2010



Spring/Summer 2011



2009?


2011


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## JustJazzie (Jan 22, 2013)

Here's to hoping I've improved in 10+ years. The first 2 are from highschool photography class. They were film pictures, so please forgive the low quality scans. The second 3 are from the last year or so, and the last 2 were grouped together since the concept was similar. The b&w was from highschool, the color from this week.


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## shents (Jan 22, 2013)

Hey this was my first attempt at anything  slightly technical, not amazing but a start 






Not sure if they will show as on my iPhone, my friend and I and me spelling my name, if not will try again later


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## o hey tyler (Jan 22, 2013)

shents said:
			
		

> Hey this was my first attempt at anything  slightly technical, not amazing but a start
> 
> Not sure if they will show as on my iPhone, my friend and I and me spelling my name, if not will try again later



I see some googal mapz


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## flow (Jan 22, 2013)

I can't post my first EVER, as that would have been 1987 or thereabouts, and I haven't gotten to my big scanning project yet. But here's one from the first digital camera we owned (a Kodak EasyShare, with the obnoxious proprietary dock to connect to the PC):
View attachment 33528
It's just a snap of a pet bird we had at the time.

And a bird (not ours), shot just yesterday. Was going to work on it, but this is the unedited:
View attachment 33529
Still pretty much just a snapshot, but at least I didn't scalp him this time!


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## andrewochs615 (Jan 23, 2013)

Two years ago almost 




About a few months ago



Not the same location but same sunset concept. Getting better over time, still have a lot to learn though.


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