# The one that started it all!



## RachaelRenaesPhotos (Mar 30, 2013)

Have you guys ever looked back at your old photos? I was doing just that today and I found the very FIRST picture I've ever taken  The one that started my passion.  Oh yeah, the date in the corner isn't right. I didn't know how to change the date on the camera, and that's how it stayed. It was really in like early 2008. This was taken with an old point and shoot camera! Feel free to critique and/or share your own


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## AaronLLockhart (Mar 30, 2013)

Do you have the original, full resolution versin of this? I would like a closer analysis.


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## RachaelRenaesPhotos (Mar 30, 2013)

No I don't think I do. That camera broke and it and the memory card are lost somewhere in my house. It's really old, I was just looking through my old ones on facebook!


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## Josh66 (Mar 30, 2013)

That's not a bad start.

Please tell me your avatar is a parody or something...


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## SCraig (Mar 30, 2013)

That shot has a heavy yellow tint as well.  I guess it really was the one that started it all


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## RachaelRenaesPhotos (Mar 30, 2013)

O|||||||O said:


> TATTRAT said:
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Let's not focus on my avatar. Please. I was looking for critique on my photo. No need to be rude about my looks. Who are you to judge what God gave me. 

The photo was when I was in 7th grade though. Lol, I used picnik. But thank you


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## RachaelRenaesPhotos (Mar 30, 2013)

I'm pretty sure I look nothing like EITHER of those girls, I'm not orange and my lips are no where near that big


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## RachaelRenaesPhotos (Mar 30, 2013)

O|||||||O said:


> "GOD" didn't make you distort your face into that position, lol. I have no doubt that you are a very beautiful lady, but that expression just makes you look ridiculous.



I like it. And I don't look anything like the girls in that picture. So please just stop. If this is really what this forum is about I'm deactivating it. I came here to get critique on my pictures. And grow as a photographer. NOT for people to laugh at what I look like in my avatar.


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## Josh66 (Mar 30, 2013)

OK, I'll stop.  I've said what I wanted to say.  Just keep in mind that your avatar is the first thing everyone is going to see every time they read a post of yours...


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## RachaelRenaesPhotos (Mar 30, 2013)

O|||||||O said:


> OK, I'll stop. I've said what I wanted to say. Just keep in mind that your avatar is the first thing everyone is going to see every time they read a post of yours...



Keep in mind, I don't care.


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## imagemaker46 (Mar 30, 2013)

My first photos were from 1969, they were published and I have been trying to find a copy of the magazine they were printed in.  I managed to figure out the date I took them, then it was figuring out which football teams were playing. I had to check the weather for that day, as I remember it was sunny and warm.  I'm not sure the issue of the magazine either.  I will find them eventually.  Thing is that these are really the only pictures that I've had published that I have wanted to find.


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## RachaelRenaesPhotos (Mar 30, 2013)

AaronLLockhart said:


> RachaelRenaesPhotos said:
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I'm pretty sure I don't care if that's the picture people see, what I DO care about is people making fun of how I look. 2 different things.


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## runnah (Mar 30, 2013)

I have binders full of old negatives I need to get scanned. Need to do it soon before they are worthless.


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## RachaelRenaesPhotos (Mar 30, 2013)

imagemaker46 said:


> My first photos were from 1969, they were published and I have been trying to find a copy of the magazine they were printed in. I managed to figure out the date I took them, then it was figuring out which football teams were playing. I had to check the weather for that day, as I remember it was sunny and warm. I'm not sure the issue of the magazine either. I will find them eventually. Thing is that these are really the only pictures that I've had published that I have wanted to find.



That's really cool! I hope you find them!  I wish one day I'll be that good as a photographer.


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## RachaelRenaesPhotos (Mar 30, 2013)

runnah said:


> I have binders full of old negatives I need to get scanned. Need to do it soon before they are worthless.



I bet they look awesome


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## RachaelRenaesPhotos (Mar 30, 2013)

O|||||||O said:


> RachaelRenaesPhotos said:
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> > AaronLLockhart said:
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I'm done here.


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## 480sparky (Mar 30, 2013)

Somewhere a while back I posted the first photo I took.  It was from a Polaroid SX-70.  But durned if I can find the scan of it now.


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## RachaelRenaesPhotos (Mar 30, 2013)

480sparky said:


> Somewhere a while back I posted the first photo I took. It was from a Polaroid SX-70. But durned if I can find the scan of it now.



I hope you find it!


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## Designer (Mar 30, 2013)

RachaelRenaesPhotos said:


> Keep in mind, I don't care.



RRH; I LIKE your avitar photo.  I think it's sweet.  Let's keep it here.


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## RachaelRenaesPhotos (Mar 30, 2013)

Thank ya! I was planning on it


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## AaronLLockhart (Mar 30, 2013)

Here was the very first digital photograph I had ever taken, that caused me to drive an interest into photography:



This was taken in 2006 on a Canon PowerShot S2IS bridge camera. Back then I didn't even know what the term "bridge" camera was, nor did I know the difference between a point and shoot, bridge, and dSLR. I had no idea what a shutter was, or that an aperture even existed. This camera broke two weeks later, it was bought used, and I went out and bought it's older brother, the S3IS brand new. 

These were taken with the S3IS:




Now I own 14 cameras... 12 of which are vintage film


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## RachaelRenaesPhotos (Mar 30, 2013)

AaronLLockhart said:


> Here was the very first digital photograph I had ever taken, that caused me to drive an interest into photography:
> View attachment 40569
> 
> This was taken in 2006 on a Canon PowerShot S2IS bridge camera. Back then I didn't even know what the term "bridge" camera was, nor did I know the difference between a point and shoot, bridge, and dSLR. I had no idea what a shutter was, or that an aperture even existed. This camera broke two weeks later, it was bought used, and I went out and bought it's older brother, the S3IS brand new.
> ...



I really, really like the one with the old tire swing. I want to try a film camera really bad. My cousin has one but she lives in Washington and only comes down in the summers.


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## Derrel (Mar 30, 2013)

O|||||||O said:


> That's not a bad start.
> 
> Please tell me your avatar is a parody or something...



It's true...Aaron's avatar is a parody...of mine!   ;-)


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## AaronLLockhart (Mar 30, 2013)

Derrel said:


> O|||||||O said:
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> > That's not a bad start.
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Dammit... you caught me!


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## sm4him (Mar 30, 2013)

Wow, my first picture? I'm not sure I even know--it would have been sometime in the late 60s, with my grandfather's Brownie. I wonder if I even HAVE any of those pictures anywhere.
I do remember the first picture where I "saw" something and set out to intentionally capture the vision I saw in my head--I've been meaning to try to find that picture lately--if I can find it, I'll scan it and post it. That was probably around 1970 or '71.


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## Ilovemycam (Mar 30, 2013)

I lost most of mine. Have a few first year ones. 69/70  Lost all my work from the 80's and 90's in a flood. Preserve your stuff guys and gals.


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## BrianV (Mar 30, 2013)

Doesn't this forum have any rules regarding personal attacks on members? 

* Flaming is not tolerated. Any member who routinely taunts, insults, or engages in any inflammatory, fight-inducing behavior will face banning, and such posts will be edited or removed. 

* You agree to only post images and/or other material to which you have exclusive copyright, or permission from the copyright holder that you are able to present to TPF Staff. Under no circumstances will any instance of copyright infringement be tolerated. 

The rules are in the FAQ. These two seem to be relevant to this thread.

To answer the original question, and keeping it to First Digital - I found some images from the early 1980s taken with a Digital IR camera, used an $8M supercomputer to process and record the images to slide film. Things have changed over the last 30 years. The Internet got bigger, digital cameras got smaller.


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## AaronLLockhart (Mar 30, 2013)

BrianV said:


> Doesn't this forum have any rules regarding personal attacks on members?
> 
> * Flaming is not tolerated. Any member who routinely taunts, insults, or engages in any inflammatory, fight-inducing behavior will face banning, and such posts will be edited or removed.



The entire forum would be banned.


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## tirediron (Mar 30, 2013)

Apologies for being late to the party.  

Okay... personal attacks stop NOW!  What the OP's (or anyone else's avatar) look like are NOT relevant to any part of this discussion.  I can promise you I don't look like the International Harvester logo in real life.  Let's keep it polite, professional and relevant please.


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## PropilotBW (Mar 30, 2013)

"Blue Steel"?

i can't think back far enough to remember the first photo ever...


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## BrianV (Mar 30, 2013)

AaronLLockhart said:


> BrianV said:
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> > Doesn't this forum have any rules regarding personal attacks on members?
> ...



Given the attacks by a small percentage of members on threads posted in the Beginner section, it would be easier to create a user group that is NOT allowed to post in the beginner forum and move repeat offenders to that group.


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## tirediron (Mar 30, 2013)

BrianV said:


> AaronLLockhart said:
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By all means, submit a suggestion in the Forum Feedback & Suggestions forum.


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## imagemaker46 (Mar 30, 2013)

Ilovemycam said:


> I lost most of mine. Have a few first year ones. 69/70 Lost all my work from the 80's and 90's in a flood. Preserve your stuff guys and gals.



I also lost photos in a flood, 5-6 years of professional football, original negatives in sewer water. Unfortunately they were also some of the best years as well.


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## tirediron (Mar 30, 2013)

imagemaker46 said:


> Ilovemycam said:
> 
> 
> > I lost most of mine. Have a few first year ones. 69/70 Lost all my work from the 80's and 90's in a flood. Preserve your stuff guys and gals.
> ...


Ouch!


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## Derrel (Mar 30, 2013)

The world's first photograph.




Your snail and flowerpot shot looks pretty danged impressive by comparison. (And yes, the shot above is in the public domain...)

I really,really,REALLY can NOT figure out why people have attacked a young noob with such vigor. Man, what a huge bunch of "*Dickensians*"! (tip of the hat to The Big Bang Theory)


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## BrianV (Mar 30, 2013)

Not my first camera, but my first "store-bought" digital camera. Kodak made this one at my request, over 20 years ago. The first Infrared Digital camera that they sold.

It still works- but required tearing down a couple of times.

If you really want a film camera, I and several other members have Given them away on this forum. Post a thread in the Film forum. I still have an entry-level Konica SLR with lens boxed up to send to someone.

The upper part of the frame is the calibration pixels. You get them by writing your own raw convertor, mine was in FORTRAN.


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## AaronLLockhart (Mar 30, 2013)

Derrel said:


> The world's first photograph.
> 
> View attachment 40595
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> ...




That's the photo enhanced version. Here is the original:

http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/exhibitions/permanent/firstphotograph/process/images/process2_large.jpg


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## AaronLLockhart (Mar 30, 2013)

BrianV said:


> Not my first camera, but my first "store-bought" digital camera. Kodak made this one at my request, over 20 years ago. The first Infrared Digital camera that they sold.
> 
> It still works- but required tearing down a couple of times.
> 
> ...





Just went back and looked at some notes I had written down. The Kodak DCS-100 was 1.1 MegaPixel and retailed for $13,000.

Is that the same thing?


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## RachaelRenaesPhotos (Mar 30, 2013)

sm4him said:


> Wow, my first picture? I'm not sure I even know--it would have been sometime in the late 60s, with my grandfather's Brownie. I wonder if I even HAVE any of those pictures anywhere.
> I do remember the first picture where I "saw" something and set out to intentionally capture the vision I saw in my head--I've been meaning to try to find that picture lately--if I can find it, I'll scan it and post it. That was probably around 1970 or '71.



 I love hearing these stories! I hope you find it, I'm curious to see it now


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## RachaelRenaesPhotos (Mar 30, 2013)

Derrel said:


> The world's first photograph.
> 
> View attachment 40595
> 
> ...



I just finished watching that show.  What is that picture of? lol.


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## RachaelRenaesPhotos (Mar 30, 2013)

BrianV said:


> Not my first camera, but my first "store-bought" digital camera. Kodak made this one at my request, over 20 years ago. The first Infrared Digital camera that they sold.
> 
> It still works- but required tearing down a couple of times.
> 
> ...



I really like those pictures And awesome! I really wanna learn how to use them


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## AaronLLockhart (Mar 30, 2013)

RachaelRenaesPhotos said:


> What is that picture of? lol.



Taken in 1826 by Joseph Niépce. It was the view from an upstairs window at Niépce's estate, Le Gras, in the Burgundy region of France.


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## RachaelRenaesPhotos (Mar 30, 2013)

AaronLLockhart said:


> RachaelRenaesPhotos said:
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> > What is that picture of? lol.
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That's really cool


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## 480sparky (Mar 30, 2013)

Derrel said:


> The world's first photograph.
> 
> View attachment 40595
> 
> ..........)



Actually, that's the oldest known image that was able to be _rendered 'fixed'_.  If memory serves, images had been made before that one, but never survived outside the darkroom.


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## Benco (Mar 31, 2013)

It's not the first photo I'd ever taken but this was the one that rekindled my interest in photography, taken with some horrible Kodak easyshare 10 years or so ago:


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## BrianV (Mar 31, 2013)

AaronLLockhart said:


> BrianV said:
> 
> 
> > Not my first camera, but my first "store-bought" digital camera. Kodak made this one at my request, over 20 years ago. The first Infrared Digital camera that they sold.
> ...





The Kodak DCS-100 was a Nikon F3 with a digital back tethered to a luggable computer. It had a 1.3MPixel "KAF-1300". One of the groups at my work made a Nikon F4 1MPixel digital camera before the DCS-100, it went up on the Space Shuttle. I worked on a two-color IR sensor in the early 1980s.

I waited for the DCS-200 which was all self-contained. I had the sensor spec sheets for the 1.6MPixel "KAF-1600" that it used, and showed it was very good in the IR region up to 1.1um. BUT, the camera was not offered in IR- had a annealed IR cover plate. I called Kodak, talked to the engineers- they did a custom run of 50 detectors for Infrared.

This DCS200ir body was $12,400. I think this is the first one sold by Kodak.

Funny "Postscript", 3 years ago I called the same Division to ask for a Monochrome version of the Leica M9. They remembered me from the DCS200ir. Kodak/Truesense had wanted to do a monochrome version, now the M Monochrom is out. I know a lot of happy engineers at Truesense.


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## 480sparky (Mar 31, 2013)

Some Nikon/Kodak history can be found here.


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## pixmedic (Mar 31, 2013)

BrianV said:


> Not my first camera, but my first "store-bought" digital camera. Kodak made this one at my request, over 20 years ago. The first Infrared Digital camera that they sold.
> 
> It still works- but required tearing down a couple of times.
> 
> ...



I have two very nice film cameras posted that are looking for a home. [/end shameless plug]


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## pgriz (Mar 31, 2013)

The first photo I've ever taken was probably when I was 5 or 6, on a plastic camera with 120 B&W film, and printed on glossy paper with the rippled edges at a local photo store, sometime in the mid-50's. Knowing my inclinations at the time, I probably disassembled the camera shortly thereafter. It had the same relation to photography as the toy chemistry set has to science. Mind you, the toy chemistry sets you COULD get at the time would set things on fire, blow up, or poison (or at least sicken) the entire household.  Which is probably why I got a lot of books as gifts.


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## cgipson1 (Mar 31, 2013)

I remember the image that got me into this mess...lol!  I was about 6 years old (1966), and I was visiting relatives in Arizona. I was out wandering around on their land... with my little Kodak Instamatic. As I am walking, I saw a Horned Toad... sitting on a bunch of multi-colored round river washed pebbles, right next to an old piece of really heavily weathered wood. There was wonderful detail in the wood, the pebbles were beautiful... and that beady eyed little lizard provided a great subject. I can still see it in my head! I shot a whole roll of film, different angles,  some ambient, some with some flashcubes I had with me. I got a couple of keepers out of that... and I wish I still had them, but they were misplaced a long time ago. But that is the image that got me wanting to improve my images... and wanting better equipment.


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## cgipson1 (Mar 31, 2013)

pgriz said:


> The first photo I've ever taken was probably when I was 5 or 6, on a plastic camera with 120 B&W film, and printed on glossy paper with the rippled edges at a local photo store, sometime in the mid-50's. Knowing my inclinations at the time, I probably disassembled the camera shortly thereafter. It had the same relation to photography as the toy chemistry set has to science. *Mind you, the toy chemistry sets you COULD get at the time would set things on fire, blow up, or poison (or at least sicken) the entire household.*  Which is probably why I got a lot of books as gifts.



Hahahah... I remember those! I got in trouble several times with that set! lol!


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## Rick58 (Mar 31, 2013)

Here's my first digital post. Everyone told me it sucked, but that couldn't be. I was taking pictures for 45 years and I was an expert. After all, how different could digital be from film? :roll: I have since been humbled.

View attachment 40708


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## RachaelRenaesPhotos (Mar 31, 2013)

I really love reading all of these comments  Keep 'em coming!


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## pixmedic (Mar 31, 2013)

my first digital camera was a 1.3 MP sony mavica. the one that had built in "image stabilization" that almost doubled the lens size.  it took 3.5" floppy disks for storage. just before memory sticks came out.


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## duhast (Mar 31, 2013)

RachaelRenaesPhotos said:


> I'm pretty sure I look nothing like EITHER of those girls, I'm not orange and my lips are no where near that big


Not a damn thing wrong with your avatar. A young girl goofing around...not a problem.


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## AaronLLockhart (Mar 31, 2013)

Well, if we are talking first digital camera.


My first actual digital camera was a 1.3MP gift camera that All-State was giving out when you get a car insurance quote. I got it back when I was 16, and used it as a way to take pictures of my little Honda fart rocket crx and put it on car domain.

The images were so terribly blurry becAuse of the crappy lens elements that were used it wasn't even funny. I even remember that back then, most monitors had a native resolution of 800x600 too! 

My first self purchased digital camera was the PowerShot S2iS that was used to take the picture I previously posted in this thread. I dropped it and broke it like 2 weeks after, and ended up buying the S3iS. 

The first dSLR I have ever received was a D40 that my parents bought me, but I rarely used it and it eventually just sat in a closet for years and years. My first personally bought dSLR was a Nikon D60 that I bought in 2007, thinking I could cut down on my overhead in the graphic design business by taking my own stock photos. Ha, I quickly realized I had no idea what I was doing.

However, that D60 changed my life forever. I would have never pursued photography to the extent I'm in now if I hadn't ever bought that camera.


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## cynicaster (Apr 1, 2013)

Back in the mid 80's when i was about 8 or so, I talked my mom into buying me a camera for my birthday.  All I remember is that it was plastic, long, and thin, and the film it took was a weird cartridge type thing (110 something or other?  Not sure how I remember that).  

I remember running around trying to think of things to photograph, then mailing my film away to get it developed.  My mom made me spend my own money on film and getting it developed, so I had to make the 24 exposures last.  I still remember how exciting it was to get that envelope in the mail, and opening it up to see the fruits of my prodigious skills.  Coincidentally, just last week I was leafing through some old junk at my parents' house and I found my old album containing all the pics I took with that camera.  They're mostly just me and my friends and siblings dressed in cheesy 80's kid clothes and doing stupid things.  Glad it never got thrown away, though, because it's good for a laugh if nothing else.  

Fairly quickly I either lost interest in taking pictures or I got tired of paying for them, so aside from the odd disposable camera on a camping trip, I never touched another camera until digital hit the market and prices became reasonable.  In 2002 or so, I picked up a 2.0 MP FujiFilm point and shoot camera that took "Smart Media" memory cards.  I remember buying a 64MB card for about $50; it could hold about 80 pictures if I recall.  I had it with me in Greece once and had to keep deleting pictures one by one to make room for new ones.  

In 2008 I picked up a Canon PowerShot something or other, which was a nice little camera that actually provided semi-auto and full manual capability.  I used it to learn the basics of exposure and other fundamentals, then got into DSLR in early 2012.  It was nice because I was able to hit the ground running right away with the DSLR, having learned many of the fundamental concepts with the PowerShot.


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## RachaelRenaesPhotos (Apr 1, 2013)

duhast said:


> RachaelRenaesPhotos said:
> 
> 
> > I'm pretty sure I look nothing like EITHER of those girls, I'm not orange and my lips are no where near that big
> ...



thank you


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## RachaelRenaesPhotos (Apr 1, 2013)

cynicaster said:


> Back in the mid 80's when i was about 8 or so, I talked my mom into buying me a camera for my birthday. All I remember is that it was plastic, long, and thin, and the film it took was a weird cartridge type thing (110 something or other? Not sure how I remember that).
> 
> I remember running around trying to think of things to photograph, then mailing my film away to get it developed. My mom made me spend my own money on film and getting it developed, so I had to make the 24 exposures last. I still remember how exciting it was to get that envelope in the mail, and opening it up to see the fruits of my prodigious skills. Coincidentally, just last week I was leafing through some old junk at my parents' house and I found my old album containing all the pics I took with that camera. They're mostly just me and my friends and siblings dressed in cheesy 80's kid clothes and doing stupid things. Glad it never got thrown away, though, because it's good for a laugh if nothing else.
> 
> ...



Awesome story


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## leeroix (Apr 1, 2013)

industry by keips66, on Flickr
my first shot with the d90 in january 2010... -my first dslr. -point n shoot before that, but the pictures are locked up on a hard drive in a computer that no longer boots up. before that is some film but nothing good. -just traveling and camping and a lot of black underexposed pictures.


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## TATTRAT (Apr 1, 2013)

I have been "into" photography only in the past 5 or 6 years really, but, I have always taken pictures, if that makes any sense. I got my first camera in like 83, it was a kodak with a 5 flash "bar" that was a ***** to get replacements for. . . none of those pics survive, that I'm aware of.

Where ever I have ended up living, from Amsterdam to Hawaii and 12 countries, 19 cities, I have always had a camera. It wasn't until I lived on O'ahu that I got my first DSLR from a journalist that was getting rid of old stuff. Prior to that, I had a Sony DSH1 and I BEAT IT LIKE A RENTED MULE. Because of my career and schedule, I had a lot more time for night shooting than anything else, so that's what I got into. I LOVE long exposures. I LOVE sunrise shooting and full moon lit shooting. I shot film for a LOT longer than I have shot digital, but it wasn't trying to be artful, they were pics for me and my photoalbums. Stuff that I thought I could maybe share with the kids one day. Since I'm not having kids, I started sharing here instead

I have a few shots that I scanned in from film, this is still one of my faves, and my happy place. The view from my little apartment in Amsterdam:







Blackpool, U.K







*The world of Digital:*This is one of the first night time shots I was excited about, taken from the lanai on the corner of Ala Moana and Hobron






this is one of the first, but I still love it even though there isn't much to it:







I really need to dig through the boxes of photos I have from all over the damned place. . . it would be hard to really narrow it down to 1 shot in particular, but, I do recall the moment when I realized I wanted to explore photography and incorporate it into my work as a Chef, my pleasure of traveling, and start documenting more of my nomadic lifestyle.


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## RachaelRenaesPhotos (Apr 2, 2013)

TATTRAT said:


> I have been "into" photography only in the past 5 or 6 years really, but, I have always taken pictures, if that makes any sense. I got my first camera in like 83, it was a kodak with a 5 flash "bar" that was a ***** to get replacements for. . . none of those pics survive, that I'm aware of.
> 
> Where ever I have ended up living, from Amsterdam to Hawaii and 12 countries, 19 cities, I have always had a camera. It wasn't until I lived on O'ahu that I got my first DSLR from a journalist that was getting rid of old stuff. Prior to that, I had a Sony DSH1 and I BEAT IT LIKE A RENTED MULE. Because of my career and schedule, I had a lot more time for night shooting than anything else, so that's what I got into. I LOVE long exposures. I LOVE sunrise shooting and full moon lit shooting. I shot film for a LOT longer than I have shot digital, but it wasn't trying to be artful, they were pics for me and my photoalbums. Stuff that I thought I could maybe share with the kids one day. Since I'm not having kids, I started sharing here instead
> 
> ...



I seriously love all of those pictures


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## Thayli (Apr 2, 2013)

I started because my wife had a baby and became a bit 'I'm fat and ugly' and I figured a bit of creative lighting and a dslr would cheer her up about how she looked. This was the first time I took a shot of her, and discovered she was pretty photogenic.


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## cenote (Apr 2, 2013)

No idea when I started, but here is the first shot I took with my T3i a few months ago.


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## 480sparky (Apr 3, 2013)

The earliest photo I could find:  Dated Aug 9, 1976. Taken with a Polaroid SX-70.








But I credit this image for striking the spark:


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## jowensphoto (Apr 4, 2013)

This isn't the very first photo I took, those are long gone unfortunately. They were taken with a 100 Fisher Price Perfect Shot 

But here's a comparison of the first engagement session I did and one I recently did.

Check out the awesome, "dreamy" Gaussian Blur. LOL So bad. Still, this was the first time I started taking anything seriously. I still like the framing, but could have done a better job utilizing DOF.


And the recent favorite:


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## theraven (Apr 4, 2013)

I don't have my first photo, but I do have my first Flickr photo, which, incidentally, is one of my first with a DSLR, so I think it counts! 




Chatsworth House by Raven Photography by Jenna Goodwin, on Flickr


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## kathyt (Apr 4, 2013)

TATTRAT said:


> I have been "into" photography only in the past 5 or 6 years really, but, I have always taken pictures, if that makes any sense. I got my first camera in like 83, it was a kodak with a 5 flash "bar" that was a ***** to get replacements for. . . none of those pics survive, that I'm aware of.
> 
> Where ever I have ended up living, from Amsterdam to Hawaii and 12 countries, 19 cities, I have always had a camera. It wasn't until I lived on O'ahu that I got my first DSLR from a journalist that was getting rid of old stuff. Prior to that, I had a Sony DSH1 and I BEAT IT LIKE A RENTED MULE. Because of my career and schedule, I had a lot more time for night shooting than anything else, so that's what I got into. I LOVE long exposures. I LOVE sunrise shooting and full moon lit shooting. I shot film for a LOT longer than I have shot digital, but it wasn't trying to be artful, they were pics for me and my photoalbums. Stuff that I thought I could maybe share with the kids one day. Since I'm not having kids, I started sharing here instead
> 
> ...



That second shot is WOW.


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## nonamexx (Apr 4, 2013)

I have to say, I never used a film camera all that much, except borrowing from friends and relatives to take snapshots, but I got my first digital camera in 2004, and in 2005, when I went to switzerland, I discovered the joys of digital photography. I enjoyed taking a lot of photos, but many were from moving trains. This one is one of my early favourites, taken with a Powershot S50 on a fast moving train (see the shutter speed). I think I got lucky 




Barn in a field by harishankar, on Flickr

Since then I've taken a lot of pictures, mostly with P & S cameras, and trusting my eye. Not really technical, but wanted to take beautiful landscapes, mostly.

Only recently have I got into DSLRs.


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## ph0enix (Apr 4, 2013)

harishankar said:


> I have to say, I never used a film camera all that much, except borrowing from friends and relatives to take snapshots, but I got my first digital camera in 2004, and in 2005, when I went to switzerland, I discovered the joys of digital photography. I enjoyed taking a lot of photos, but many were from moving trains. This one is one of my early favourites, taken with a Powershot S50 on a fast moving train (see the shutter speed). I think I got lucky
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Shooting from a moving train can give you a cool "panning" effect without actually panning


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## nonamexx (Apr 4, 2013)

ph0enix said:


> Shooting from a moving train can give you a cool "panning" effect without actually panning



Yes, but in this case, I suppose the shutter speed was a bit high for the panning/motion blur. From the exif data it is 1/1000.


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## Mully (Apr 4, 2013)

1967 Kingston Jamaica from amateur days


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## bentcountershaft (Apr 4, 2013)

This is probably my earliest shot that I actually like, but this was still long before I got into photography.  




IndyLate90sa by bentcountershaft, on Flickr


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## Greiver (Apr 4, 2013)

This pic I took of Niagara Falls back in October. It was my first outage with my first/current DSLR.


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## terri (Apr 4, 2013)

bentcountershaft said:


> This is probably my earliest shot that I actually like, but this was still long before I got into photography.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




This shot is kickin'!!    So surreal.    Love it!


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## Steve5D (Apr 4, 2013)

I no longer have the picture; I don't think I do, anyway.

1976: I was 14, and was on a 10 day backpacking trip at the Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico. I had a Kodak 110 Instamatic, and took a picture of the sunset over a ridge. My Mom had a 5x7" made of it, and that photo hung on the wall of my bedroom for years.

I really do wish I knew where it was now, but there's no question that, when I saw that photo, I was hooked...


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## Tiller (Apr 4, 2013)

Ha, it was this whole trip, but these two are my favorites. Shot with my iPhone 4s


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## RachaelRenaesPhotos (Apr 4, 2013)

Thayli said:


> I started because my wife had a baby and became a bit 'I'm fat and ugly' and I figured a bit of creative lighting and a dslr would cheer her up about how she looked. This was the first time I took a shot of her, and discovered she was pretty photogenic.
> 
> View attachment 41014



Shes super pretty and I love the lighting


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## RachaelRenaesPhotos (Apr 4, 2013)

cenote said:


> No idea when I started, but here is the first shot I took with my T3i a few months ago.
> View attachment 41015



Cute pups


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## RachaelRenaesPhotos (Apr 4, 2013)

I really LOVE all of those pictures you guys put up. It inspires me! I love the poloroids, the Niagara falls, the barn, the gas station, ect.  Wonderful!


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## pony (Apr 6, 2013)

My first shot with my first hand me down camera
May 9, 2009
Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1
Probably the Olympus 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko ED 
Looks like I used the bizarro pup-up flash in "bounce" mode


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## RachaelRenaesPhotos (Apr 6, 2013)

pony said:


> My first shot with my first hand me down camera
> May 9, 2009
> Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1
> Probably the Olympus 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko ED
> ...



this picture is so funny  the cute bird makes me laugh


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## CowgirlMama (Apr 7, 2013)

My first picture was taken in 1995. Well, the first I remember. If I was anything like my kid, I'd taken pictures on my mom's camera before that, though she would have been more careful about me wasting film... The pictures from my first camera are mixed in with pictures my parents took. The envelopes would be labeled according to whose camera the film came from, though. Maybe I can find them some time. I'm sure they're awful, between the fact I was five and how awful the camera was.  My mom couldn't get decent shots with it and the stuff she took on her camera turned out fine. The camera was something like this, though I think this one's slightly newer. It's a 110. The viewer was so oddly placed that it was almost impossible to properly frame what you wanted.

ETA: Here are a couple of my first DIGITAL shots in 2003. My dad got my mom a digital camera, right before a big trip we were going on. I ended up taking most of the pictures on the trip and borrowed the camera constantly, until she upgraded and passed it down to me. 

This one is from the trip, a guy in my youth group (I have sooo many pictures of people playing various instruments from my teen years):




And, my dog and a friend's dog:


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## MyHobby (Apr 7, 2013)

I don't have any pics that made me want to be a photographer.  No good pic yet either


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