Let’s see some of the earliest photos you’ve made —

[titrisol]

My brother / Christmas 1978
Santa dropped a Kodak Instamatic undre the tree.
That year my street was paved, it was cobblestones before that, as the city engulfed the small village where my dad used to spend his summers
I found the negatives at my mom's house a few years ago

 

[Erik van Straten]

gelatin silver print (nikkor h 50mm f2) nikkormat ftn

My younger brother who became a brilliant mathematician, professor and member of the university board of the University of Mainz in Germany. 1979. One of those evenings - late at night - together.

Erik.

 

[Mackinaw]

I was probably 12 when I took this pic. We built a dragster out of snow. Most likely taken with a Brownie.



Jim B.

 

[Erik van Straten]

gelatin silver print (heliar 40mm f2.8) leica lll

How my brother looks now, 2022.

Erik.

 

[Mackinaw]

From 1962. Our fully-loaded Mercury station wagon as we were leaving Michigan on our way to California to visit my Great Aunt.



Jim B.

 

[x-ray]

Erik let’s see more of your earliest images.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Let’s see more of your earliest images.

Understood, but sometimes pictures from the past become more telling when compared to more recent ones. Time is a relative concept, isn't it.

Erik.

 

[x-ray]

Understood, but sometimes pictures from the past become more telling when compared to more recent ones. Time is a relative concept, isn't it.

Erik.

Im unable to see what he looks like. His face is almost totally black. Any lighter images?

 

[Erik van Straten]

gelatin silver print (nikkor h auto 50mm f2) nikkormat ftn

In 1971 I could buy my dream camera: a Nikkormat FTn with a Nikkor H Auto 50mm f2. This is a picture from that year I made with it in the Wilhelminapark in Utrecht.

Erik.

 

[Pál_K]

Around the same time, my dad took this photo of me using the Brownie in our local area with his Yashica Electro 35 on Panatomic X

Dee Why c.1963 #056 by lynnb's snaps, on Flickr

An excellent historical photo! Would you be able to go back to that spot and recreate the photo, maybe have your wife make a photo of you there today?

Hopefully it’s not all filled with high-rise buildings.

 

[Glenn2]

In 1970 the travel bug bit hard. First trip with Leica gear was to Kashmir and Nepal, Himalayan valleys. Took a pair of M4s and 21-50-90mm focal lengths. The images gathered became a one man show at the Glenbow gallery in Calgary, with about 45 16x20" prints. After all the prints were done the gallery asked for a portrait of the artist to go with the exhibit. Didn't want to just give them a mug shot so came up with the second photo. I liked to dress like a local and not look like a tourist, having naturally dark hair helped. Even had locals ask me for directions. Ah for the good old daze,..... M4, SA, a bag of film and a ticket somewhere interesting.

Glenn

A serious discussion as the older generation passes on wisdom....

 

[markjwyatt]

I bought my Dad's Zeiss Icarex 35S with the CZ 50mm f1.8 Ultron in 1974. That is when I started taking a lot of pictures.

Kodachrome 25: Maybe my first roll through it

flowers by Mark Wyatt, on Flickr

Building the I-15 through Escondido:


I15 Construction Scene by Mark Wyatt, on Flickr


Aspen Forest Utah by Mark Wyatt, on Flickr

 

[markjwyatt]

A few more:

I thought I was a photojournalist I guess:
Watcha Lookin At Boy? by Mark Wyatt, on Flickr

Mariah:

Mariah by Mark Wyatt, on Flickr

I-15 construction progress:


Cement Mixer I-15 Construction by Mark Wyatt, on Flickr

 

[markjwyatt]

Around that time, my Dad sent me out with a Pen F for a day


Dodge, Country Road by Mark Wyatt, on Flickr

A friend who passed over 10 years ago:

BradT by Mark Wyatt, on Flickr

 

[markjwyatt]

I’ll go back in my drives tomorrow and pull a few of my first images from 1953. I got ahold of my mothers Ansco 620 box camera and made my first images. Actually they weren’t all that bad.

Like Erik my moms camera eventually wound up in pieces. I was just too curious about what made things work but not so good at putting them back together again.

For those interested, verichrome film in those days was orthochromatic not panchromatic and could be processed under a red safelight. In the late 50’s I didn’t realize it had changes and ruined a roll of prized images by trying to tray process my 127 film under a red safelight.

I learned early on that I could make money by selling my photography. My 6th grade English teacher paid my $5 to photograph her son with his accordion. They came out great and I still have the negs.

In high school I photographed rock bands and sold photos to them. I had a new Pacemaker Crown Graphic by then and used that plus borrowing my dads Rollei.

A group called The Soul Survivors hired me to photograph them at the train station. I wasn’t old enough to drive and had to get my dad to drive me to the job. I took my dads Rollei and 1 roll of film and got 12 out of 12 keepers. I truly didn’t know I didn’t know enough and they came out.

Here are 6 of the shots from around 1963.

Looks like you were all having a lot of fun!

 

[Deleted member 82967]

Me on my ex-military 350cc Enfield, taken by my Dad about 1955

 

[x-ray]

Looks like you were all having a lot of fun!

Absolutely. Retired but still having fun.

 

[p.giannakis]

Portrait of my grandmother, taken somewhere in 1993/1994 (?)
Praktica BMS - Prakticar 50f/1.8
Kodachrome Elite 100

 

[x-ray]

Glenn2 excellent image. Many excellent images here.

These are my very first photos made on an Ansco 620 box camera. Not quite the optical quality I became accustomed to later in life. As best I can figure they were from 1953 when I was 5 years old.

Note I either had a short right leg or gravity was stronger on my right side. Or I was just ahead of my time. Trendsetter I think with the tilt to my images.

 

[x-ray]

some of my very early documentary photos of a train trestle that collapsed as a coal train was crossing. Shot with my Brownie star flash on 127 Verichrome during the summer of 1957.

I overcame the stronger gravitational pull on my right side but was having trouble holding the camera steady. That came later as I learned to drink wine🍷😁