Any photographers out there?

[J Patrick]

...I got started in photography my senior year in high school...1971...I worked part time at the camera shop on the NATO base in Naples Italy...and my work study job was at the NATO photo lab...printing charts of the locations of soviet subs and long distance shots of various missiles and such that they were developing....

....it has remained a life long hobby....I have long been a Nikon guy but I did have a Pentax system originally....currently rocking a D750 and a nice selection of lenses....mostly a landscape and seascape shooter...but I love to shoot gardens and concerts and abstracts and portraits and pretty much anything else that catches my eye...including guitars..

[raysachs]

I've been waaaaay into photography at a couple points in my life. First in high school and college when I had easy access to darkroom facilities and I even took a couple of courses to learn some of the finer technical points. And then again, starting about 10 years ago and it lasted about 7 years. This time it was all digital and I loved the ability to work on my stuff right at my desk.

I'm a MUCH MUCH MUCH better photographer than I am a musician. I've been paid for my work, I've made money writing about cameras. A lot of people who's work I really like and respect seem to feel the same toward me. I was even interviewed and written up in a specialty photo magazine. And as a young man I even worked in a camera shop for almost a year while I was trying to get my career going.

BUT, both times I've been heavily into photography, I really burned out on it. Because when I'm into it, I can't turn it off. I can't just walk down the street or along a trail and just take in what I see - I'm CONSTANTLY framing photographs in my mind. If I have a camera with me, I often stop to shoot stuff, but even if I don't I often stop to frame stuff, conceptualize an image. And it changes the way I perceive the world. And after a while, it feels really limiting and artificial and get's kind of exhausting. And both times, I got to a point where I just had to stop so I could enjoy life visually again without always "working it". This sounds a little crazy, and I guess it is, but it's what's happened to me now, twice.

Also, with photography, I was at that point where I was ALMOST as good as I was ever gonna get - doing what I was doing was still sort of fun, but it wasn't that challenging. I knew if I put in the time I'd come home with some good results and pretty much always did. And realizing that last bit of potential would have taken an enormous amount of work and dedication and I didn't have the desire. Well, I don't think I'll ever have THAT problem with music - the room for improvement is still sooooo VAST that I can't see ever running out of challenges in this lifetime. Sometimes mediocrity is a gift!

And as much less good as I am at music, I've never gotten tired of it. I mostly stopped doing it in my later 20s because I just didn't have time for it even close to right with a family and career. But I didn't stop because I was in any way tired of it. It was about three years ago when I started getting into playing guitar again that I eased out of photography, and converted some excess camera gear into music gear. I still have a nice DSLR, although I've pared down my lens collection a LOT to just a few essentials. And I'm still a very good family and vacation photographer. But I don't schedule time to go somewhere just to shoot anymore.

[CoffeeFan]

I'm so into photography I've sold the vast majority of my guitars to buy cameras. I'm currently a writer and photographer. I've been into photography since 1976.

Now, I'm all Canon. I've got five DSLR bodies, eight lenses, strobes, bags... way too much stuff.

But I love what I do...

[TaoMaas]

I'm another guitarist/photographer/videographer. I've made my living as a videographer for the last 40 years, but still photography is my first love. I always say that I only got into video as a way to pay for my still photography habit.

[Silly Moustache]

I was getting interested in photography in the early '0s but only combine with my interested in motor racing - nothing particularly creative - just trying to catch the accidents etc.

In '83 I woke up essentially paralysed from the neck down finally diagnosed as lymphatic sarcoidosis, and was unable to play for about ten years - D35, dobro and mando went up into the attic as I couldn't bear to look at them whilst unable to play.
When I regained the ability to walk, I took a camera into nearby woods. Just waking there was exhausting but I learnt to "look" whilst resting.

By pure luck I discovered a well equipped darkroom in my company's social club.
As I slowly recovered I learnt how to develop and print.
I joined the local photographic society, and started winning competitions.
I joined another club, and started winning there too.
I formed a company photography club.
i was "told" by friends that I should try to get a distinction from the Royal Photographic Society - got my Associateship first time out.
Started getting invitations to judge competitions and exhibitions,
Started doing lectures on southern circuit.
1993 - left company losing my darkroom, so stopped making images.
Got d35, dobro and mando out of the attic.
1995 submitted some prints for club entry into an International - won FIAP (Fédération Internationale de l'Art Photographique) gold medal.

Today, I have an old simple Nikon DSLR mostly only for record pics.

2017 - got ill - ended my judging and speaking circuit.
still get asked but name removed from the listings.

Still playing guitar.

[Mark Hatcher]

I definitely enjoy photography! As a luthier, photography is an integral part of what I do. In fact, I often say the camera is the most important tool in my shop. It is the one tool that keeps all the other tools busy.

More than just the selling aspect, a camera helps me stay out of the dreaded grove and makes me stop and really look at what I am doing. Many of my most creative ideas have come while I was behind a lens. So yeah, the two are very related!

[KevWind]

I have been interested in amature photography since the film days. Where I live opportunity for wildlife photos is pretty regular . And I got interested in underwater photography about 5 years ago but at 70 I am not sure how many dives I have left in me

But this was a treat to get on file

[CoffeeFan]

As much as I love earning a living with my camera, it's the leisure trips I love.

I went to Italy in April. This is at The Vatican:




This is inside St. Peter's:




My daughter and I went to Scotland for her birthday in May. This is inside Rosslyn Chapel:




And this is just some goofy looking sheep in Alberfoyle:

[dspoel]

Yes! My. camera was more expensive than my Martin [emoji33]. Two expensive, but thoroughly enjoyable hobbies. Http://dspoel.smugmug.com

[fazool]

Originally Posted by whvick

...
And why do you think the two would be somehow related?

.........................

[whvick]

Originally Posted by Mark Hatcher

I definitely enjoy photography! As a luthier, photography is an integral part of what I do. In fact, I often say the camera is the most important tool in my shop. It is the one tool that keeps all the other tools busy.



More than just the selling aspect, a camera helps me stay out of the dreaded grove and makes me stop and really look at what I am doing. Many of my most creative ideas have come while I was behind a lens. So yeah, the two are very related!

My luthier likes to video what he does. He enjoyed showing me clips of the neck reset on my D-15

[robj144]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

I was getting interested in photography in the early '0s but only combine with my interested in motor racing - nothing particularly creative - just trying to catch the accidents etc.

In '83 I woke up essentially paralysed from the neck down finally diagnosed as lymphatic sarcoidosis, and was unable to play for about ten years - D35, dobro and mando went up into the attic as I couldn't bear to look at them whilst unable to play.
When I regained the ability to walk, I took a camera into nearby woods. Just waking there was exhausting but I learnt to "look" whilst resting.

By pure luck I discovered a well equipped darkroom in my company's social club.
As I slowly recovered I learnt how to develop and print.
I joined the local photographic society, and started winning competitions.
I joined another club, and started winning there too.
I formed a company photography club.
i was "told" by friends that I should try to get a distinction from the Royal Photographic Society - got my Associateship first time out.
Started getting invitations to judge competitions and exhibitions,
Started doing lectures on southern circuit.
1993 - left company losing my darkroom, so stopped making images.
Got d35, dobro and mando out of the attic.
1995 submitted some prints for club entry into an International - won FIAP (Fédération Internationale de l'Art Photographique) gold medal.

Today, I have an old simple Nikon DSLR mostly only for record pics.

2017 - got ill - ended my judging and speaking circuit.
still get asked but name removed from the listings.

Still playing guitar.

You need to post your pics here.

[robj144]

[CoffeeFan]

I'm heading to New York on Thursday, and will visit the Mecca of cameradom, B&H Photo on 9th Avenue.

Every time I go to New York I buy something there. Last time it was a used (but pristine) 50mm f/1.4 lens. This time it'll be a retro leather case for my Fuji X100F...

[difalkner]

35mm, medium format, and sheet film large format, have had two darkrooms, dozens of extended photographic excursions to do landscape photography... even knocked on Ansel Adams' door in 1983 and asked his housekeeper if Ansel could come out and play.

Last year I gave my daughter the Canon FTb and all the lenses I've had since the early 70's and she's more into film now than digital but she's on her way to becoming a good photographer and artist.

Now I use a Panasonic Lumix with Leica lens for my photography and for video work in the shop plus the occasional landscape photo when the urge hits.

David