Why I Take Photos with a Camera
I first picked up a camera in the summer of 1976. It was a robust, all-metal machine which only needed a single-cell battery to power the through-the-lens (TTL), "match needle" lightmeter. It had a complement of lenses but I mostly used the 50mm 1:1.4 and ASA (ISO) 400 film because it did not come with a flash. The camera belonged to the company my father worked for and he would bring it home on weekends just so I can play around with it. My first few rolls were mediocre since I had yet to master using the TTL meter. It did not take long and I was already enjoying taking available light photos, making do with a "50" and its wide aperture. My Papa also taught me the "Rule of Thirds" and the finer points of composition which further improved my work. While in high school, my aunt built a darkroom where she could process black and white photos taken with her Rolleiflex twin lens reflex (TLR) and a 35mm "Canonet" rangefinder. It was then that I d...