Photo Essays

Every photographer has a story about his or her first camera. The camera bought at the pawnshop with newspaper route earnings, or hand-me-downs from deceased uncles. And of course, the greater the photographer, the more humble that first camera seems. Like nearly everything in my life, the importance of photography ebbs and flows, but it seems to always be there. Kind of like writing, kind of like reading.

The first camera I remember calling my own was an Argus 126. A little point and shoot, it used a new film size that came in a cartridge. No 35mm for me . And it used flash cubes. I believe I was 11 or 12 that Christmas, and along with the camera my parents said they would purchase and develop one roll of film every month for a year. I think I used up my 12 rolls in about 3 months. Images that survive are the basic not-composed exposures…things I call ‘snapshots’. I believe the experience, however, help me tap into an “otherness”, a seperated-ness, that was always a part of my childhood. I wanted to connect me to the subject of my image. If I didn’t have the connection in real life, at least I had a photo.

My relationship with cameras was a bit unhappy during my young adulthood. When asked what gift I wanted for both high school and college graduations (which occurred nearly 10 years apart), I asked for a 35mm camera. I wasn’t expecting a Nikon top-of-the-line; I just wanted what I thought was a ‘real’ camera. The gifts I received were highly practical, and much more in tune with my needs, and lovingly given. But they weren’t what I dreamt of.

During the time my youngest son Tommy was ill with terminal cancer, I carried a point and shoot in my purse at all times. For obvious reasons.

And then I met a friend who saw my dreams, and helped me out. He sent me Betsy, an OM-10 complete with the Manual adapter! Betsy’s journey to me was fraught with a bit of peril, and she was nearly lost. The problem was that Betsy lived in Spain, my friend in London, and I lived in Washington State. By the time Betsy arrived in Washington, she was nearly 1 month late, and without any of the protective packaging a camera requires. But let me tell you – she is a rugged little workhorse. I bought her a new eye (50mm lens) and eventually a new Manual adapter. She continues to take images I love looking at.

As for my current equipment, images created prior to 2009 were captured with an FujiFilm S2Pro DSLR and processed in Adobe Lightroom/Photoshop CS. After the Fuji’s record processor card crapped out, I moved over to my current Nikon D200. Lightroom 3 is still my preferred workflow manager. My relationships with these cameras is not nearly as romanticized as with Betsy. The images we’ve made together – for it is a partnership of mind and machine - has never failed to help me connect, and re-connect, with my life.