I got my start in photography in 1983 in prep school in Belleville, Illinois.  My first camera was a Nikon FM with a 28-85 Tokina ATX lens, and a Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 manual focus lens.  I spent the next 2 years shooting hundreds of rolls of tri-x black and white, and countless hours in the darkroom developing and printing.  In the mid to late 80’s, while in college, I worked in the darkroom at the University of Missouri-Columbia in Brady Commons.  I’ve run the gamut of Nikon film bodies.  FM, FM2, F3HE, F4… and on the digital side, I started with a D1x, and at the moment am shooting a D200.  I’ve always been a big fan of Nikon bodies, and Nikkor lenses, but not to the point where I wouldn’t shoot with a Canon 30D. I’d personally love to have a D3x or even a D2Xs, but I tend to try to live in the real world…  the world where it’s not acceptable to buy a $5k camera body and not feed your kids.  I’m not a professional.  I may not even be a good photographer.  That is too subjective to even have a discussion about.

I’m of the frame of mind that it doesn’t matter what you shoot, as long as you shoot, and shoot a lot.  There has always been that group of  “photographers”  that have to have the latest and greatest camera equipment.  Sure, I’m envious of the new stuff.  Good equipment allows you the freedom to be less selective and gives you more creative control, but it’s not necessary for you to make a good photograph.   I remember a discussion in class in the  80’s about “real photography” when Andy Warhol published a series of photographs that he shot with *gasp* an Olympus point-an-shoot 35mm. pocket camera.  “What is real photography?”  Hmmmm.   Film cameras? Prime lenses? Manual focus? Darkroom work? Obviously, that’s real photography, the purists would say.  Real photography, I would say, is creating an image that allows someone else to feel what you want them to feel.  Happiness, lonliness, loss, joy, hope…  whatever.  Good photograpy should make you feel.

Feel free to contact me anytime

jim@digital-photography101.com

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