One of the greatest fun moments I had during Sunday, April 19th, 2009 was taking family photos on the front lawn at our home. I was already having fun in my recording studio when I was called to join the group shot. Our son and daughter brought this mucho expensive digital camera to the house. The moment I saw the camera, it reminded me of my life as a photographer - another one of my passions; photography.
The first job I got after I departed from Combermere School (a secondary school in Barbados) was that of a photographer/camera and film salesman. I took many a family portrait and thousands of passport shots.
35 mm film was the order of the day. I began working with a large-body professional camera where the film was loaded into cassettes. There wasn't too much fun in that.
We used to sell the 120 and the 127 cameras and film - some of you might remember the old "Kodak Box Cameras".
Box Cameras did not start out with an eye-level view finder. On the body of 120 Box Camera there was one reflective view finder in the vertical position and another on the horizontal. Back in the day the skilled photographer knew how to tuck the black camera body in an area of the tummy, apply a small amount of pressure to hold the instrument steady: then slowly flick the lever to activate the shutter. There was no shutter speed to set, no apperature ring to dial, no auto focus and no zoom: everything was fixed. That was also fun. You just couldn't go wrong, except for the occasional camera shake. There was a detatchable flash-head that used individual flashbulbs.
I remember a customer took a photo of a building. There was plenty of fuzziness in the shot. So he asked me about it. I told him he shook the camera. He bluntly turned and said
"I didn't shake the camera, it was the building."
Yeah right!
But then one day the boss brought in a twin-lens reflex 35 mm camera. Progress!
Soon after that, there was the single-lens reflex; like the Minolta. They all used film.
We used to sell lots of 35 mm film: mainly black and white - monochrome; more so than the 120 or the 127 films. Color was not so prevalent.
Today (the date metioned above) my son and daughter took well over 300 photos and never once stopped to change a film: something unheard of in the years gone by.
How we've progressed in a few short years.
Best of all, instead of having to wait a week for the film to be processed, we could now see the images instantly; either on the LCD or on a computer.
And lastly, we can email our favorite poses to your friends and family across the globe. they would receive them in a split second, and postage won't be necessary.
Wow! That's progress!
I can truly say I'm having fun. I really appreciate being alive to see these rapid advances in technology. In a few more months and years ahead we'll be in for a few more surprises. It goes without mention, doesn't it?
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