The First Time I Picked Up A Camera

The very first ever photo of me with a camera. Also happened to the first day I had one and the last time I’d use one for another 8 years.

The Introduction to my new photo book

So I started a thing today.

I sat down and started the layout for the photography book project I started last December, Illinois’ Best High School Gyms. (You can find a link to the project here)

I’m laying out the introduction page and was looking for a photo of me with a camera in high school where it all started, but came across what is the first photo of me with a camera.

I never really thought about it, but this photo was taken on the very day my dad gave me my first camera. It was roughly 1981-82, I was in 2nd grade and it was a 110 thumb windup point and shoot camera. Ironically it could not have been a more perfect camera for a future photojournalist, as I could fire off at least 1-2 frames a second at that age… and of course that’s exactly what I did.

There are at least 5-6 photos from this twirl-a-whirl at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri and I went through 3 rolls of film that weekend alone. It was also the beginning of a short lived photo experience as my dad was not happy with the $18 cost of 3 rolls with double 3×5 inch prints. So, I never took another photo till high school.

The following photos are my dad taking a photo of me taking a photo of him and my mom; the very first photo I ever took; and a web image I found of that type of camera.

Silver Dollar City, Branson, Missouri, circa 1981.
The first photographic frame I ever made, taken on a family vacation to Branson, Mo. about 1981.
I just realized this photo of me is from the very first day I pickup up a camera and started taking photos
The famed 110 windup camera.