Tuesday, September 4, 2012

BEING CAMERA READY

(Copyright © 2012 The Big C and Me)
Last night, on our way to a Labor Day celebration dinner with friends, I looked up at the sky and suddenly asked my husband to take a quick detour to the top of a nearby hill. I simply can't pass up a good-looking sunset.

It always pays to be camera ready.

My first camera was a Minolta SLR. Got it as a high school graduation gift from my family, and I loved it. Used it frequently, and for years. Until I dropped it at the Emmy Awards.

Now before you get too excited ...
I wasn't exactly at the Emmy's — I was standing across the street, where the limos drop off the stars. I went with two co-workers (and die-hard TV fans), and was the self-proclaimed DP (designated photographer). I remember the crowd, the energy, the climbing up on the small step ladder I brought to secure a better view — and then the awful sound of my camera hitting the pavement below. Slipped right out of my sweaty little palms. The lens went undamaged; but the camera base went bye-bye.

The next day, I got the film developed and was pleased to see a few images (albeit blurry ones) of Tom Cruise and Arnold Schwarzenegger and Candace Bergen, among others. (I tried to find one of my original pics to post, but they're hiding somewhere in a secret box, envelope or album in my closet or attic or garage. Who the hell knows.)

Suffice to say that after my Emmy debacle, it was awhile before I picked up a camera again.

Then disposable cameras became popular. For some reason (ease, I guess), I started buying and using them. For years. Despite the God-awful quality of the prints! Yet I continued to document the big and small moments of my life with throw-away cameras.

At some point, after I married, my husband bought me a small, digital camera. And it was like I had been handed a key to the heavens. I saw the light again! Once I cradled that digital baby, all my cameraless years melted away. I couldn't stop taking pictures.

We were on vacation a couple of years ago when that beloved point-and-shoot camera started behaving badly, creating zig-zaggy streaks of pink and purple in every shot. It's demise was imminent, and I subsequently went through profound photography withdrawal. So my husband lent me his point-and-shoot Canon. (Also known as the camera I borrowed and never returned.) That's the camera I discovered macro photography with. And I became obsessed with taking extremely close-up photos of nature.

That little Canon still works — though the power button doesn't always, and the lettering is partially worn off from overuse (to wit: The button on the back reads N/FF instead of ON/OFF). Ever the good guy, my husband bought me yet another camera, though not the digital SLR I'd been drooling over for months. It's a slender model that fits nicely into my hiking pocket or my purse, which is good, but when it comes to zooming in on stuff that's far away, it's very bad. So now I have two small cameras but no big one. And I'm dragging my feet because I'm now so used to the lightness of the smaller camera that I wonder if my impulse to shoot will be hindered if I drag a big, bulky camera around.

(Would love to hear your thoughts, suggestions and comments regarding the cameras you shoot with and how you feel about them!)

Given my complications with delayed healing over the past 18 months, my camera skills have come in very handy as I photo-document my weekly (and sometimes daily) journey. After I recover from my surgery on Wednesday, I'm planning to post some tips that will help you document your healing journey too, no matter what it is. Stay tuned!

12 comments:

  1. Thinking of you as Wednesday starts in the southern hemisphere - hope all goes well and that you're back showing us pics very soon!!

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  2. Renn,
    You have my attention when you talk about cameras. I've been taking pictures since I was 12 and borrowed my dad's old camera. During college, I majored in Journalism & Film, had a darkroom and shot with a used Pentax.

    In my early 20s, I shot pictures from the sidelines of all the Dallas Cowboy home games for the San Antonio Light newspaper. During a Monday Night Football game on ABC, legendary sports photographer, Neil Leifer, walked up to me & handed me one of his Nikons that had a motor drive & was on a monopod. Oh, my stars! The quality of my pictures with the Nikon was sooooo much better w/his camera that my husband finally bought me one, with a motor drive.

    Since then, I've owned an underwater camera, a panorama camera, and I made my own pinhole camera. For over 10 years I worked as a professional photographer. After breast cancer, I wanted to take photographs for my blog, but didn't want the hassle of an SLR and interchangeable lenses, so I bought a small digital camera. It's capabilities were limited. I talked with loads of pros, read all the reviews and bought a Canon G10 and love it! From time to time, I wish for interchangeable lenses, but in reality, I don't want to fool with that anymore.

    Since James died, I haven't really taken many photos, but Marie's exercise gave me the bug, again, and I'm really grateful.

    XOXOXO,
    Brenda

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  3. PS: In my early 20s, I was on an elevator in NYC with Candice Bergen. Just the two of us. I've never been star struck, but she took my breath away!

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  4. just want to make public something that i've said before....you and your photographic eye has influenced me so much in terms of how i see things today. thank you. will be thinking of you tomorrow. xoxoxo m

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  5. Oh I'm just itching to get a beautiful digital SLR camera. Years ago I worked my ancient film one - and still love it . . . but like you have switched from SLR to portable and light. However, my little camera recently busted as it crashed to the ground (big oops) . . . so I look forward to reading what others suggest in terms of cameras.

    Catherine

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  6. You will be in my thoughts tomorrow, I will pray for you:) I can't wait to see what you post when you are feeling up to it:)

    Great sunset <3

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  7. Renn, I love my Cannon Rebel, but have to tell you while we were in Hawaii this past June, I took 423 pictures in ONE day and all but 15 are blurry! I just don't yet have the strength to hold the camera with the macro lens. Yes, maybe 423 pictures in on day is too many, but we were in a botanical garden and I was so happy to be up close and personal with all the flowers! I also have the Cannon S90 power shot and love it for fast and easy pictures! Sending you light and healing energy tomorrow. I hope you got my email a week or so ago! Best, Lindsey

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  8. Renn, I love my Cannon Rebel, but have to tell you while we were in Hawaii this past June, I took 423 pictures in ONE day and all but 15 are blurry! I just don't yet have the strength to hold the camera with the macro lens. Yes, maybe 423 pictures in on day is too many, but we were in a botanical garden and I was so happy to be up close and personal with all the flowers! I also have the Cannon S90 power shot and love it for fast and easy pictures! Sending you light and healing energy tomorrow. I hope you got my email a week or so ago! Best, Lindsey

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  9. Wonderful to see you still celebrating the ordinary Renn :-)

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  10. I've been thinking about you and your surgery today. The 5th started earlier here in South Africa :)

    As for cameras - bought a new one a couple of weeks ago - I'll keep you posted!

    x

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  11. Hiya!
    Photography heals me as well, and inspires a big part of my posts. It's difficult now with my bone pain to carry my camera but I do anyway. I have always been a Nikon user. I use a Nikon D90 and love, I have a few lens and have great fun shooting.
    Best of health to you always,
    Jen

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  12. Renn, I love it when someone's passion shines brightly! I've been a shutterbug since I was 12. Received the 4-cube camera for my birthday. Still an amatuer, but there are times I amaze myself :) I have a Canon EOS 60D. It takes wonderful pictures. I carry it in a back pack, which isn't too heavy, but it is not something that you can whip out quickly to catch the hummingbird or just being spontaneous. That is when I wish I had a GOOD quality smaller camera. My question to you is "why in the world can't you have both!"
    Best wishes to you and yours,
    Carol

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Your comments are encouraging — and encouraged!