Meet Me On Monday ~ Camera Crazed Camera Challenged Chick

I’ve owned so many cameras one would think that I would be a professional photographer by now or at least take some pictures worthy of National Geographic hanging in family photo frames.

Alas, I’m not and they aren’t.

 My pictures still come out blurry, or my subjects’ eyes are closed or crossed, or I end up with pictures of the floor or ceiling, or my shoes or purse (don’t ask me how I manage that because I have no flippin’ clue). Don’t misunderstand me, I’ve captured some really great moments, but I don’t have those awarding winning pictures that make people gasp, Oh.my.gosh.you.should.send.it.to.a.magazine!

I received my first camera when I was about eight years old. It was a hand-me down Hawkeye Brownie Kodak box camera, and boy did I love that thing (I still have it). I began my photo craze by snapping pictures of my poodle, Fluffy, our Sheepdog, Butchey, our rabbit, Peter Cottontail and, of course, my family. Looking back on those square black and white photos still make me smile.

Then I graduated to a Kodak Instamatic X15. My dad purchased it for me for Christmas in 1975. I remember it distinctly because it was the first Christmas after the divorce and my dad was living with my Gram and Pap and he picked my brothers and I up to spend Christmas with him, my aunts and grandparents. I ripped into my presents and when I got to that camera, it was all over— I started snapping away.

Sometime in the late 70’s my dad and step-mom bought me a Polaroid One-Step Land Camera. You know, the kind where the picture popped out and developed right before your eyes! My sister and I used to blow on the pictures, thinking they would develop faster, which they didn’t, but that didn’t stop us. I remember that film and flash cube bar being expensive, however, I still aimed it at just about everything that moved. When it broke years later, I actually purchased a newer version, the Polaroid 600.

My dad had a really nice Nikon that I absolutely LOVED, but he wouldn’t let me use it. Something about it being very expensive (the nerve huh!). When I was going to California way back in 1986 I asked him if I could take it (I was hoping he forgot about it being expensive!). Rather than tell me “no”, he bought me a Canon Snappy 50 , and guess what? I still have that one, along with a Kodak Cameo Zoom Plus that I purchased about a year after my first son was born. Then I purchased my Minolta Freedom Zoom a few years after that…and yep, still have that one, too (Maybe I should go into camera collecting). 

Then I got into my digital phase, which you can read about here. Like I said, with all the cameras I’ve owned (7 regular and 5 digital) you’d think I’d be a professional or at the very least a freaken journeywoman! Nope. Not me. And it’s not for lack of trying or reading the booklets and manuals that accompany every camera, either. Because I read those suckers from front to back. I just suck at picture taking.

 One day, though, I intend to end my camera-challenged syndrome. I’m going to take a photography class and learn how to capture oh.my.goh.it.should.be.in.national.geographic pictures!

When I do, you all can say you knew me when I was a camera-crazed-camera-challenged-chick!