The Making of a Shutter Sister

"Mommy, where is my camera?!" she called out as we hurried towards the door. "I don't wanna go without my camera."

I remember what it felt like to take my first photos.  Such power. The notion of capturing a moment in time and keeping it in view forever. It was a good feeling, and I knew from the age of seven that I loved holding a camera to my eye and looking at life through a viewfinder.

When I purchased my digital SLR a little more than one year ago, I shelved my first digital point and shoot in a cabinet. The "antique" had a dent in the side from a careless fall and a frustrating delay at the click of the shutter, but it did have the ability to shoot video, so I kept it.

My five-year old daughter asked about it one day as I walked around our backyard looking for little gifts to discover and shoot. "Can I take pictures with you..." she asked. "...with your old camera?" I'm not sure why I hadn't thought of that idea sooner, but her proposal was a fine one. Of course. So I ran inside, grabbed the camera and taught her where to look and how to zoom. 

And suddenly... it clicked.

* * *

Do you remember your first camera or your first few shots? Have you shared a camera with a child in your life? Did his/her perspective surprise or inspire you?

Comments

[jfrancis]

capturing
a piece of eternity
forever

[Meryl]

My first camera took 110 film, and was bright pink. This kind of makes me chuckle, because my (17 years younger) baby sister had her first camera out this weekend. It's digital and takes much better pictures than mine did, but it's still bright pink!

[Leah G]

Wow, one of the first to comment. I'm only up because my hubby has a very early day tomorrow, and someone needs to make certain that his uniform makes it into the dryer.

I do remember my first camera -- although I don't know which model it was. I had a Kodak Instamatic, the kind that needed the 126 cartridge film. I took it on every vacation and school field trip.

No children of my own, yet, but from time to time I will give my cousins disposable cameras to play with. Sometimes it's interesting to see what they've captured; more often than not it's blurred silly faces, though.

[Emily]

Like Meryl, my first camera took 110 film and it was *also* bright pink :-) I was nine years old and hooked on photography right away.

[Corey]

I can so relate. I posted on my blog about my Daughter's photography.

http://livingandlovingeveryminuteofit.blogspot.com/2008/04/introducingsugar-bear-snaps.html

[Kirsten]

I finally had the guts to hand over my other "baby" to my two year old son a few weeks ago (I guess I was desperate for some "me" pics. He loved the sound of it..."click, click, click" he kept saying.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/somethingcheeky/2670600680/sizes/o/in/set-72157606177091811/

[laura - dolcepics]

I can't wait for my little one to be able to take pictures herself. She's always loved taking my little point n shoot out of it's case and trying to open the lens cover with her little fingers. I'll look forward to the day she takes her first picture!

I remember my first camera well. It was made of black and red plastic and I took it to school all the time. I wrote a post about my photography time line a while ago:

http://www.dolcepics.com/articles/mommy-turned-photographer/

I wonder what happened to my little ol' camera?

[Claudious]

What a wonderful age to begin teaching her how to use a camera. I bought my six year old something in hopes of encouraging him, but recently it's become "uncool" I'm hoping he picks it back up, I love seeing the perspective from young eyes.

[Marcie]

I was 10 years old when I got my first kodak instamatic..and 16 when my father bought me my first minolta SLR (not digital!).

My daughter started shooting when she was 10. First with disposable cameras and now with a sophisticated digitao point-and-shoot.

I like to think we inspire one another.
http://bravo.unisonplatform.com/~marciesc/index.php?showimage=483

[Jo]

I gave my two year old my first digital camera a while back. This portrait of the artist at work makes me think she may have found her groove already!

http://appletree.typepad.com/fourrooms/2008/07/too-kewl-fer-sk.html

[Rhiannon]

I used my Dad's Kodak and at about 9 or so was allowed to take it off on my own on a school trip. I felt very grown up with it and managed the little light meter perfectly. ( Why did exposure suddenly become such an issue as an adult ? ) I still have the photos from that trip...to a wonderful little island in the Firth of Forth. My little nephew picked up a camera when he was still very tiny and the composition was really great. Makes me want to look out both of these sets ! New here at Shutter Sisters..but a lovely site :)

[intensity_too]

I recently turned over my Nikon D80, with the nifty fifty lens, to my 4 year old to snap pictures with. He had a wonderful time and didn't want to give it back! I don't know why I gave him my Nikon. I could have easily given him my old Olympus point and shoot, either way, he snapped some great shots.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/intensity_too/sets/72157605463730137/

[erin.darcy]

My very first camera-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/edarcy/2690781401/
Like a dinosaur-my favourite thing about her was the sounds she made when you wound the film and a heavy 'click' to take the photo. I had two lenses (but I don't think I ever figured that part out)
and
one of my most favourite things to do is give kids a camera (eeek! one that is okay to drop!) and watch how they get right in there to take pictures..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/edarcy/2517524393/
and to see what images they come out with from their perspective-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/edarcy/2145333538/

[margaret]

We got out now six year old a camera when she was four - unfortunately, it was a crappy ass type. I am thinking for her seventh birthday this year, getting her a point and shot one. She loves taking pictures (as do her 5 and 4 year old sisters) with my camera, but I hate letting them use it often - they are still kind of rough with it.

My first camera was a yellow 110.

[Kathleen]

My first camera was a Polaroid, received when I was about 8 or 10. I took it EVERYWHERE. Some things don't change. This morning, I dug out some of my old pictures (that have been with me for 30 years! Yikes.)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ko2008/2753382914/

I am a teacher, and this past year during a field trip to the local salt marsh, the kids (fourth graders) took pictures. Parents donated the little one-time-use cameras and we gave one to each group. The kids planned their shots through a cardboard "viewfinder" and snapped away. It was a great success!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ko2008/2753388114/

[MelodyA.]

I don't think it was my first, but I do remember it vividly. <a href="http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/03/31/bad-old-days-kodak-d.html>The Kodak Disk Camera</a> Wish we still had that thing.

[Sheehys]

Grammy got our girls the greatly rugged Fisher-Price digital camera, which is particularly appropriate for our two-year old (our four-year old has done well with the point and shoot for a while now)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/blackhillsfamily/2620633932/

It's a 1-megapixel wonder, but it's fun to see what they come up with:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/blackhillsfamily/2656700569/

[Beth]

I didn't get my first camera until I was an adult, but my parents had a little camera that took a magic cube (?) flash. It would rotate 90 degrees after every shot and I think you had to replace it frequently.

[abbey]

ha ha!
I love it!
Please check this out... similar!
http://www.photoblog.com/abbeyh13/2008/07/02/
what a wonderful post and a wonderful memory!!

[lora]

my two year old loves to take photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28987938@N00/2752579499/?editreplace=1

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28987938@N00/2752581303/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28987938@N00/2752581629/in/photostream/

[megan]

my boys fought over who got mom's "little" camera during our vacation last week. what fun to see them discover the joys of photography!

[kayla]

when I babysit for three little girls across the street I always bring my camera and take photos of dress up or other little things. The youngest girl, age 5, always tells me, "If you take my picture, then I get to use your camera to take pictures too." I laugh and give her the camera and sometimes she comes up with such great perspective that has helped me with perspective. One day she started spinning in circles while taking a shot and then the next taking pictures of our feet. It is a joy to see the mind of a kid at work. I love it.

[Bet]

My first camera was a Kodak Instamatic Pocket 20. It was all I wanted for my 10th birthday after watching my Dad take pictures for years with his Minolta 35mm. It took a 110 cartridge and I remember Dad telling me that it wasn't about quantity of photos taken but about the quality. Of course back in those days we paid for processing the film! Thank goodness for digital.

Two of my sons have taken an interest in photography. They're 17 and 13. Seventeen will begin shooting with my Rebel XT when I purchase my new camera.. and thirteen will be upgraded from the Canon PowerShot A460 to a new S5 IS. I love to see the world through their eyes when they've gone with me and taken photos. It's something the keeps us close and gives us time to talk to each other.

[Lan]

i was in the 6th grade and i think i used the camera twice. once for the end of that year and the last time for 7th grade. it was a rectangular light weight contraption. and then i didn't get another camera again till last december when i turned 30, a little digital point and shoot that i love.

[Wayfaring Wanderer]

My dad was your typical Asian-tourist-typecast who took pictures at every possible stop......he gave me my very own camera when I was 9, I thought the time/date stamp was the most awesome feature EVAR! Growing up, I always hated posing for all of the photos he wanted to take of me and my sister......Who would have thunk that I would grow up to be just like him! However, I don't have kids to shoot, so it's my surrounding that I am always stopping to capture.

http://wayfaring-wanderer.blogspot.com

[Helen]

Sharing photography with my 5 year old daughter has been priceless. What can I expect when she doesn't want to ever put it down..like mother like daughter!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21993040@N08/2727383884/

[Sugar]

I actually have a post about my first camera... a Polaroid!

http://livingintheory.blogspot.com/2008/04/my-first-camera.html

[Terri]

My first camera was one of those where the negatives were in a circle. Anyone remember the name? I got it when I was in my yearly teens, it was a Christmas gift from my grandmother. From time to time I take out the picture box and just giggle at some of them. The eye of a teenager LOL

My first digital was a Sony Cyber shot...... hardly any zoom , nothing fancy at all, but I loved it and learned so much. My daughter now has it and uses it almost every day.

[stacy]

My first camera was one of those 110 film cameras. I got some, ummm...interesting pictures. ;)

My kids are interested in photography since mommy is so interested in it. I let them take pictures with my DSLR under heavily supervised conditions. My 4.5 year old is getting better at getting things in focus...the picture on my blog today was even taken by him. :)

[Ursula]

I can't remember our first camera, but I grew up in the land of Eastman Kodak so all of our cameras growing up were Kodaks-remember the Disk? I think my mom still has it. Eventually I ended up sneaking my dad's Pentax a lot, but now we have an Olympus (while coveting a Nikon).

I don't have a Shutter Sister in the making, but I have a little Shutter Brother...http://fabulousflyingzamoras.blogspot.com/2007/12/sharp-as-tack.html
This is an old blog post of his first theft and shoot.

[Kath]

My first camera was a Kodak with a film cartridge. I don't remember anything else about it. I'm not sure any of the pictures ever got developed. I think my D80 might be my "First" camera. It's making me work at taking photos. And that is a good thing. I love to let little kids use my point and shoot. The perspective is awesome. Last Christmas I found that somebody had taken pictures of all the adult's backsides as we stood at counters preparing food and chatting. I guess that was her eye level!

Kath

[Rachel Parton]

My cousin recently did a blog post about letting her nephew borrow her camera:
http://beneaththisstarryspinning.blogspot.com/2008/07/camera-in-gavins-hands.html

I especially like this photo:
http://bp2.blogger.com/_FZGaJ3kFixU/SI56vwVr5fI/AAAAAAAABC0/9gJiT2xzw3k/s1600-h/100_1716.jpg

[Christina]

My daughter will be three this November....and a camera of her own is the first thing on her wish list. I can't wait to see the world through her eyes.

[Christy]

Our old point & shoot has been claimed my our Three year old. It is her camera, and she is actually pretty impressive with it. Love seeing what she fills her memory card up with :)

[Lawyer Mama]

I vividly remember stealing my parents' Polaroid to take shots of things around the house when I was 6 or 7. When my dad got an SLR it was heavenly!

My 3 year old has a Fisher Price camera. It started when he was 2 - he wanted to do everything I was doing - and we went through a few disposable cameras before getting the FP one.

Some pictures by Hollis:
http://www.lawyermama.com/lawyermama/2007/01/my-little-pho-1.html

And here are a few more of him "taking photos"
http://www.lawyermama.com/lawyermama/2008/02/eureka.html

[claudia]

My first "real" camera was a Minolta SRT 101 that was my Dad's. Before that I had only used a Disc camera or a Kodak 110! My love affair with photography began with the Minolta at age 14. I'd love walking into the darkroom in high school and smelling the chemicals, seeing the safety light... Man that seems like such a long time ago (who am I kidding, it was!) Here's one of my high school shots, I recently found it in box of photos I was going through.

http://flickr.com/photos/laurohunt/2753714499/

[Cheryl Doran-Girard]

This will totally date me, however, my first camera was a Kodak Brownie. I have been sharing my point and shoot with my grandson, Parker, and surprisingly he has taken some interesting shots. I've been thinking that at some point I will buy him his own camera. Something we can share for a long time, I hope.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cheryldoran-girard/2561081653/

[Julie Alvarez]

I also had a Kodak Instamatic, the kind that needed the 126 cartridge film. I loved it so much! I felt very important with it. And I was!
Then my godfather gave me another one exactly the same, so I had two. But later I lost one on a school trip, and the other one got stolen from me. I had to wait years to buy my next camera, the very same one I have today (and which I will never sell).
You can see it here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/2694373434/in/photostream/
I loved taking pictures at the beach on vacations with my sister and mama. They were always a bit blurry and overexposed. I still have an album all taken by me.

[Kelly D.]

Too funny. Before reading the comments my pink Le Clic disc camera came to mind. Guess I wasn't the only one with a pink camera! I constantly took pictures with that camera. One picture comes to mind ... taking a picture of myself in the side mirror on the car during a long ride. You can see the Le Clic in the picture too. I'm sure I still have it somewhere ... I hope I do. Whatever happened to that camera?

I have two little girls now and would be so pleased if they enjoyed photography like I do. It was my father who sparked my creativity. My two year old has already asked to take some pictures. I need to get her a camera of her own.

[simply]

my daughter (12) speaks through her shots...

http://bp3.blogger.com/_A1Xbjk4uEks/SBdJYsbwkyI/AAAAAAAADSQ/i6lPoEZrenY/s1600-h/flying+high.jpg

http://bp3.blogger.com/_A1Xbjk4uEks/SCXrA5lJBKI/AAAAAAAADcc/EPvMRjJOGAI/s1600-h/being+mom8.jpg

~simply~

[Irene]

I did the same thing, we turned our Canon powershot over to our 6 year old. It really cracks me up when she insists on taking her camera everywhere we go. Some of her photos are pretty nice too! She also told me to save the book "Understanding Exposure" I was reading because she is going to be a photographer when she grows up. So incredibly sweet.

[Five Flowers]

My daughter sees me with my camera so much, she has aked for one as her only birthday gift for her 4th birthday! That's my girl! My first camera experience was in a pin-hole camera class at the museum in LA as a kid:: it led me to photography in 8th grade, and on an on. Here's to the next generation of Shutter sisters!

[tangobaby]

Thank you for the wonderful subject.

I have come to the world of photography only very recently. I am somewhat sad that I did not discover the joys of photography years ago, but at least I am making up for lost time now.

This is what I wrote about my camera, new to me and my life this year:

http://tangobaby2.blogspot.com/2008/03/my-new-glass-eye.html

I have the wonderful fortune to teach my niece (who is two) about photography a little over a week ago. I had posted this for Love Thursday, but it is even more perfect for this post:

http://femmefotographie.blogspot.com/2008/08/love-thursday-3.html

[jen]

When I went to my first Flickr meet nearly a year ago I let my son take my old digital camera. It was inspired on my part because it allowed him to have something to occupy himself with and he took some really good photos. It's really interesting to see what photos kids take.

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