The Chief
Golden Retreiver
"Old Barn"
All of us remember our first kiss, our first real car, maybe even our first camera, but do you remember the very first image that spoke to you as a photographer? Not like, “hey, you photographer shoot me” but more like “hey, I’m really enjoying this! I think this is something I could really get into.” I was looking through my old photos recently trying to locate the four images that I vividly remember changing my path as a photographer. Not because they were great, but because they spoke to me. They truly made me want to become a better photographer. I was only successful in locating three of the four photos….yes, the story of my life 
Two of the photos were of an old barn and a fence post. I remember taking these photos and thinking this just rocks. To be honest, any image I was able to make a decent print of at the time simply rocked when I was 14. Another photo I vividly recall was a of the local Culligan guy’s golden retriever. Wherever this guy was, his dog was in tow, so I took a few photos one day when he was delivering salt to our house. The owner was so thrilled with how they turned out he insisted on making a large print for his office. And at the ripe old age of 15 I felt as though I had won the lottery. Lastly, some 12 years later while traveling to Zimbabwe I came across a gentlemen that simply described himself as the “Village Chief.” While I was photographing him and listening to his story, I remember thinking to myself, “ I could do this for the rest of my life.” I still enjoy, shooting old buildings, dogs (I live with a pack of 4) and people. It’s funny how your style might change, your quality improves (hopefully), but at the end of the day you still shoot what you enjoy. So my question for all of you is, “What images do you remember directing or fueling your photographic journey?
John is an award winning landscape and travel photographer who splits his time between Chicago and Montana. His work has been featured in National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole. John loves the outdoors and traveling, and sharing his images with others.
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All content © 2010 by John Batdorff Photography Blog
In 2006 we were planning a trip to Denver. I really wanted to get a digital camera for that trip so bought a point-and-shoot from Canon. It arrived, I took my first picture of flowers in the front yard and was hooked. Three weeks and 3,000 pictures later I knew photography was what I wanted to do! Zero to 60 in one day! On that trip I bought my first DSLR and it was off to the races.
Beverly,
I hear you. I remember when I bought my first digital. I went crazy taking photos. Now, I think my library is approaching 75,000
Sorry if this goes on a bit but it’s a great post John and I feel like sharing today…
The “I might be good at this moment”: “Snowdonia Sunrise”. Back in 2004 I gave a photograph I took to my then not-quite girlfriend (we hadn’t had “the talk” yet), which less than a year later I had sold to someone else who saw it up on her wall. It was of the sunrise over the mountains on the morning I left the UK for NYC in Jan 2003. Seven years later I’m still in NYC.
The “I’m Really enjoying this” moment #1: “Uffizi Gallery”. Shooting in Firenze [Florence] while on holiday with my now girlfriend using a Yashica 35mm and rolls of B&W film.
The “I’m really enjoying this” moment #2: “5am at Angkor Wat” Having bought a DSLR for my 30th in 2007 it wasn’t until late in 2008 while on honeymoon in Cambodia that I had that same “Yeeeah” feeling as in #1.
Still, it took me until half way through 2009 to have the real epiphany, that I wanted to indulge time and effort into this and not just take my camera up now and again. I can’t pinpoint the exact photographic moment right now, it might well have been going back over those photos from our honeymoon. I’ll think back more later tonight and maybe do a companion post on our blog to this. You may also be able to detect another theme here. My wife had a lot to do with dragging the creative left brain back out of me.
Ed,
Never apologize for sharing…I really enjoyed reading this. It sounds like you met the perfect companion.
John
No problem. Yep, I think I did meet the right companion. The first photo I mention is now up in a post on our blog. All the best John. Ed
Hmmm… This is a good one.
Unfortunately I don’t have a picture but I do have a memory. I was 18 and for my birthday my father bought me a Pentak K-1000 (still to date my favorite camera). I didn’t ask for it, didn’t take photography in high school, there was really no reason at all for this gift. I opened the box and I wasn’t really excited about it, but the strange thing is the minute I opened the box I knew IMMEDIATELY that it was going to have a huge impact on my life. In fact I specifically remember opening it, looking at it and thinking almost those exact words. I just had no idea how or why. I didn’t even play around with it for months, it just sat on my bureau – a lonely little camera. The first picture I took with it was almost 6 months later, a pic of myself in the mirror in my cap & gown on graduation day. I still have the picture somewhere.
But I had the camera and I knew immediately the importance it would have on my life. When college rolled around I chose to take an elective photo class. Three months later I was a photo major and as they say the rest is history. My father has always known what I needed before I ever have. I often wondered what would’ve happened if he never gave me that gift. My life would not have been the same.
Bethany,
Another great story…thanks for sharing it with us. John
I didnt really get into photography or what i call photography now till 2004. I always like taking photos but as a minor hobby, But after I hurt myself i needed to get into something to take my time up and also take pride in so I went back to school and a teacher asked me what i majoring in and i said not sure just taking putter classes well she said why not try my illustrator class. So I took that and saw the next class up was photoshop and we had to use mostly our own photos it was like I was set loose on a new world.BUT still didnt know what i was doing but I kept shooting and shooting until I took this shot and it was like what i needed to refuel the fire to say you can take a good shot.
Good subject john thanks for bringing it up
Thanks for you comment….I had remove your link to your photo because it wasn’t loading..sorry. John
I should have known better windows live is bad about there links thanks for the delete I didnt know how to do it
Thanks Greg
sorry it didnt work oh well Ill try and tell you its a pic of a red tulip after a snowstorm its just has the head of the flower and a little green showing and all the rest is white if you go to workinprogress101 in windows live spaces thats me look in the Photos again sorry about that
My time for photography hit me at the bike races in Laconia, NH. I was using a point and shoot camera trying to capture the masterpieces painted on the gas tanks of the parked bikes on the strip. I did get some “okay ” pics and decided then and there to start taking the best photos I could take. That was in 25+ yrs ago and now when I shoot my wildlife photos, I remind myself of the good old days and how I got into photography.
I can’t remember a photo of mine – but I do know that the moment I picked up an Imogen Cunningham book I was hooked and just wanted to create. They way she saw things made me a different photographer.
Great post – fun to think about!
Kristin,
Thanks for sharing…keep stopping by. John
As far as I remember I always liked photography. My first contact with the camera was when I was a little kid…. all I remember was that I opened my dad’s camera while the film was still inside. Let’s just say it wasn’t a happy experience
… It took about 13 years, and finally I was able to buy my own Minolta X-370 SLR, with a 28mm f2.8 lens. I still have it. Took tons of photos with it, but the most memorable one was while I was traveling in Poland. It was a photo of the statue of Neptune in Gdansk. It was at night, right after a rain storm. I balanced the camera on a garbage can, and took a 2 sec exposure. 1 exposure. It came out perfect. The problem is that I might have lost it over the years. It’s been over 20 years ago… everything else is history.
Great story…..nothing beats a garbage can for a tripod.