Am I your youngest member?

[Julia819]

Hi everyone. I've been lurking here for about 6 months now and I thought it was time I actually introduced myself and started posting. My name is Julia, I'm (almost) 17 and I live in Chicago. I love every area of photography, but I mostly shoot with b/w film (usually 35mm and 120mm) and I do all my developing and printing myself. I shoot just about everything (and I ALWAYS have a camera with me) but since I work for a fashion photographer, I do a lot of model portfolio building sessions and high school seniors. I'm planning on majoring in photography in college, but I still have to endure another year of high school first.
I've already fallen in love with this site. There are so many talented photographers here!

Julia

 

[papagene]

Hey kiddo, welcome aboard. I may be approaching Ancient status, but I love the energy I see from you younger folks. And it is great that someone so young still believes in traditional photo methods.
gene

 

[rjs003]

Hello Julia and welcome. It's heart warming to hear that a young person is so involved in real photography. As you know this is a great place to learn and to share. We will all be looking foward to you contribution to the Site.

 

[Ole]

I was in the local second-hand camera shop the other day when an aquaintance walked in with his 13 year old daughter. He had promised her a camera for the holiday, and she had insisted on an all-manual film camera. She walked out of there with a wonderful old Nikon (can't remember the type) and three lenses for about the cost of a d*gital point-and-shoot!

So there are younger film users, but not here AFAIK

 

[Julia819]

Thanks everyone! I guess I should probably add how I got into photography. The end of my freshman year (so really only a little over 2 years ago) I was searching my basement for something when I came across this...THING. I asked my dad what it was and he said it was an enlarger he got from his dad and that he meant to set up a darkroom sometime but never got around to it. I went to Borders and searched through the photography section about film photography and darkroom set-ups. It looked like so much fun so I went home and told my dad what we needed to set up a darkroom and that I wanted to do it that day! I went to the camera store and bought chemicals and trays and everything and cleaned out the room in my basement with a big sink and counter space and deemed it my darkroom. I went out and shot a roll of b/w film and and my dad helped me develop the roll. From then on I've been in love with the darkroom and all manual photography. I shoot with my N80, FM2, Rolliflex, and of course some holgas and pinhole cameras as well.
Although digital photography has become increasingly popular (and I too shoot digital as well) I don't think I would ever stop doing film photography. Even a lot of photographers I talk to think I'm crazy for spending so much time in the darkroom when I could just use photoshop, so it's nice to be able to talk to people who still love film.
Ole, I know there are still young film users, but I don't know many who are really serious about it. I think its awsome that there was a 13 year old buying an all manual film camera! I was babysitting this 7 year old yesterday and she wanted to go around her backyard and play with the disposable cameras her mother got her. I've been babysitting her so long and made her model for me so much that I must have rubbed off on her! She was so cute looking for what she thought was the best composition and backing up and moving in and flipping the camera. She looked so serious about her peice of plastic! I was so happy I could have cried.
Alright, off to bury myself in the darkroom.

Julia

 

[Christian Olivet]

Julia, thanks for coming out of the closet and expose yourself to us. That was a great story you told us. I remember when my Dad and I were killing some time in this little town in Argentina where I lived most of my life, and decided to walk into a photo store to see what they had. We asked if he had the developing pparaphernaliato do 35mm. I felt very excited. Very exited! I thoght my life will get iinterestingat last! This fellow did not have the whole deal so we walked out. Anyway it took another fifteen years for but eventually I was able to do it. I have a darkroom to which I am going back as soon as I am done typing this. Yes, photoshop is great, but nothing like going into the darkness of my darkroom where I feel very exited and at the same time very calm and peaceful and REAL.

I would love to see some of your photographs posted here. Especially the ones of that baby you talked about.

Welcome aboard!

 

[BWGirl]

Welcome Julia!
Have you looked for a camera club in your area? Sometimes, you can get lucky and find one with other analog shooters like yourself. That would at least make you feel like you are not alone in the 'physical' world!
It's good to have you here & sounds like you are having fun with your darkroom. As for the toy camera...well check out Leon's website! It's good that your little charge has caught the camera bug from you!

We'll be looking forward to seeing some of your work here!

From your *Cheesehead* neighbor,
Jeanette

 

[Juraj Kovacik]

welcome on the board

 

[dr bob]

Welcome. Don't worry about age here - I'm a 19 year-old in a 68 year-old body. There are many wise and knowledgable members here who will answer questions without prejudice.

 

[mark]

My grand mother told me to grow up once. I'm older now and haven't figured out what that means. Welcome to the site.

 

[garryl]

A 17 year old that love Analog, put together her own darkroom, likes old cameras-
I think I'm going to cry! Welcome aboard!

 

[Julia819]

Thanks everyone!
Jeanette, I do belong to a local photography club. It's just the suburb I live in, but I'm right outside Chicago so I was thinking I might join a photography group there. I don't know of any good ones, but I'm sure I could find them somehow...

 

[Graeme Hird]

Julia,

You sound like a candidate for LF and ULF photography, especially contact printing. My bet is you'll be shooting large before you turn 20.

Welcome aboard.
Graeme

 

[Cheryl Jacobs]

Welcome aboard, Julia! I'm 17, too. Or, at least I was yesterday. Today I woke up and I was suddenly 31. What the -- ?

 

[Julia819]

Garryl, I missed your post when I was responding last. I thought [/B]I was going to cry when I read your post. Thank you.
Graeme, wait till I'm almost 20 to shoot large format??! I'll wait until my freshman year in college when I can check out a LF camera for free. So I'll maybe wait until I'm 18
Cheryl, lol! I still see you as a 17 year old...a very skilled 17 year old. And anyway, I'm really close to my photography teacher and she is also 31...or at least will be in a week. BTW, I've always admired your work that I saw on ILP.

 

[VoidoidRamone]

Hey everyone, I'm also new to this site... and I'm also 16. I took my first b&w class through school a few years ago, and since then photography has quickly become my biggest obsession. My teachers think I'm sick because I spend at least 3x more time in the darkroom than the other students! Right now I'm just trying to have fun with photography, and explore all I can. I'm so glad I found this site, everyone seems so welcoming and excited about true photography, which is nice for a change. Thanks -Grant

 

[Flotsam]

Hi Grant,
Photography has been a life-long adventure for me. The more you learn, the more you realize that there is to learn. It never stops being interesting.
The horizon never gets closer but your' skill and knowledge increase every day and your photographs mark your' progress.
I wish I had a resource like this when I was 16. Ask questions and post your images to the gallery.

 

[mark]

Welcome and enjoy.

 

[VoidoidRamone]

Neal, you are totally correct..."your skill and knowledge increase every day". I remember when I first started my prints were dark, out of focus, dusty, and pretty much everything else was wrong. A few years later and I've had my images in galleries in 2 different states. I know this is not normal, but it surely keeps you coming back, striving for more. I think I struck metaphorical gold when I picked up a camera, here's to a life long endeavor in fine art imagery. Thank you for your words of encouragement. -Grant

 

[gr82bart]

Welcome Sherrie,

I'm glad to see you are actually thinking of photography as a potential profession instead of just a hobby. Good luck with your future studies and keep us posted.

Plus, if you ever need any ...um...assistance ...hmmmm...maybe advice or guidance is a better word?...with your assignments, you've got a bunch of internet tutors here ready to help out!

Regards, Art.