Hi from Mississippi!

Hi! I'm a 20-year-old college student from Mississippi, and I've been a lurker on Photrio for quite a while now. This place has been extremely helpful for me in my journey of learning about photography and I've wanted to become more involved, so here I am introducing myself!

Personal Background:
I am from central Mississippi, but I am studying mechanical engineering at a university in Chicago, so that's where I spend most of my time. However, I am taking a break and I will be home for the summer, so Mississippi is where I am for now!

Photography Background:
I've always been interested in photography but only got into it about two years ago when I found my grandfather's Minolta SRT-101b. I took the opportunity to familiarize myself with film, and since then I've been diving deeper and deeper into the hobby. Personally, I have done a lot of landscape, urban, architectural, and casual photography, but I'd like to get into professional work soon. My current gear consists of a Nikon F5 and a Bronica GS-1. I have a scanner for 35mm, but I don't have the necessary equipment to scan larger film, nor am I able to develop my own film yet. I also have a couple of other miscellaneous cameras, as one often ends up with when your friends and family find out you shoot film. I do photography as a hobby, but I'm serious about my hobbies so I have spent a lot of time learning the technical intricacies of photography and enjoy having those kinds of discussions.

That's pretty much it for now! I'd really like to get into digital photography so I can do professional work and buy more equipment to support my film photography. I am looking for opportunities to learn and improve (and earn some money), so if you're looking for an assistant for film or digital photography in the Mississippi area, or the Chicago area once summer is over, I would be really interested in helping you out!

Welcome to Photrio. See if there are some film or digital photography classes at your university. You have come to the right place for encouragement and support.

Welcome aboard @thequoff!
Most of us here are amateur photographers and the few who earn (some) money from it to the best of my knowledge work mostly alone. You're probably better of reaching out to photographers in your area through different platforms.

If you're studying engineering, I think you're probably better off in the end working an engineering job and feeding your photography hobby from your regular income. You'll probably end up having to work less for the same amount of money with more time to spend on your own photography (as opposed to having to shoot weddings and toddlers on tricycles in shopping malls).

Thanks to both of you for your recommendations! I did take a look into photography classes, but unfortunately, the nearest classes are still a two-hour drive and would also require me to have a digital camera already. I have also reached out to local photographers! I'm still waiting on everyone to get back to me so we'll see how that goes. Career-wise, I'm definitely not banking on photography as my main source of income for the rest of my life, but it would be a nice way to get some money doing something I enjoy until I get an internship/job in engineering. Thanks again for the advice and welcoming me!

Welcome and good luck in your careers.

Welcome!

Welcome! Maybe give a look at making contact prints for your medium format negatives. All you need is a couple trays, a piece of glass and a small light bulb.
Get the degree and then worry about cameras

Welcome!!!

Welcome! Summer in Mississippi: if you can handle the heat and humidity, there is a wealth of photo subjects in the Delta. But if you grew up there, you know about the heat. I just moved away from MS but still have hundreds of negatives that need scanning and sharing. Here are some examples:

https://worldofdecay.blogspot.com/2023/11/from-archives-rolling-fork-mississippi.html

https://worldofdecay.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-mississippi-delta-38b-hwy-49w-and.html

https://worldofdecay.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-mississippi-delta-39-thornton.html

https://worldofdecay.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-mississippi-delta-38-spring-in.html

mshchem said:

Welcome! Maybe give a look at making contact prints for your medium format negatives. All you need is a couple trays, a piece of glass and a small light bulb.
Get the degree and then worry about cameras

Welcome!!!

Click to expand...

I'll definitely take that into consideration - it would certainly save me money in the long run if I started building up the supplies for developing my film as well, and printing seems to be half of the fun of working with the medium. Trust me, the degree comes first but photography is a nice escape from the math and physics lol. Thanks for the welcome!

Kodachromeguy said:

Welcome! Summer in Mississippi: if you can handle the heat and humidity, there is a wealth of photo subjects in the Delta. But if you grew up there, you know about the heat. I just moved away from MS but still have hundreds of negatives that need scanning and sharing. Here are some examples:

https://worldofdecay.blogspot.com/2023/11/from-archives-rolling-fork-mississippi.html

https://worldofdecay.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-mississippi-delta-38b-hwy-49w-and.html

https://worldofdecay.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-mississippi-delta-39-thornton.html

https://worldofdecay.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-mississippi-delta-38-spring-in.html

Click to expand...

I was born and raised here, and I've spent some of the hottest months working in the sun, so I'm well-equipped lol! It's cool to talk to someone else from the area here. Thanks for sharing those photos - my dad actually grew up in Rolling Fork. I really enjoy the style of those pictures; to me, they show the decay of these old buildings in the south while also encouraging one to consider their history. I try to take similar pictures myself, but I haven't been sure where to look. Obviously, you found a lot of this stuff in the Delta - any particular recommendations for where to go? Thanks for the welcome!

thequoff said:

Obviously, you found a lot of this stuff in the Delta - any particular recommendations for where to go? Thanks for the welcome!

Click to expand...

Almost every small MS Delta town has a wealth of photo opportunities. I found that right along Rte 61, the Blues Highway, old gas stations, stores, and other commercial establishment have been replaced with characterless steel sheds. But, if you drive into towns or try alternate routes, you still see old houses or the remnants of commercial strips. Type "Mississippi" in the search box of my blog, and you will see some of my trips in the past.

https://worldofdecay.blogspot.com

Jackson (especially west Jackson) has a lot of material, but be cautious about security.

Take great pictures!

When I was in elementary school, I'm not sure why a bunch of us Canadian kids could spell Mississippi, easier than our own province, Saskatchewan
Welcome to Photrio!