My earliest recollection of taking photos (and photos I still actually have, I will have to see if I can find and scan them and post) is when I was very young and my sister, my dad, his girlfriend and myself were traveling across country from Atlanta, GA to Richland, WA with many stops along the way. A pretty memorable photo that I took was a photo of my sister taking a photo of me at Disneyland. We had both gotten a camera from my dad as a gift not long before the trip and both had them with us.Well with that same camera I do remember taking photos of myself and friends jumping our bmx bikes, riding skateboards, etc. I had it for a number of years.
While in college I had gotten a video camera for a christmas present and really enjoyed it, videoing friends do stupid stuff, and while I enjoyed it, it just wasn't exactly what I had hoped for. Then I purchase a decent SLR (single lens reflex, for those of you unfamiliar with camera terms, all SLR cameras have interchangeable lens') and began playing with it, shooting things from people to landscapes. I was basically learning on my own, but then saw a ad in the student newspaper that they were looking for photographers. I applied and was accepted. I didn't have any great skill, but I learned the photo editor and others photographers were students and learning mostly through experience as well. Since the editor and other 2 photographers were female they really had no interest in shooting sports, so that is manly what they asked me to shoot initially. I learned a ton while on staff, not only to shoot, but to develop and print film as well. The one aspect of sports photography that has and continues to benefit me the most is timing of photos, and to always be ready for the unexpected. In both football and basketball plays happen so fast, that if you aren't ready you will miss it. This has translated well into any type of photography involving people, whether its kids or a wedding. Many times the most memorable things aren't planned and if you aren't ready, by the time you see it, its gone.
Well since that beginning in college, I have pretty much been photographing something, for pay, since.
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