MY FIRST CAMERA, MY FIRST SHOT

"My first shot turned out pitch black in the photo paper, my photography journey started here..."

MY FIRST CAMERA

I've had fascination with Photography since I was small, simply being able to capture moments of memories into pictures intrigues me.
When I was 7 years old, I bought my first camera that cost me S$10,  money I had saved up from all my Chinese New Year blessing red packets call "Ang Pow".

It's a black and white camera, bought from a camera shop below my housing flat. The shop owner probably in his late 30s, don a Boney M afro hair style with thick mustache and a pair of over-sized sunglasses, taught me how to load the film and where to press the shuttle.

 

My First Shot

With the camera, I hurried home, couldn’t wait to get my hands on the first shot, and once in my living room, I aim the camera at the couch and pressed the shuttle... 

OK I had taken a photo, great!!

Next, as what I was told, I now need to wind the negative inside for the next exposure to take a new shot, so I wind, but could only wind the knob half way, the knob became tighter and tighter until I could not move it anymore, helplessly I brought it down to the shop owner.

He took a hard look, brow frowned, fiddled for a while and finally told me that I had twisted too hard on the knob, the camera was BROKEN... nothing can be done about it.

I told the shop owner I'd taken a shot, and want to turn it into a photograph, he took out the film, return me my camera, and ask me to return 2 days later to collect the photograph.

Two days later at the shop, eagerly expecting to see my first photograph, photo shop owner handled me a colorful photo envelope with my film negative and a photograph inside, that photo when I took out... was just a pitch black piece of photo paper, and that's that. I asked uncle why....? He said that there wasn't enough light, I need to use a flash when its dark. I didn't quite understand or find out further since the camera was broken.

My next camera

When I read blogs of avid photographers, I could relate profoundly their innate passions, telling of their stories in discovery, fantasy and love for photography, in many ways reminiscence of my experiences.

I did not get any camera after that, not until 3 years later.., with enough savings of my red packet money, which by then, entry level cameras and film in the market were in COLORS ( and TV too ), I bought my next camera at People's Park Complex, if I remember they were called the Kodak 110, this time, it comes with a built-in flash, slim, long, held and click horizontally like a James Bond spy camera.

Photography continues to fire my imagination...

Thank you for visiting

MY FIRST CAMERA , MY FIRST SHOT