Lets see your early work....

[Nickcanada]

So with some recent threads started I can't help but think about how I've progressed through the few years I've been shooting. When I think back I don't feel like I've gained much ground.... well that is until I look back on some of my early work.

So "senior" members lets open up those closets and see what you once thought was some of your best stuff and maybe throw a few new ones in there so we can see how you have progressed.

From my very first show with a DSLR

Canon XT 50mm 1.8. I thought this shot kicked ass now not so much..

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k320/livelifelivepics/The%20Second%20Glance/TSG1.jpg


Here is a more recent one I'm fond of....

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k320/livelifelivepics/_MG_2212-1.jpg


From my first wedding....

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/nickandaline/Erick%20and%20Julie/IMG_9216_filtered.jpg


From my last wedding.... kinda better conditions. :D

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/nickandaline/_MG_9912-1.jpg

[JTL]

Nick (and Seafood)...

This is a great idea! But now I've got to start scanning slides and prints!!!! What a RPITA!!!! It'll take me a week!!!! Arrrrgggghhhh!!!! :D:D:D

[Nickcanada]

Some miscellaneous shots from my first day with my DSLR....

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/nickandaline/DPP_05.jpg

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/nickandaline/f2a0924d.jpg

Some of my more recent miscellaneous shots....

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/nickandaline/_MG_8979-Editcopy.jpg

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/nickandaline/_MG_9007-Editcopy.jpg

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/nickandaline/_MG_8900-Editcopy.jpg


I don't think I've progressed that much really....

[Nickcanada]

Hehe, no pressure JTL. This was sparked by your posts but I've always been curious to see how much people have progressed. A lot of the senior members were here way before me so I never go to see their early stuff.

Edit: notice how I didn't know how to properly resize before! haha.... sorry for the larger files guys!

[Rhys]

My first ever photos? I don't think I still have many. I shot my very first photos with my Kodak Instamatic 126 camera back in the 1970s - probably around 1974.

[Nickcanada]

Okay lets say your first DSLR pictures... geeesshh! or even just showcase some of your photographic progression.

[downtrodden]

Great idea Nick! Later today when i get home from work i will dig through my photos and post...

[DonSchap]

Without a doubt, this one image was the beginning of my "studio effort" with film.

Taken back in 1988 ... it caught my interest and that of the college staff.


34413


Has my work improved? I would like to think I have a deeper appreciation of what digital imaging can do over film ... and what film offers that digital doesn't. Obviously, I pay more attention to background introduced into my work, which is a very common issue with most new photographers. These new folks tend concentrate on the subject and forget what is behind it. This image reminds me that the camera does not.

Anyway ... this is an early piece. ;)

[JTL]

Nick...thanks again for this idea. It inspired me to dig up the old stuff. It's always good to see where you've been.

Now...because this thread got started because Seafood's comments to me in a different thread, I just have to say, that I'll take Seafood's money now.

There was NEVER a time when I didn't have a purpose when shooting and wasn't absolutely sure of my ability to execute. My little journey through the past has reaffirmed this. I know it's hard for someone such as Seafood to comprehend that but many photo artists and pros will tell you the same thing. Everybody improves. But every photographer and artist (and writer and any other creative TRULY creative person that I know was ALWAYS good at what they did. They didn't suddenly, magically become good. They may have gotten better, but they were always good. I know it's heresy in the new "feel good" society to expose the truth that everyone is NOT equal. That some are just better at some things than others. Not everyone can sing or dance or write or act or paint. But, on its own, talent is not enough. And neither is skill or intent.

Any form of artistic expression takes three things to be meaningful in any significant way:

1. Intent/Planning
2. Skill/Ability to Execute
3. Talent/Creativity

No one of these traits by themselves is enough to separate and expressive work from the pack. I may "intend" to build a house, but if don't have the skill, it will probably be unsafe. If I have have the "skill" to build a house, but no intent...no plan...well need I go on? Now, what keeps my house from looking like a boring box? Creativity and talent applied to the design.

The truth is: Some people SUCK at photography. And they will always suck at it.

I'm sorry for the rant, but Seafood's comment really pissed me off (can you tell? :D).

Now to the work...some of my first shots...

Taken 22 years ago. Shot with Fuji ASA 100 (maybe Velvia?) and a Rolleiflex SL35. They were scanned using an Epson 4990 with SilverFast SE.

Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 Planar
http://JTL.smugmug.com/photos/271980811_zWaxg-L.jpg

http://JTL.smugmug.com/photos/271981173_Yyx4b-L.jpg

http://JTL.smugmug.com/photos/271980743_gDXTs-L.jpg

http://JTL.smugmug.com/photos/271980637_9YCj5-L.jpg

http://JTL.smugmug.com/photos/271980829_xE437-L.jpg

I'm not saying this is the greatest work ever. What I'm saying to presumptuous people like Seafood is this is where I STARTED. So, yes, there are people who know exactly what they are doing from the beginning because they made it their business to know exactly what they were doing...and had the raw talent to pull it off.

[Supermel]

Beautiful pictures. I've enjoyed viewing them.

[AdamW]

Great idea, Nick.

These are from my first digital camera, a Canon A20, way back in 2002 and 2003.

My daughter's 17th birthday
34416


A feral cat watching me through the fence, waiting for me to move away from the food I've brought
34417



A (different) feral kitten, born in my backyard, that we socialized and adopted. Her first time sleeping in the house.
34418


Two shots of Birch Lake, one mile from the western entrance to Yosemite National Park
34419



34420

[cdifoto]

Wow Adam! I didn't know you had a daughter for me! :eek: :D :p

[Spiral Photo]

Unfortunately, I have no way of displaying my early work online unless I were to purchase a film scanner. I have a binder LOADED with negatives from when I began shooting back in '99.

[AdamW]

Wow Adam! I didn't know you had a daughter for me! :eek: :D :p

I got two: 19 and 22. They're both hot, and both tough as nails. They like to remind me that they grew up in the ghetto. They'd kick your ass!

:D
:p

[cdifoto]

I got two: 19 and 22. They're both hot, and both tough as nails. They like to remind me that they grew up in the ghetto. They'd kick your ass!

:D
:p

Perfect. Can we all move to Utah so I don't have to choose?

[toriaj]

I think I have a better eye now than I did when I started two years ago. Back then, I took millions of pictures :) and thought they would all be awesome ... some of them were IMO ;) but a lot of them weren't. Learning about appropriate settings has helped a lot, but I think what's made the biggest difference is understanding the impact of lighting. And I know spending so much time on this forum, just seeing sheer numbers of photos, has really helped develop my "eye."

I took this one on my very first photo trip, April 2006
34421

My first night shot, October 2006
34422

Now for the recent ones,
July 2007
34423

January 2008
34424

[downtrodden]

Adam, your daughter is very beautfiul. You must have your hands full keeping the dogs at bay!

And I compltely agree with what was said earlier in regards to being born with talent. Some people are born with a natrual ability to "do" something. A lot of people are not and have to learn through hard work and dedication. The biggest skill in photography that people need to be born with is the ability to compose. Composition isn't something you can easily teach. Either you're born with an eye for composition or you're not.

I had my first camera for less than a week when I took this photo:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/97/233116541_da4e37d6d0.jpg
I don't want to sound like i'm tooting my own horn here, but if you hand a camera to a person who has no prior experience using manual modes or even zoom lenses- they're likely NOT going to produce an image similar to this, unless they have some natural talent.

one of my earliest people shots, my gal and I. (a couple weeks after having the camera)
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/82/233091315_3c4ed303f0.jpg

2 months later:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/111/281978332_44b1169254.jpg
2 more months:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/165/392738262_5cb856bf0d.jpg

And about a month after buying my 40D:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3043/2286691577_1484b26eb4.jpg
my gal on the same vacation:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3062/2285391968_85e65c0954.jpg

From my most recent shoot, of a friend:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2229/2337098874_5dce51b10e.jpg

I hope to continue to get better with people, but considering i've only been doing this for less than 2 years, i'd say I have a pretty good start. And I firmly believe if i handed my camera to one of my friends, said friend would not be producing as consistant results in the same amount of time.

Thank you all for your time and thoughts ;)

~Cory

[TenD]

None of my film stuff is digitalized. Here's one from my first "roll" with my first DSLR that coincidently I still use, my 10D. Sorry Don it worked well then, and it still works well now....

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l287/Casaflyr/tetondesktop.jpg

Here's one from my first digital camera a Canon G2, who says you need the latest in sensor technology?

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l287/Casaflyr/103_0399.jpg

[kgosden]

Well, I have a few scanned shots from my first 'real' camera, a Canon AE-1. Back then I shot about 75% Kodachrome 64. Going digital about 10 years ago finally let me do my own developing, but I don't feel it impacted my goals. It did let me learn from my mistakes, as well as make several thousand more mistakes for far less money. Here are two that span about as far a time slice as I can find.

The first shot is from 1982 shot on Kodachrome 64. If I recall correctly it was just after sunset from a hill covered in Mt. St. Helen's ash about 6 inches deep off a forest service road in southern Washington. I recall using a tripod and probably my Kiron 80-200 lens. I am sorry that I failed to record the exposure info (another digital advantage).

The second shot is from March 12th, 2008 in Lost Dutchman State Park outside Phoenix, AZ. This was taken with my current Olympus E510 and the 11-22mm lens. The poppies and lupines were doing some of their best work in a few years. This is when I wish Olympus would build a nice wide tilt lens.

[cdifoto]

2004:
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a304/cdifoto/then-now/2004-08-18_005.jpg

2005:
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a304/cdifoto/then-now/2005-10-31_056.jpg

2006:
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a304/cdifoto/then-now/2006-03-09-010.jpg

2007:
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a304/cdifoto/then-now/2007-06-05-023.jpg

2008:
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a304/cdifoto/then-now/2008-03-28-052cl.jpg


Better? Worse? I dunno. We don't get out and about much so it all looks the same to me. I think if anything improved it was my exposure and processing. Since getting the 1 series and having more reliable outer focus points and/or getting smart and using the IR-assist beam on a Speedlite, I've gotten away from the dead-center compositions. That's one thing clearly evident in my folders.

[cdifoto]

2006:
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a304/cdifoto/then-now/2006-08-26-156.jpg

2007:
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a304/cdifoto/then-now/2007-09-22-405.jpg

[Nickcanada]

that's some great work guys!

Adam, I like your style. We have two cats that we took in from the wild....

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/nickandaline/Pixie.jpg

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/nickandaline/Bell.jpg

[AdamW]

I like the composition on those, Nick.

When we bought our house, we brought our two cats with us. Now we feed 10! There was a colony of feral cats living in the backyards. Neighbors were feeding them, but they weren't fixed. The oldest female was having three litters a year! It took four years, but we got them all trapped and spayed/neutered (the local SPCA does it for free.) We took over 15 kittens to the SPCA for adoption, adopted two kittens of our own, and the rest range from 90% socialized (sleep in the house, can be petted, but very shy) to can't-come-within-30-feet-except-at-mealtime ferals who live in the garden. Wild kittens can be socialized in two or three days--adults may never be socialized. No more kittens, thank god, and as they get sick or hit by cars the population is slowly shrinking.

No, the house doesn't smell like cat pee. No, we're not crazy cat people (they came with the house!) Yes, we're suckers.

[TheWengler]

Here's my progression...

1: This is from 12/05 when I was stealing my girlfriends Minolta P&S because I didn't have one of my own.

2: This is one I took within a couple weeks of getting my S3 in 8/06.

3: This is one from Italy after having my S3 for about a year (6/07).

4: This is one of my early DSLR shots (8/07).

5: This is one of my most recent shots, taken last week.

[Paradox]

A couple of early ones, from when I was using a little 2 megapixel compact. Simple times. :p These were probably among my favourite from that camera. Don't have the original without the crappy processing for the bottom one. :P

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q116/ParadoxGFX/Result2.png

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q116/ParadoxGFX/Tranquilitycopy.png

[born2snooze]

Beautiful pics you guys, I'm intimidated right now. :o

Nick, I love the wedding pic with the baby! <3

[Djzleite]

Sony A100 DT 18-70mm

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2113/2053509638_5883c04164.jpg

Sony A100 Sigma 70-300 + Sigma 1,4x (420mm) Moon Time Lapse

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_FNW-Z-FeQ

[raven15]

Here are a few of mine.
First, the 43rd picture I ever took with a digital camera (Olympus C-7000).

Second, a picture I took while driving. These types of pictures are easy on P&S cameras with image stabilization. Not conducive to great image quality, but fun. I seem to like this one better than other people do (Canon A710).

Third, this one was good, but suffers from debilitating lens flare. One of the last pictures from the A710 before it was stolen.

This doesn't include some great wildlife pictures that would be hard to match with any camera.

[great_guns]

Some of my favourite shots from my first ever independent outing with a camera. My dad's 20+ year old Yashica MF-2 Super. The photo was digitised a few weeks later on a really, really REALLY bad scanner so whatever photo quality was on it went to the dogs. All I've got left of it is a tiny compressed version of the same photo but I am not embarassed by it at all! It still is one of my favourite photographs because there are a lot of memories stuck into each pixel of it!:)

[Rhys]

Back in 2001 I wrote some software that needed digital images. At that time I had a lousy monitor on a 166mhz computer. I bought a secondhand Olympus C820L camera and took photos for my software.

Meanwhile I found digital photography darned good fun even though I could get better quality from my Nikon FM.

Here're some of my very early photos from the earliest folder on record. Sadly there is no exif but here are some images...

[Norm in Fujino]

One of my earliest digital photos--with a fixed lens dSLR, the Olympus C-1400xl (1.4MP and real optical vf!) in 1999:

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c197/Peregrinor/99041507w1.jpg


A couple of my latest, taken with the Olympus E-3 (10MP) + 50mm f2 macro:

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c197/Peregrinor/macrophotography/Safari_of_the_Small/P4067113Sw1.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c197/Peregrinor/macrophotography/Safari_of_the_Small/P4067007Scpw2.jpg

[AdamW]

Norm--#2 is a great use of narrow DoF.

[Rhys]

It's interesting to see how pale and washed-out our earlier photos are!

[Norm in Fujino]

Norm--#2 is a great use of narrow DoF.

Thanks, Adam. Actually, the dof in #2 is even shallower, but on reflection, I think I was using extension tubes for that shot :o -- in fact, some might think it too shallow, but I liked it for the way the bokeh treated the color.

[Norm in Fujino]

It's interesting to see how pale and washed-out our earlier photos are!

Although I've gotta say I was most impressed by the color produced by that first Oly I owned 10 years ago. Maybe of late we've all just gotten better at Photoshop :p

[Norm in Fujino]

I've got to confess: when I first posted my examples above I was responding to the first post and hadn't gone through what everyone else had posted. There's some really nice stuff there. And since Adam posted a couple of his daughter--and cats, here's a couple of my daughter (19) with one of our cats, Annie.

http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c197/Peregrinor/misc/PA248771_faw2g.jpg
and one without the cats (my "glamour" action in PS):
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c197/Peregrinor/misc/P8173768cw2.jpg

We also picked up an abandoned kitten late last year, but it's coal black and the pits to photograph, really like a black hole that sucks up all the light. But here' s one; name is "Lego" (it's a Japanese short-tailed cat):
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c197/Peregrinor/misc/071024F005w1.jpg


(PS: I don't know what the above has to do with early work, tho, so sorry for being off-topic).

[Rhys]

Although I've gotta say I was most impressed by the color produced by that first Oly I owned 10 years ago. Maybe of late we've all just gotten better at Photoshop :p

I remember my first two Olympuses were not that great. I had the Olympus C820L which would balance toward the lightest area of the image so if there was any white sky in the photo, it would dominate and the rest would all be black and blocked up. The colour was a bit strange on that one, tending toward the orange end of the spectrum. It had two resolutions - VGA and 1024x768. I quickly figured the 1024x768 was interpolated. Pictures that size were never as clear. I sold that one because it was so awful and I'd used it to do what I bought it for. By then I liked digital so after a week or two without it and back using my film SLRs I looked for a replacement.

My next Olympus was the C200Zoom. That was a ton better but would give turquoise highlights. I sold that one when I got fed up with the parallax errors and got a Nikon 995 instead (which I still have).