Finding my mojo in photography again

A holiday, 2008. Nikon F50, AF Nikkor 35-80mm F/1.4-5.6D. Fujifilm Superia 200.
A holiday, 2008. Nikon F50, AF Nikkor 35-80mm F/1.4-5.6D. Fujifilm Superia 200.

When I was young I didn’t have a camera. My father had a camera but I didn’t dare to touch it and he never let me try it. I remember a Olympus half frame and a small Rollei. In the mid seventies I got a 126 cassette film camera but I can’t remember the brand, I think Agfa. That summer we traveled for the first time to Spain and I did feel like a real photographer. Proudly showing my camera that I carried in a small etui fastened at my belt I felt great!

After that I visit every camera store I did see and I looked at the camera’s in the shop window and get inside for all the leaflets of brands as Hasselblad, Nikon, Pentax etc. With the little money that I had as a 14 year old kid far out of reach!

But I got lucky and got a job for the weekend at a local supermarket so I could save money to buy me a “real” camera, a SLR! After two months, the end of my probationary period, I was fired along with two colleagues who had been hired with me. We didn’t fit in the team…

I just saved enough money to buy a camera…

I just saved enough money to buy a camera so I went to the camerashop. The camera I could affort was the Praktica B200 with the standard lens, a 50mm f2.4. I was very happy!

My first
My first “real” camera. the Praktica B200 with standard Prakticar 50mm f/2.5 lens. Still going strong.
Business street, 2017. Praktica B200, Prakticar 50mm f/2.4. Kodak Portra 400.

I took this camera everywhere! Holidays, birthday party’s, military service etc. But I grew older and put the camera away. Got a digital camera, nice but a bit boring. And during a holiday when visiting a nice city there was a small camerastore with a few used camera’s.

Two small stores, two pictures made to one in Photoshop. Nikon F50, AF Nikkor 35-80mm F/1.4-5.6D. On Fujifilm Superia 200. Zutphen. 2008
Two small stores, two pictures made to one in Photoshop. Nikon F50, AF Nikkor 35-80mm F/1.4-5.6D. On Fujifilm Superia 200. Zutphen. 2008

One of them a used Nikon F50 with lens for less then $20… I bought the Nikon, bought some film and was again taken by the photographers spirit!

I’ve reached the pole. Hoek van Holland beach, Rotterdam. Fujifilm X100f

Thats many years ago but I’m still collecting and using old cameras but I also got a few digital cameras with a retro twist. The Fujifilm X100 and 100f and a old Nikon D90. For me and for now the best of two worlds.

Yellow sun. Hofbogen, dakpark, Rotterdam. Nikon D90

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.