Why you enjoy taking photos.

This is a long story!
In 1979, we took a trip to Israel. I bought my first camera 2 days before the trip and read the directions on the plane. As soon as we got off the plane, I fell in love with photography. My husband never had a chance to use the camera. When we returned with 22 rolls of 36 exposures Kodak film, I couldn't wait to see all the photos of our vacation. I "flew" to the store as soon as the photographs were available, and was I in for a big shock! None of them developed because I did not know how to load the camera correctly!
I have the attitude if you make a mistake, FIX IT. So, I joined a darkroom class. My love of photography spread to my love of the darkroom. I spent hours being creative and entering photos in the adult high school and community college photo contests where I enrolled for classes. (Of course, this was pre-real estate when I had loads of time.) Now I receive pleasure from my clients who are thrilled with the photos of their homes. I am on the hunt for a new camera as my old SLR went to "camera heaven". I am open to suggestions. I used a 17m. lens for taking photos of properties. It was perfect. It's time to go digital. I have a point and shoot digital, but it does not have a wide enough angle.
Thanks for reading!

Susan Weidman

Why I enjoy taking photos?
I am from the Netherlands and photography in Holland is a social happening. There are hundreds of photo club. In the seventeeth I worked as a design engineer and at the company 8 of us formed a photoclub..
The CEO of the company stimulated us by financing our color darkroom. He even gave us in de cellar a room to develop our pictures.
He only asked us to give an exposition ones a month in the long hallway. My love goes out to macro and close-up. In those days I worked with the Nikon FE, the Nikon F2 and the larger format Hasselblad.
In the USA their are no photo clubs. At least I have not found one and I am in California since 1981. The only social event is networking over the internet.
I am now 73 years old and if reincarnation exist I will be a professional photographer to take pictures for the media. I will travel the world to do that.
If you want to know what equipment I am using to day, check the subject "What is in the Bag".

I have always enjoyed photography. In High School, 100 years ago, I used my father's 35mm to take black and white photos. He was in the Air Force and there was a photo hobby shop on base that I was able to use. Great Fun.

When my daughter was born, 33 years ago, I got a Canon AE-1 when they were the newest thing on the market and used it for decades. About 15 years ago we went on a vacation to Costa Rica and I learned that I was not fast enough with the AE-1 to get the wild birds in focus. So I got the Canon EOS-5 35mm film body with auto focus. It did a great job. Then I moved to digital with the Canon 20D. Between the camera and photo shop I can produce some damn good shots and enjoy it very much.

I find photography relaxing and a great way to satisfy my anal tendencies! I can do it over and over until I get it JUST RIGHT!

It also comes in very handy when marketing my listings. So many Realtors do a pathetic job of taking pictures of their listings that it is easy to shine in that arena.

I am just a few years behind you Ronny. The nice thing is that this is not an age restricted passion.