Took me a while to take the first photo

The process I went through since I got the hands on my camera and the moment I was (emotionally) able to take the first photo, was anything but peacefull.

It took me about two weeks to choose a film, and about two more weeks to decide to place it into the box. Then, with my loaded camera, I started to wonder arround my house, trying to focus various objects, set exposure times or diaphragm values, but had no ideea of what I was doing.

One day, my brother came to visit and asked if I got the chance to take some photos yet. As you probably have guessed, I couldn't lie ...

He gave me then the first lesson of photography. I noted down everything he said, and I still keep that piece of paper at home, just in case I might need again the best short course of photography I ever "attended".

Brother also gave me a pocket book (size of an identity card) about photography, which I failed to read up to this day.

But the next weekend I was visiting the local botanical garden and guess what: had my photo-camera hidden in my bag (there was a poster that threatened "200.000 ROL photography tax").

All Of The Sudden...

...I thought it would be cool if I'd learn to make photos. Well, to be true, the story goes a little beyond that.

My brother is 16. I am 25. In spite of the fact that I'm much older, as I'm going to prove further, brother is much more talented. He is passionate with astronomy, photography and astronomic photography. You may think that he likes physics and maths, but no, I think he likes stars more likely in that poetical manner, as he's always been a man (aaa... boy...) of letters.

So, I've seen some photos that he made and started buzzing that I wanted too, to learn photography...

Brother suggested that I needed a camera. He went further by advicing me to let him handle the things, his own way. Also cautioned me that it might take some time.

So I equiped myself with lots of patience and weeks passed ... But one day, he came up with a SH (seccond hand) Zenith camera, slightly different from his. (He knows people in the business ;-)

It was basicaly ok, and costed only 700.000 ROL (which is approx. $20). But I had one big problem with it's light meter, that was placed inside the camera. I looked through the lens, I just couldn't see it (I suffer from a slight short-sightedness).

We decided to switch cameras; he gave me his, and he got stucked with mine. I liked this one better because the light meter, allthough still incorporated, was placed on the outer-side.

To be continued...