A Tribute to Minolta - Where it all got serious for me... The X700

I started my love for photography at a very early age...I'd say the photos in my album that I took on my own started around 7 yrs old.

My first camera was a little brown boxy camera (which I wish I still had but I can't find it anywhere!). It was my Dad's camera and was really old. The photos were in a square format and I still have every photo I took with it! (I should scan them to make you all laugh at my posed photos of my childhood friends!!)

Then the next one was a little black camera with flashbulbs...

Then I got a 110 camera which was so exciting with the built in flash!

After that things progressed with an Ansco point & shoot 35mm camera...in my middle school days into highschool.

When I took my first photography class in highschool my parents decided to buy me the same camera my father had (for Christmas)...the Minolta X700. It came with a lens (pictured) and my dad purchased me the motordrive, and a bounce flash. He had an extra zoom lens so he let me have one. There my photography love became serious as I learned how to develop my film, etc. (wish I could remember how to!)

Sadly this great camera collects dust due to my love of digital photography but sometimes I pull it out and consider popping some film in....haven't done it yet but I might

Well....with all the said....here she is...the Minolta X700 in my homemade lightbox:







Same one with burnt edges:

From On High - Taking Photographs Looking Down on Your Subject

I'm always trying to think of new ways to make portraits look interesting. Last night I focused on NOT doing the same ol' straight-on (self) portrait. I got creative with vantage points.

I put the tripod up as high a it would allow (legs fully extended, and middle pole adjusted as high as it would go. Then I positioned the camera at the edge of my black muslin do it yourself backdrop (portion that is well extended out on the floor) and pointed the camera downward.

Next, I crouched under the lens and took a series of shots where I was looking straight up at the lens from below. I purposely wore a black shirt so I would blend in with my surroundings.

I'm so pleased with the results. It was so fun to try new things! I told my friend JULIE to try this with her youngest daughter because I think the perspective is so so so fun "looking down" seeing the head in clear focus and the rest of the body in the depth of field.













I also did this photo when I stood right up against the lights to my left with the camera on tripod right in front of me. I love the half light, half dark look:













Unfortunately this blog is turning out to be a tribute to myself while I try to find willing family & friends to pose for me for practice. The good news is I'm slowly getting people interested in being my models so soon you'll see other faces!