Reply #42: I posted all over DUPG, but I never introduced myself. [View All]

[Touchdown]

I got my Minolta XG1 when I was in the Army in the 80s. Trusty manual camera, with AP. Took one semester of photography with my Journalism major, ran out of money, never finished college.

I did work for a School portrait company, contracted to the DOD's school system in Europe in 1991, gave me an opportunity to take about 26 rolls for myself over there. Then I worked for a Church directory service out of Cleveland TN. Both were basically, assembly line formula work, and with the Church Directory Service, I got so sick of it, I never wanted to pick up another camera again. Taking 600+ shots of obnoxious families, and their screaming brats a day kind of does that to you. So I'm strictly a hobbyist now, because I don't want to lose interest again. Photography, or portaiture specifically as a profession is for the birds! Pays shit too!

So, about 2000, I broke down and got a Nikon N60, with a couple of lenses on sale, and just this summer I bought myself a Nikon Coolpix 8700. It's hard to let go of the SLR, since it's not very old, and I barely got it broken in, but I really love my new Coolpix. That old Minolta is still in the closet, and still working fine. I loaned it out to a friend's son for school a couple of years ago. Thank God he took care of it. Good kid!