Brownie Starmite

My First Camera, Brownie Starmite

One of my earliest memories was of being in the kitchen after dark with dad as he developed pictures in the kitchen sink. I loved to watch the miracle of an image coming out of the white onto the page as he moved the paper slowly back and forth in the developer solution. It always amazed me and I think it really still does to this day even though I understand the mechanics behind it. It was of those moments and watching dad take pictures that made me want to be able to do the same. I don’t know why mom and dad gave me a camera when I was only around 7 years old but it was probably because of my curiosity in the kitchen or even just the fact that they wanted someone else in the family to like taking pictures too. Well whatever the reason it worked. I think I received the Brownie Starmite Outfit Camera on Christmas but I really don’t remember. It had to have been that since birthdays were reserved it seems for clothes and we didn’t receive gifts at any other time of the year including Easter. So the big purchases had to have been given for Christmas. I loved it though and started taking picture as soon as I could. I don’t remember how I bought film or even got it developed but I did have it most likely through the good graces of my parents. I remember taking pictures of the cats and dogs and things around the farm. I also took it on scout camps each summer when I got older. I still had the box for it years later and may even have it to this day somewhere stored with other trinkets of my youth. It was that camera that got me started into a lifelong love of photography coupled with an awe of amazement at the creations of Heavenly Father and Jesus and whom ever else (Michael for one) made all of these things for us to enjoy. I am sure mom had something to do with my being asked to be the yearbook photographer when I went into 9^th grade. I also think she knew that working with the schools SLR camera would probably spell danger for her years later in that I would most likely not be satisfied with the Brownie Starmite and another box camera that I was also using by then at home. I loved doing the yearbook pictures and developing them in the high school wherever we did them. I really can’t remember where we did them since I don’t recall a specific dark room in our high school. Most of them were probably sent off to a professional developing company. Anyway my love for photography only increased through the next 4 years as I continued to do most of the yearbooks photography even when I became the editor for my Junior and Senior years. It was most likely no surprise to mom when I asked for an SLR camera instead of a Senior Trip when I graduated from high school. That was when I got my Konica full/half frame camera.  I used it for several years and finally after pretty much wearing it out purchased my first Canon A-1 camera. I had found a 200 mm lens for a Canon at a garage sale for only $75.00 so it came first and finally the camera a few months later. I have probably taken now in my lifetime over 500,000 images and will just keep on doing it as long as I can.