Photography is something that has played a major part in my family for a long time, my interest in it started while I was just starting high school but didn't really bloom until I had finished studying. I started off shooting digital but later made the 'backwards' step into film photography, shooting with both 35 and 120 film and am not in the process of learning to develop my own film as well. My Father and Grandfather also both had a strong love for photography, so I believe that it was only natural for me to have followed suit. In this blog post I will talk about 3 very special cameras I have acquired over the years and the connection to my family.
This is the camera that started me down to path of Film photography, and the camera that started my Camera Collection, it used to belong to my Dad. His Pentax ME, from the late 70's, there is also plenty of family history captured on this camera. It's been used to photograph 2 of my Aunts weddings, it's been used by my father while was in the army, and it's also captured the early years of myself and my brother. For the most part the camera still works very well, it meters correctly but due to some openings in the body there are some minor leak issues.
And this is my Leica M6, my favourite camera in my collection and the one that I have travelled with, and used the most. Using the serial number, this camera was made sometime during 1996. There is no special history behind this camera other than the fact that I, as many photographers have, had heard about Leica and been captured by the 'mystique' of the brand. When I started shooting more film it was my dream to own a Leica M camera, I was lucky enough to find this particular camera on eBay for a fantastic price. I has been a lot of life and hadn't been taken care of all that well, but after a service it works perfectly, I am not one to buy something and not use it. A camera is meant to be used, so a little wear and tear didn't bother me, but that said I do take care of my things so I intend to be shooting with it for many many years still.
So that was just a little post about 3 generations of my family and their cameras. Each of these camera's is very special to me in many ways and as such are cameras that I would not ever sell, they are going to be handed down to my kids.
Mike.