Scout Camp

The Changing Landscape Of My Photography Hobby

Like many people my age (okay I’m 62) my first camera was a trusty Kodak Brownie. In those days we just had black and while film. I don’t remember if there were any choices of speed. I think we just bought the one thing that worked in that camera.  It was the very definition of point and shoot itself. It did have a flash. It was a big round aluminum cone in which you placed a flashbulb: it took one bulb for each shot.  I didn’t take great pictures. However, I preserved some wonderful memories of family vacations and summers at Boy Scout Camp. Moreover, I was introduced to a lifelong hobby of photography.

My college roommate was also an armature photographer. He had access to a campus dark room and knew how to use it. He took me along to develop some pictures of the guys in our dorm. I was amazed at all the different effects you could create with just one negative.  I’ve never been in a dark room since, yet the experience set in me a desire to enhance the pictures I take.

Some years later I took a step up from point and shoot and purchased a Pentax K1000 SLR and a couple of special lenses: wide angle and telephoto zoom. The great thing about SLR (Single Lens Reflex) is that through a series of mirrors you actually look through the lens to take the picture. It’s WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get). It was only the most basic of SLRs. It had an automatic light meter: but was otherwise totally manual. You could adjust the f-stop (the amount of light the camera took in, and of course the focus. In addition you could choose the speed of film. 200 was good for bright days and general photography. 400 was better for action. 1000 was a favorite of mine for low light shots around the campfire.  By then of course there was also color film.  I mostly chose film that would be developed into slides. Then instead of paying for a whole roll of film of which I might really like 3 or so out of 24, I would only pay for prints of the slides I really liked. I remained jealous of those photographers who could afford to shoot multiple rolls of film on one subject to get just the right shot they liked.

Eventually the real camera revolution hit : digital technology came to replace film! My first digital camera was a SONY with a whopping 1.5 megapixel ( a megapixel equals 1000 dots per picture).   However, the great thing about this camera was that it recorded onto a floppy disk.  ( If you weren’t around for floppies, it was a thin square you put into your computer for memory. Memory cards and flash drives had not yet been invented. ) Instead of buying twenty rolls of film I carried along a box of floppy disks. It was a bit bulky. However, I didn’t have to pay to develop a single picture. I could just view them on my computer. I could print what I wanted myself.  I even had software that let me do some of that wonderful darkroom manipulation without the chemicals etc.

A few more years ( Okay another decade) have passed and I have been through several more cameras. I really like my Kodak Easyshare Z7590. At the time I purchased this camera it had a cutting edge 5 megapixel capability. What is so great about this camera is its real telephoto lens. Whereas many point and shoot digital cameras have “digital zoom” capabilities they are just enhancing one digital image. This camera has a real zoom lens. Like most of the newer digital cameras it can take movies too. I recently purchased another Kodak camera. I could hardly believe the price: a mere $70 and the reason I bought it? It’s waterproof and can take pictures underwater!

However, after all these years I’m ready for another SLR camera. The price on a professional quality camera has come way down. You can get a great one for less than $1000. It seems that the best ones are either Canon or Nikon. I’m still researching before investing, but I can hardly wait.

I’ve seen photography come a long way. It has been an enjoyable hobby that I intend to continue in retirement. I encourage anyone who loves pictures to do the same.

Scout Camp (2009) – Movie Trailer

Lodge Logic Pre-Seasoned Skillet $22.99 Made by the cast iron experts at Lodge, this revolutionary pan is preseasoned, so it’s ready to cook right out of the box. It’s perfect for making virtually anything from bacon and eggs to grilled sandwiches, pan-fried fish, and fabulous cornbread. Each has dual pour spouts and a helper handle. Lodge Logic’s new preseasoning process penetrates the metal’s pores thoroughly and uniformly, so it look…

Lodge Logic 8-Quart Pre-Seasoned Cast-Iron Camp Dutch Oven $56.25 Lodge Logic is electrostatically coated with a proprietary vegetable oil and cured at high temperatures to allow the oil to deeply penetrate the surface of the cast iron. Natural sand mold surface is ideal for our new, seasoned, ready to use finish. Sturdy, integral, ovenproof handle and assist handle provide lifelong durability. Tightly controlled metal chemistry and exacting mold tolerances deli…

Lodge Logic 6-Quart Pre-Seasoned Camp Dutch Oven $55.00 Relive the vivid pleasure of childhood camping meals with this 6-quart cast-iron Dutch oven. Cast iron creates superior heat retention, heats evenly, and loves a campfire, unlike flimsier pans. Use the wire handle to set this heavy-duty three-legged oven in a bed of coals and pile more on top—its flanged lid keeps coals from rolling off. At 12 inches in diameter and 4 inches deep, this o…

Follow Me, Boys! $3.15 Heartwarming Disney tale stars Fred MacMurray as a travelling musician who dreams of becoming a lawyer. After settling in a sleepy small town, he decides to become a scoutmaster for a newly formed Boy Scouts troop. As MacMurray leads the youths, he decides to put aside his career plans and instead focus on helping his community. With Vera Miles, Lillian Gish, David Bailey. 133 min. Standard; Sound…

Camp $10.44 The Hollywood concept shorthand for Todd Graff’s semi-autobiographical musical comedy may be Fame-meets-Meatballs, but the film (nominated for the Grand Jury prize at the ’03 Sundance Film Festival) has an energetic musical heart all its own. The original songs of Michael Gore (the original Fame) and Lynn Ahrens (Schoolhouse Rock, the Broadway adaptation of Ragtime) revolve around poles of upbeat …

Girl Scouts Greatest Hits Vol 5, Camp Songs for Every Girl, Everywhere $8.99 …

Estwing E24A Sportsman’s Hatchet Metal Handle $27.95 All steel construction. 3 1/4” cutting edge. Head and handle forged in 1 piece. Fully polished with genuine leather grip and sheath. Overall length: 14”….

Cold Steel SRK Kraton Handle, Black Blade (Concealex Sheath) $65.15 Survival/rescue operations demand a versatile knife able to withstand the most extreme abuse. Enter the Cold Steel Survival Rescue Knife (SRK), which was designed with tough conditions in mind. The blade is made of AUS 8A stainless steel, with a rich Teflon coat to help protect it from the elements. The blade’s tremendously strong clip point, meanwhile, is fine enough for delicate work, yet posses…

Coleman Digital 2T Light $19.26 Get your bearings quickly with the handy Coleman Digital 2T Light. It’s a flashlight, a digital clock, and a digital thermometer. With the attached lanyard, you can keep it securely with you and always know the “time and temp. “The back of the flashlight features a convenient Morse Code guide, so you can learn to send signals for emergency communication or just for fun. In 1901, W.C. Coleman revol…

Troop Beverly Hills $5.03 New den mother Shelley Long pampers her daughter’s Wilderness Girls troop with shopping trips and expeditions in the L.A. lifestyle in this outrageous comedy. With Betty Thomas, Craig T. Nelson. 106 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital stereo, French Dolby Digital stereo; Subtitles: English, French; theatrical trailers….