I've been meaning to get around to my story... sorry it's late.
Forty-seven (as are many of us on this list) and a native Texan. My first
camera
was a high school graduation gift from a beloved uncle. He was a senior AA
captain
flying troops to Viet Nam and picked up a Minolta HiMatic 7s in Hong Kong. It
was a
nice, full-sized rangefinder and I enjoyed shooting it a lot for the first two
years
of college. I made my first air-to-air shots with it, hanging out of an open
J-3
Cub door shooting a buddy's PIK-20 sailplane (any Finns on the list?). You
have to
fly a tight formation to get a decent shot with a normal lens, so kids don't try
this at home. The Minolta met a sad fate when it fell off the back of a
motorcycle
at about 35 miles per hour. I picked up all of the pieces and tearfully took
it in
to the local repair shop. They kindly gave me $5 for the parts. As a poor
college
student, I had no way to replace it so I forgot about photography for a while.
In 1977 I was a fairly freshly minted Aerospace Engineer on loan from my
company to
Boeing in Seattle while the 757 and 767 were under development. I spent most
summer
weekends hiking in the Cascade Mountains and began to wish for a camera to
record
those great views. I was comparatively wealthy now, single and on per diem, so
I
could afford a nice camera. I was engaged in a long-distance romance with a
lovely
young lady back in Texas, who happened to be a photographer at the local
newspaper.
She shot with an OM-1 and a small brace of Zuiko primes. Thinking that I could
use
her lenses when I went back to Texas, I ordered an OM-1 with 50/1.8 from Robert
Waxman Cameras in Denver for, as I recall, about $150. I never regretted the OM
decision. I have many fond memories of hiking in Washington with that camera,
and
the pictures!
In 1979, I was again sent to Washington, but by now the romance had faded. We
remain good friends; my wife invited her and her husband to stay with us for my
surprise 40th birthday party. On this return trip to Washington, I picked up a
new
OM-2. I now had the 50/1.8, a 28/3.5, and a 75-150/4. I joined the Boeing
Camera
Club and gained access to an excellent darkroom. I mostly shot Tri-X in the
OM-1
and Kodachrome 64 in the OM-2. With that simple 3 lens/2 body set I had all I
felt
I needed. I shot a lot in those days and learned a great deal from it.
Some years later I began to worry that my beloved OM-1 and -2 would eventually
wear
out, so I began acquiring some additional used bodies. Before I knew what
happened,
I was up to 10 bodies and 20 Zuikos. That malady continues. You've heard
about my
latest, the Tamron 400/4.
Over the years I have made a lot of photographs and had a lot of unique
opportunities. I've shot sailplane contests for Soaring Magazine, and had a
color
cover. I documented the procedure for packing an open abdominal wound ( Tip:
keep
your eye to the viewfinder to avoid getting sick!) I've shot a real Penthouse
model, and yes she was. I've assisted a Playboy photographer (great way to
learn
studio lighting, once you can concentrate). I've photographed missile duels (
my
side won). A total solar eclipse from 16000 feet over Mount St. Helens
(pre-eruption) and the lava dome from 8000 feet after the eruption. Friends'
weddings, babies, an obituary shot, feruginous pygmy owl, and the list goes on.
Might get to do an author's book jacket portrait soon. Maybe I would have had
the
same opportunities had I chosen another system, who knows? But Olympus has
always
suited me.
Gary Edwards
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