*all photos by Elaine A. Russell
My love affair with photography began at a very early age. I think at first, it was a self defense mechanism. See... I was very very shy. Painfully so. And I absolutely hated to have my photo taken. So ... at the very early age of around 6... I started volunteering to
take the photos... rather than be in them. It worked out to my benefit... because my father (who had been taking all the photos up til that point.. for the most part).. had a nasty habit of cutting people's heads off and such when taking photos. So .. he was happy to let me take over.
My father had a Polaroid. One of the ones where you still had to peel off the picture... after letting it sit for a minute or so. I loved it. Instant gratification. The caveat; was that the film was expensive... and I think we only purchased less than a handful of packs a year.
My first camera was a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye. I loved it. It went with me to Girl Scout camp... field trips... school...fishing trips to Canada.... everywhere. When my best friend moved in 7th grade... I gave her my camera. It was my most prized possession. I have since gotten one just like it... and still love using it.
As an exchange student to Germany in High School... I bought the newest camera... a Kodak 110 with a macro function! Woo-Hoo!!! Course, it had to be replaced when both it ( and almost me ) got knocked over a castle wall and off of a cliff. Believe it or not.. I was still able to salvage the film.. and the photos were ok. .. even though the camera was shattered. I replaced it with a similar camera... and it carried me thru the next few years.
When I graduated from college... I spent my very first paycheck on a brand new Ricoh 35mm with a couple lenses and a flash. I also signed up; and started taking classes through the New York Institute of Photography ( and graduated a year or so later). In 1986; I started working freelance; and selling my prints. I even made it into some national magazines, calendars and cards...
A few years later... all my equipment was stolen while at a park in Omaha, NE. I then replaced it all with a Nikon set... and started filling my spare time with freelance photo gigs.... weddings, portraits, kid shots and more. I also did a few advertising shoots and promos for companies and apartment complexes.
My specialty became Infrared Black and White photography, with an emphasis on hand-coloring and re-touching of vintage photos. I became one of a handful of people in the US doing this kind of work... and I loved it. Still do.
I used Nikon equipment exclusively until this past summer; when it all either died... or was sold. It had been well loved, and well used... but it was time. Unfortunately, I did not have the money to replace it with more pro equipment... so I opted to get a simple Kodak EasyShare camera until I can save up enough to get a new Nikon.
So... these are the cameras I currently own:
- A vintage Polaroid Land Camera with flash attachment, additional lenses and leather casing. It's cool... but it is mainly a decoration at this point. When my husband and I were on our honeymoon... I found a beautiful version of this camera, and bought it immediately. A few years later, I was forced to sell it for "diaper money." Yah, stuff happens. But .. last year I was gifted with this one... WOW!
- A Kodak Brownie Hawkeye... just like my beloved one I had as a kid. Complete with flash unit and original boxes. I still use this. I was able to find this one off of Ebay... how cool is that?!
- A vintage Kodak Duaflex... the original version. I use this for TTV photography. I love it. It is a really, really, cool camera. Very portable... and it has awesome effects. This was also an Ebay find. I am so grateful to have been able to get this one...
- A Polaroid instant camera. I have had several different Polaroid cameras over the years... giving them away at different intervals to students, kids... lovers of photography. This one was given to me recently by a dear friend... she even gave me a pack of film... which is increasingly hard to find.
- Finally --- a photo of my little Kodak EasyShare camera that I got for $140 last summer. It has saved me in so many ways. I do not think I could survive *as an artist/photographer* without a camera... and for a little point and shoot... it is freakin awesome.
