[Leica] Do you still have your first camera? Because I have an idea.

[kcassidy at asc.upenn.edu (Kyle Cassidy)]

I still have my first camera. It's a Petri 7s rangefinder and it's on my 
bookshelf looking down at me right now.

I think that some of you probably do as well. 

Here's what I'd like to do:

Curate a gallery-show / web project / possibly more, that involves 
interviews with photographers about their first cameras, how they got it, 
what it means to them, and then to have them either 

a) give me a high res scan (and reprint rights) to a vintage photo they took 
with that camera or
b) take their first camera out and shoot at least three rolls with it and 
give me a NEW photo (and reprint rights) taken with it (you can talk about 
re-using your camera in the interview)

as well as 

c) a photo of the camera and
d) a portrait of the photographer


it's still a bit up in the air but i've gone and registered: 
http://www.myfirstcamera.org/ and as it grows I figure it'll take shape and 
it'll become a beautiful thing. I'm going to leave a broad definition for 
"first camera" -- it could either be the first camera you ever used, the 
first you ever owned, or the first you bought for yourself or even the first 
"real" camera you bought for yourself.

Volunteers? Especially people who've had long and successful careers in some 
aspect of photography, newspapers, commercial, etc.

email me kyle at kylecassidy dot com or share your enthusiasm here, we'll 
figure this out.

thanks,

kyle

http://www.myfirstcamera.org/