Well, I don't remember my first time in photography, but I do remember my first time with digital. I had never shot digital b4 and never transmitted images, either. My agent in NY calls to cover the flood in Haiti. He said, "you are digital, right?". Not wanting to miss the assignment, I said, "uh huh". He said,
"you can transmit, right?". I didn't even own a laptop. I said, "uh huh". Well, got the assignment. Yeah! So, quickly called a friend up in Haiti that had a digital point and shoot (of course, the agent was expecting a professional digital camera). My friend also had a computer, but in PAP, not where the flood was. So, I had my fixer pick me up at the airport, we went and picked up the camera, a Konica Minolt Dimage, and I learned how to use it on the way to the flood. I had to go back and forth between Gonaives, where the flood was, driving through what was now a lake, used to be a road, floodwater up to the hood of our car, and PAP. It normally takes 4-6 hours to drive back and forth, on a good day! Pain in the butt. I would transmit all night long (my friend helped me figure it out...he is not a photographer). I had about 7 hours max. of sleep in 7 days and ate a total of 2 meals during those days. Needless to say, I did not make my first deadline (it was an impossible one), so I lost the assignment, but I got a contract from Zuma Press, which was even better. OH, and my first shot...all the UN trucks and cars that didn't make it through the floodwaters we were driving through.
Here are a couple of my first series of pics when I went digital:
