The first thing I do, whenever I return to my family home in Northern Italy, is to empty drawers and closets in my childhood bedroom (still immaculately kept by Mrs. Mom) and rummage through cartons in the attic, looking for mementos that carry special meaning.
A couple of weeks ago, I stumbled upon something that had always been right under my nose, in my mother’s home office: my first camera. It was coquettishly sitting on a shelf that I had passed just about a million times in the 20+ years that have passed since first using it.
I can’t describe my delight upon taking it out of its case (a custom case with the word “Reporter” emblazoned across it). So, my first camera was a compact 35mm Canon called “Prima” (“first” in Italian), with a bright red button over a black plastic body. Pressing down the front flash button brought back a flood of memories. And, incredibly, when I clicked the red button, the flash went off! I was in awe.
After a little bit of investigation, I was told that the camera was given to me as a gift in 1990. Exactly 20 years ago, when I was 10. Admittedly, my real passion for photography blossomed in 2007, upon the purchase of a – shall I say, more sophisticated – Canon model: an EOS 400D. Still in the family. And now, the latest addition to my arsenal: an EOS 5D Mark II. I cannot wait to start making gorgeous full HD videos with this camera. Who would have guessed that technology would have progressed so fast in just three years, allowing me to set aside bulky 15Kg heavy equipment and carry with me a small camera capable of such great feats. Stay tuned for my new adventures in DSLR filmmaking…
