Rewind Week: My First Photos

by Barbara Boyer

Insights / Graphic Design / Rewind Week: My First Photos

Rewind Week, our trip back in time to highlight some of the first work our team has done in their respective areas of expertise, continues today with our Graphic Design Intern, Barbara Boyer, who’s an avid photographer. Read about Junger’s first websites and Forrest’s first comic strips.

Before joining the Digital Ink team, I had the opportunity to work in one of the most magical places on Earth, Walt Disney World.

I was hired for sport photography, but also had plenty of opportunities to get some great shots of families huddled happily together in front of Cinderella’s Castle. Though photography isn’t exactly what I went to school for, it has been an interest of mine since I took my first photos.

It All Started with a Barbie Camera

When I was 8, my parents bought me my first camera. It was a Barbie digital camera, and it immediately became one of my most prized possessions with its silver body, a glittery wrist strap, and a hot pink daisy around the lens. My first day with it, I ran around the house taking photos of anyone I could find.

When I quickly discovered the unaccommodating nature of my family and our dog every time I shoved my clunky camera in their faces, I switched focus to a more hospitable subject matter: still life. I had fun curating mini scenes of things I deemed beautiful, usually an eclectic mix of toys, rocks, seashells and plant matter.

I remember one particular day when I spent hours darting back and forth between the computer and the dining room table trying to get the perfect shot of a crown of hibiscus flowers I had carefully wove into a straw headband.

It was a nearly impossible task, given that the camera had only one setting and no flash.

Learning, Testing and Finding What Works

In high school, I was able to take my first photography class after my dad agreed to lend me his old Canon AE-1. With the camera strapped safely around my neck and my two hands placed firmly on each side, I looked like a cheesy tourist who had wandered lost into the classroom.

I wanted to learn everything I could about black and white film photography. I loved the utterly painstaking and frustrating process.

It was so exciting — all the little steps and all the different equipment. I would show up to school an hour early just so I could have extra time in the dark room. My backpack and locker were littered with small strips of photo paper scribbled with F/stops and exposure times, evidence of the many hours I spent in front of my favorite enlarger trying to get everything just right.

This class cemented my love for photography because it opened my eyes and showed me just how much skill, talent, and luck you need to capture a really great shot.