My photographic timeline

I was born in 1959, but my photo career first started for real when I got a hold of my dad's Minolta SR-7 in 1970, so I have skipped my early infancy and started this timeline at my 11th year.

I started going through my digital archives and scanning some old slides, and this timeline will be filling up with more images of gear and locations and more stories from my photographic life as I go back in time.

Gear
Age
65

I bought a used Nikon D750 in the beginning of the year. Great camera!

Gear
Pictures
Age
64

Late in 2023 I bought a used D5100 as a replacement for my existing body, which stopped working. The mirror sometimes stick, and won't return fully. I bought it used and go a couple of kit lenses along with it: a 18-55 mm and a 55-200 mm.
I also bought a new phone - a Google Pixel 7 - which has a surprisingly good camera, and I bought a small drone, the Hover X1, which is more like a flying selfie camera than a drone. A lot of fun!
I shot the lowest number of pictures that I have shot in many years, not even rounding 1,000 shots!

Where I shot:
At home, mostly
Gear
Pictures
Age
63

Need I say it: a slow year when it comes to photography. Less than 2,500 images in the archive from 2022, and some are older images revived. A lot of my images are of flies and fly tying, meant to go on my fly fishing website the Global FlyFisher.

Where I shot:
At home
Pictures
Age
62

Another slow year. About 3,000 images during the year, which is OK but far from my peak. We don't travel much abroad, but spend our vacations in Denmark, so no exotic destinations in the portfolio.

Where I shot:
Mainly at home in Denmark
Pictures
Age
61

This is the 5th or 6th year that I can write that I didn't buy any photo gear of significance. I still shoot quite a lot, but I use the gear that I have.

In the market:
More cameras in the Nikon Z range
Where I shot:
At home
Gear
Pictures
Age
60

I didn't travel in 2019, and a far majority of my images were shot in and around our new home. I didn't buy much gear either, but a friend generously gave me a Nikon SB-21 macro flash in perfect working condition, and it does a great job on all my macros - 40mm, 85mm and the old 55mm.

In the market:
Nikon D6, Nikon Z50
Where I shot:
Denmark
Gear
Pictures
Age
59

A year of little photographic significance. I shot as I use to, bought very little - apart from a Nikon D50, which I mainly acquired to get the 18-55 kit zoom (AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 G ED to be precise), which was mounted on it. It was about 45.- USD and the lens is worth that alone... which is good, because the camera is basically worthless. The lens on the other hand an excellent little lens for my D40, which I gave to my youngest son who had expressed some interest in taking pictures.

In the market:
Nikon Z series
Where I shot:
Denmark
Pictures
Age
58

Looking back at 2017 I realize that I didn't buy any photographic equipment of any significance this year! That's rare and very unlike me.

In the market:
Nikon D850
Where I shot:
Denmark
Gear
Pictures
Age
57

Half way through the year, I'm looking back in surprise and realizing that I haven't really acquired anything photo related of significance! That's a first. I usually buy various accessories, lenses and other gear on a regular basis, but not this year... yet. I do have another Lomography lens on the way, supported via Kickstarter. It's the Daguerreotype Achromat 2.9/64 Art Lens, and it runs along the same lines as my Petzval lens, which I bought a couple of years ago.
Another crowdfunded project is the Case Remote Air, which I have supported on IndieGoGo and also expect in the mail sometime later this year.

Apart from that I have been glancing sideways on the Nikon D500, which is an impressing and very attractive camera, but have decided for now that the price tag is a bit too hefty for me.
I did get both pieces of kit, but while the Achromat lens is a joy to handle and use, the Case Remote hasn't impressed me.
In the market:
Nikon D500, Nikon D5
Where I shot:
Denmark, Sweden, Germany
Pictures
Age
56

The year has started out fairly slowly, and I have shot mainly with my Fuji X100. Well into February there are no major acquisitions yet, but I do have my eyes glued on the Nikon 20mm f/1.8 as well as Sigma's 24mm f/1.4, which would both look very good on my D700.

It's now close to August and I still haven't acquired anything significant. It's almost a strange feeling, but might also be a sign that I have most of what I need and can satisfy most situations gear-wise.

In the market:
Nikon D750
Where I shot:
US
Gear
Pictures
Age
55

I start out the year in a bad way: depleted the battery in my GoPro Hero3, which then died completely. A warranty issue I suppose, and it should soon be back from service. Much worse was the leap of faith that my D300s took with my new Sigma 8-16mm. The lens broke clean off, and several plastic parts snapped in two. That's a paid repair, and as I'm writing this I'm still awaitng the verdict from the service center.

I also acquired a Nikon D700 at a very reasonable price and have been very pleased with it. It does release a lot of the potential in my bright prime lense, not least the Sigma 20mm f/1.8.

During the summer I supported a Kickstarter project that landed me a camera obscura, one of the most fun gadgets I have bought for photography in many years, and to add to the fun I also supported a large format camera project and have a 4x5 camera due in March 2015.

In the market:
Nikon D4s, Nikon D750, Sony Alpha 7II
Where I shot:
Ireland, Sweden
Gear
Pictures
Age
54

I exchange to GoPro Hero 2 with a Hero 3 and let my oldest son inherit the "old" model.

I keep on buying lenses, and I'm as always on the lookout for used bargains. Early in the year I manage to buy a Nikon 45mm f/2.8 pancake and a Sigma 8-16mm wideangle zoom. Both used and both great lenses. And during the last months I get my hands on a used Nikon 50mm f/1.8 pancake as well as a brand spanking new Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8. Both these are also great lenses.

I give my old Sigma 90mm macro to a friend. It's been a great lens, but since I have three other macro lenses including the excellent Nikkor 85mm, I use the Sigma very little.

In the market:
Nikon Df
Where I shot:
US
Gear
Pictures
Age
53

I buy a Fuji X100, which is definitely one of the best (and the worst) cameras I ever used.  I also buy a Nikon D5100 to fool around with some video. It's last year's model, but it an excellent camera - and it's inexpensive.

Where I shot:
Sweden, France
Gear
Pictures
Age
52

I buy my first GoPro Hero - a model 2. Fantastic little device!

I also stock up on bright primes, which has always been a passion. I buy both a Sigma 20mm f/1.8 and a Sigma 30mm f/1.4 as a supplement to my Sigma 50mm f/1.4. They are all very nice lenses.

Where I shot:
Iceland, Sweden
Gear
Pictures
Age
51

I buy a Nikon D300s as a replacement for the D200, which has shot close to 40,000 frames at this point. The D300s has shot about 15,000 frames in 2013.

Gear
Pictures
Age
50

After having drowned several Canon Powershots I caved in and bought a waterproof D10. Still with great image quality, but much less control than the old Powershots.

I also buy a couple of nice primes: The Sigma 50 mm f/1.4 and the Nikon 35mm f/1.8.

In the market:
Nikon D300s
Where I shot:
Canada, Sweden
Gear
Pictures
Age
49

I buy a used Nikon D40 as a backup for the D200, and I drown my Powershot A620 for the first time. It revives. I also supplement the lens lineup with the neat 10.5mm f/2.8 fisheye.

I now possess two Nikon SB800 flashes and am becoming quite a fan of off camera flash.

I'm diagnosed with MS, which changes my life dramatically - and also has a huge impact on my photography.

Where I shot:
US, Sweden, Ireland
Gear
Pictures
Age
48

I acquire a couple of really nice lenses: the 17-55mm f/2.8 workhorse zoom and the fabulous 70-200mm f/2.8 VR.

I upgraded my second Canon Powershot A80 (which drowned...) to an 8 megapixel A630. Still featuring the great articulated LCD and really excellent image quality.

Where I shot:
Iceland, Sweden
Gear
Pictures
Age
47

I'm slowly building up m Nikon bag and set my sight on more lenses and more accessories

In the market:
Konica Minolta stops making cameras
Where I shot:
Sweden
Gear
Pictures
Age
46

I skip Minolta and buy a Nikon D200. In 2013 the D200 body has shot just shy of 70,000 frames and is still ticking.

In the market:
D200
Where I shot:
Poland
Gear
Pictures
Age
45

I go digital on the SLR-front and buy a Minolta 7D

Life with a digital SLR is fantastic and changes my photography significantly. I for one, don't miss film.

In the market:
Minolta 7D
Where I shot:
Mexico, Canada, UK, Belgium
Pictures
Age
44

I bought the first of many Canon Powershots, an A80 with articulated LCD and 4 megapixels. A great little camera.

Where I shot:
Mexico, Iceland
Pictures
Age
43

A lot of my Minolta gear is stolen out of a checked in bag on the way home from Belize

Where I shot:
Belize, US, Norway
Pictures
Age
42

I buy a Nikon Coolpix 775 and can start shooting digital images of a reasonable quality

In the market:
Nikon Coolpix 775
Where I shot:
Austria
Gear
Age
41

I buy the brand new pro grade Minolta 7. Still the best camera experience of my life!

In the market:
Minolta 7
Where I shot:
Netherlands
Gear
Pictures
Age
40

I get my hands on an Agfa ephoto 780. My first ever real experience with digital

In the market:
Agfa ephoto 780
Where I shot:
US, Netherlands, Ireland
Pictures
Age
39

I was lucky enough to be able to travel to Japan. Didn't buy much photo gear, but took a lot of pictures.

Where I shot:
Japan
Age
37
Where I shot:
US
Gear
Age
36

I buy a Minolta 500si as a backup for the 7000i, which has some oddities due to a brief meeting with saltwater. The body is later stolen from my checked in luggage when returning from a trip to Belize.

Age
35
In the market:
Minolta 500si
Age
33
Where I shot:
US
Gear
Pictures
Age
30

Our second boy, Bjarke, is born. Double fun and double trouble, but also double the subjets to shoot. I buy a Minolta 7000i, which was a much better, slicker and faster camera than my 7000.

Where I shot:
Canada
Age
29
In the market:
Minolta 7000i
Pictures
Age
28

We have our first child, Magnus, which opens a whole new world of subjects to shoot. A few weeks after his birth I travel to Greenland, which is a very good place to study Arctic biology... and take pictures.

Where I shot:
Greenland
Gear
Pictures
Age
27

I buy a Minolta 7000. Autofocus and winder! I am in heaven, but back to square one on lenses

In the market:
Minolta 7000
Where I shot:
UK
Pictures
Age
26

I buy a little gear when I find something useful and inexpensive - mostly used - and spend most of my money on film and development, drifting into color negatives and slides.

Gear
Pictures
Age
24

I buy a Minolta XG9 as a replacement for the XM, which breaks down with a shutter error.

My girlfriend and I start being part of the newly established carnival in Copenhagen, which also offers a lot of photo opportunities.

Where I shot:
Tunesia
Gear
Age
23

I buy a used Polaroind SX-70 Land camera - the fancy model with fake leather on the top - and love the images it takes. Unfortunately I only shoot few pictures, mostly because they are pricey, and I stop using the camera and have lost track of its whereabouts.

Pictures
Age
22

My B/W darkroom skills are quite good now, and I can get the results I want. I like gritty and contrasty and typically shoot at 400-1600 ISO on fast film and get a lot of grain. I also experiment with drawing on and cutting in the finished prints.

Gear
Age
21

I shoot away, still experimenting, but also becoming the family's event photographer

Gear
Age
20

I start studying biology at the University of Copenhagen and shoot a lot of nature shots. Macro is my first real photo competence, and I crawl on hands and knees with flashes, reflectors and small pieces of wire to tame flowers and fungi.

I buy a cheap Sunpak flash to illuminate all the goodies.

In the market:
Minolta XG9
Gear
Age
19

My Minolta XM is stolen during an Interrail train trip from France through Spain to Portugal. I buy a new one used when I come home, but the trip does bring me to France, Spain and Portugal and I do get some shots home.

Around this time I read a lot of books on photography, and go through the whole shelf on the local library. I also read about the zone system, and feel forced to buy a spot meter. Even though it's expensive, I do finally acquire a Minolta Auto Spot 1, which is later stolen from my apartment.

Where I shot:
France, Spain, Portugal
Gear
Pictures
Age
18

I buy a Minolta 110 Zoom for my then girlfriend, now wife, Birgitte. This odd contraption is a fairly advanced zoom camera that shoots size 110 instamatic film in cassettes. We shoot Kodachrome and the slides are small to put it mildly.

I stock up on finders for my XM, and manage to get a hold of both a vertical finder and a low profile prism finder with no light meter.

Where I shot:
Italy
Gear
Age
17

I buy a used Minolta XM, and buy several finders and a lot of accessories soon after.

I start in highschool and the shcool has a darkroom that's available to students, offering a real workspace for developing and printing with gear, which is much better than what I have myself. My childhood home bathroom is available to the rest of the family again!

Gear
Age
16

I draw a lot in this period and my drawings move from banal kid's drawings to something a little more experimental and abstract. I'm sure my drawing has had a significant influence on my photography.

I also get more technical with my photography and start learning a lot about exposure, shutter speed, f-stops and ISO (or DIN/ASA as it's still called), and I buy a used Minolta Auto Meter to be able to measure light more precisely.

Gear
Age
15

I start buying bulk film (HP5 and Tri-X mostly) and spool it into used cassettes that I get for free at my local photo dealer.

Age
14

I develop my own film and print on a small enlarger in the bathroom of my childhood home.

Gear
Age
13

I attend a photo class in school and see my teacher's OM-1 with a winder. Oh, man, do I want one?

In the market:
Minolta XK/XM, Olympus OM-1
Age
12

I shoot some slide films that my father had with the camera and buy a few more - Kodachrome 64 is what I choose. But man! Even though the film price includes development, it's expensive for a 12-year old! But at least you can have the slides framed in cardboard frames when they are developed, saving some extra cost for slide frames.

Gear
Age
11

I take possession of my dad's Minolta SR-7 with a 55mm f/1.7 and get my hands on a 135mm f/2.8. I start out shooting color negatives and slides, which requires no darkroom, but costs money to get developed, so I don't shoot much, but I do it seriously, reading books and learning.

Where I shot:
Greece