I should probably share my own story to start the ball rolling!

I took my first photo when I was four. It was moving day (we were a military family), and it was sometime in the summer of 1980. I think to keep me occupied and out of the way, my dad handed me his polaroid camera. I was a bit surprised. I never thought I was allowed to take photos before that.

I was so excited I took my first photo immediately, without taking a step away from where I was standing, or lifting the camera all the way up! Since this was polaroid, my brother, my father and I took turns shaking the print (which doesn't actually help development, but does give you something to do while waiting). The result was a blurry, milky shot of my brother standing barefoot in front of the open moving van, arms akimbo.

By all standards it's a poor photograph, but of all the shots I've ever taken, it's the one that stands out most clearly in my mind, hooking me into the memory of that day -- reminding me of the things that weren't in the viewfinder, that it was overcast, that the grass was a bit crunchy underfoot, that it was very humid. I think that's the essential reason we all take photos -- it's about the image, it's the shared memories.

My first photo experience was in Quito, Ecuador with a disposable camera that my younger sister and I bought when I was about 9 nine years old. We were really excited to be able to take our own pictures and we wanted a really nice background. After going through a long list of possible places, we decided that the best place would be at the rooftop of our aunt's house, because of the great view from the volcanoes around Quito.

Together with our dog, the three of us climbed the rooftop and went through the whole 21 shots in about 10 minutes. The photos turned out very blurry, out of focus, and mountain-less; but my sister and I still keep them. These pictures reminds us a lot about just being kids and having fun. :)