I have been capturing images for more than four decades. I first picked up a camera around age ten, a Kodak 110 Instamatic. It wasn’t long before I graduated to 35mm with a Kodak Pony handed down from my parents. But it wasn’t until my grandfather, Rev. Warren Darnell, took me on what he called a “photo safari”, that the passion was truly ignited. A photo safari is a great name for a walk about with the purpose of looking for images to make. It can be in your backyard, down the street, or on the other side of the world.
By the time I made it to high school, I had acquired a used Pentex SLR with 50mm prime and a telephoto zoom and was shooting for the school yearbook. Thanks to a thief, an insurance claim and a few bucks saved from cutting lawns, I was able to upgrade to a Nikon FM with 50mm f1.8 prime and Sigma 70-250mm zoom. The outfit continued to grow with the addition of an FE body. To this day, the FE is one of my favorite cameras to shoot with. It is a tank, it is simple and straight forward to use. It simply gets out of your way and lets you concentrate on the subject and composition and make great images.
My Nikon film kit, still going strong after 35 years.
Photography has been an on-again, off-again hobby now for forty+ years and a couple of years ago I started to take it more seriously and move from hobby to craft, and maybe one day to a profession.
So after many hours of YouTube videos, a few books, and probably a couple of thousand shuttle clicks, I’m stepping out and sharing my work with the world. Chip Freund Photography is born.
One this page, a forthcoming web site and other social media outlets I will share my images, photographic adventures, tips and techniques, moments of inspiration and likely frustration as well.
Today, I’m still shooting Nikon and have gone digital with my trusty D7100. It and its successor the D7200 are great pro-sumer bodies. I can use all of my old manual Nikon glass as well as the latest DX and even FX class lenses. I share more about “what’s in my bag”, in later post.
My current kit, a Nikon D7100 w/ 35mm f1.8 and 18-140mm zoom
I welcome you on my continuing journey as I further explore my craft, develop my style and refine my eye and technique.