Where it all began...(part 1 of2)

I spent three summers working at Camp Illahee, a girls camp located in Brevard, North Carolina. My duties included the lawns, horse stables and general maintenance of the grounds. I recall the weekly pay as being around $80 or so plus all living expenses. During my final year at camp I was bitten by the photography bug and saved throughout the summer to buy a Minolta XGM and a Vivitar 35-70mm lens and I think seven rolls of film. My first roll of film was taken at the pre-breakfast morning rides. I took a few shots before deciding to take some photos of the riders jumping. I kneeled in front of the jump and framed the photo. The horse who's name was Anonymous was ridden by Carrie Lynch that morning, he was partially blind in his right eye and as he approached the jump he spooked and jumped awkwardly. I took the photo more out of reaction than thought and swore a 1000 times over that I had missed the shot. A week or so later the film was developed and there on the 28th frame of my first roll of film I had my first keeper. The image was framed and put on my wall and there I was thinking...why did it take me 28 shots to get one good one? Little did I know that it would be 18 years before I again put a photo on my wall....