Jongno Tower in Seoul
Jongno Tower in Seoul, South Korea

At the end of 2001, I bought a Kodak DC3400, my first camera. It takes 4 AA batteries to power, weighs a ton, bulky beyond pocket size - but it took great pictures. I bought it in Seoul, South Korea, to remember a place I will not return for a long time.

I started to bring it every where I went.

A subway exit
A subway exit in Seoul.
Oksu station
Oksu subway station in Seoul.
View of Seoul from N Seoul Tower
View of Seoul from N Seoul Tower.
Panorama of Seoul
A panorama of Seoul as seen from N Seoul Tower. There’s a larger version available that spans the entire 360° of the city here
A very dark shot on a lamp post
A dark image without any details in the shadow was all this little thing could do; but the lack of detail suits the mood to the composition
An ampitheatre in Yongsan University
An ampitheatre in Yongsan University, South Korea.
Joint Security Area (JSA) at Panmunjom, within the De-Militarized Zone (DMZ) at the border between North and South Korea
Joint Security Area, straddling at the border between North and South Korea. This is where diplomatic negotiations between the countries take place.
A soldier patrols a railway that leads to Pyongyang from Seoul
A soldier patrols a railway that leads to Pyongyang from Seoul

Canada

I moved to Canada in January 2002. Who knew I’d still be here?

Icecles form on tree branches and twigs after a freezing rain
Ice coats tree branches and twigs after a freezing rain. Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Yellow autumn leaves on the ground, shined on brightly by the Sun
Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
An old ship dock at Detroit River, the Sun directly pointing towards the camera
An old ship dock at Detroit River, Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

Broken in a Bang

I travelled to Ottawa in the winter of 2002. Afraid of the cold Canadian winters, I wore the thickest jacket I could find. Taking the camera in and out of my backpack behind my bulky jacket became tedious.

I ended up putting my camera in the jacket's front pocket. In a rush to get out of the car and get back into the warmth of my hotel room, the camera slipped out of my pocket and slammed onto the ground. The battery compartment door broke.

For the rest of the trip, I had to tape the battery compartment door shut. But the days were numbered for my first camera.

The Parliament building in Ottawa, Canada
The Parliament building in Ottawa, Canada
Looking down from an elevator in CN Tower, Toronto, Canada
Looking down from an elevator in CN Tower, Toronto, Canada
Yellowing meadows line Lake Ontario in the sunset
Somewhere between Niagara Falls and Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Kodak DC3400 Specs

Bought: November 2001
Resolution: 2.1 megapixels
Focal length: 38-76mm
Number of photos taken with it still in my hard drive: ~1,500

Some reviews covering the camera