Canon AE-1: the gear that changed my (photographic) life, again and again

The Canon AE-1 (Program) is by far the camera that has had the most impact on my life. Not that there's anything particularly extraordinary about this classic film SLR, aside from its affordability, availability and reliability - ok, I guess that makes it a little special. Over the years it's a camera that I've come back to again and again as a means to hit reset, and recontextualize my love for photography. I first picked mine up along with a "nifty fifty" for $200 at the end of my second year ...