No my kids didn’t go anywhere. I got my baby back from her second overhaul and I have to say that there is something really wonderful about shooting film with a completely manual camera. 27 years old and she works like she was new.
I have to say that I do love the digital age. The technology has created opportunities that were not available, or were out of reach, in the film days. What I see though is a tyranny of choice or an over reliance on the digital adjustments and the computer to make the final image. We start to interact with the technology and futz with the image more than we interact with the world and see our subject. Seeing the subject, creating a vision of the final image, and trust in your skills takes you out of focusing on the camera and places you with your subject. For me, shooting film is an exercise in awareness training. Because of the minimal nature of my camera, the most important tool is my eye and my mind.
Intention and attention, am I focused on the camera operation, viewing the world through the screen on the back of the camera or am I out in the world with the subject. A number of years ago I was attending a seminar held by a nationally recognize commercial photographer. When asked by a participant what one thing could be done to improve the quality of their photography, he answered, “cover the back screen of the camera with black tape so you cant see it anymore.”
There was a short period of time, when we moved to digital cameras, where I stopped shooting film entirely. When I picked up the film cameras again I realized that I was missing out on one of films greatest gifts…. Serendipity. The chance to make a mistake that turns out to be a great success. The more you eliminate the chance of mistakes or failures the more you limit your chances for success. Now Im not talking about the game ending failures where you come away with nothing, those are not what I look for. It’s those little ones that can create the most interesting possibilities and open doors to new ideas. Digital in many ways encourages shaving off the rough edges, its those rough edges that makes the possibility of what we do interesting.
