Choose Your Frame, by Reed A. George
Kodak has implied (announced?) that it's in the market to sell the film business. What does it mean for those of us who still shoot film? I believe it means that we're going to be paying more for film and processing, and probably waiting for the mail to see our negatives.
I noticed that Target stores near me have stopped processing film. That only leaves a couple of drug store choices, with site-to-site variability from terrible to pretty good.
(Click Here) to read a great post by Kirk Tuck about film in the modern world.
I have been thinking of exactly what Kirk brings up in this post. I am coming to realize that I while I like to have a lot of capability in my camera kit, since I mainly shoot for fun, I don't have to be prepared to capture every image that comes to my mind when I'm out. What I do need is to capture some GREAT ones. That's where I am focused.
For example, I love shooting with a rangefinder and 50mm lens. If I'm willing to bypass those shots that need a long telephoto or wide angle, I can capture some very special images with just one lens.
In Kirk's post, he describes a friend's analogy to eating out. If you got to an all-you-can-eat buffet, you get to taste everything, but go home stuffed with mediocre food. If you go to a fine restaurant, you don't get to taste it all, but what you do select is so good, it doesn't matter. I do see film in a similar way.
Now, don't get me wrong. When I'm shooting a musical performance in a dark venue, I'm sure glad that I can crank the Nikon D700 up to iso 6400 or more and pull it off. Impossible with film. But, when I'm out trying to be creative, some constraints can actually lead to results. And, shooting with a 50 year old film camera that has more mechanical perfection than any modern camera is just plain fun.
I recently bought a used Leica M9. Lovely camera. Great results. But, I almost decided to buy a new MP (film camera) instead. I'm happy with my decision. Plus, now less people think I'm nuts. Not zero, but less.
DMC-365.blogspot.com
I've already read Kirk's post and I don't agree with him or his friend, and the old saying is fundamentally wrong to me. The camera, as any other tool, is used by a person that has a brain: the possibility of having a 32 Gb memory card doesn't have any correlation with his inclination to shoot anything in sight. If that person is given a film camera, he will feel OBLIGED to shoot less, but will feel constrained and not at ease. Conversely, if one is accustomed to think before any shot, it hardly will burden himself with a bunch of kitty shots and images of plates of spaghetti, and will approach the matter if it means something really important to him. The fundamental error is going from the conception of someone working inside the costraints of a tool to reach a desidered result, to going to the conception that the constraints will control your way of thinking and, so the results accomplished. From being a controller of your life, to being GUIDED thru all of it...
ReplyDeleteHi Andrea. I think there's more than one concept involved in this, at least for me. First, I completely agree that we as humans with brains should be able to decide not to shoot everything in sight just because we have essentially unlimited memory. However, I also like the challenge of working with a small set of limitations. It's kind of like doing improv on the stage - take only what you have in hand and make something with it.
ReplyDeleteGreat points!
Reed
DMC-365.blogspot.com
"I also like the challenge of working with a small set of limitations. It's kind of like doing improv on the stage - take only what you have in hand and make something with it."
ReplyDeleteI also agree with this - if not, it would be silly than 2 weeks ago I had acquired an old Mamiya medium format camera... :D