I recently attended a workshop for Fujifilm and saw some of the latest X-series cameras.
I’ve never photographed with a Fujifilm camera before but I always wanted to try them out. The moment I arrived I noticed a small detail that just warmed my heart so much.
They all looked like film cameras!
The first time I encountered photography was through film and that was one of the main reasons why I became a photographer. I just enjoyed developing the negatives, making test prints, creating the chemicals, just making work from scratch, you appreciated it more because you know how much time and work it took to get to that print. Once I graduated college, film photography materials were hard to come by. Unless you had your own personal darkroom, the truth was this:
Creating black and white photos is a thing of the past.
I don’t want it to be that way! I miss going to a darkroom and just creating images from scratch. Now with digital cameras showcasing all of the latest specs and quicker shutter speeds it easier for photographers to just take an image and send it off without editing. Which I will admit makes my job easy but I miss the days of film.
With all of the latest cameras and living in the digital photo age, is it okay to just forget about film?
Now it’s your turn: Is it a good thing or a bad thing? What do YOU think? I’d really like to know your thoughts on this! And if you liked this post, please remember to share it with your friends, family, and social media!
Til next time,
“THE POWDERED EFFECT AND DEPTH OF FILM WILL NEVER BE REPRODUCED IN DIGITAL .I STILL KEEP A MIDDLE SIZE CAMERA FOR FILMS AND FILMS IN MY FRIDGE FOR YEARS ! BUT I CONFESS DIGITAL IS MUCH EASIER TO WORK WITH. THEN IT’S A CHOICE TO MAKE …”
Absolutely agree with you. Film will always have this beautiful texture and quality to it…but digital has it’s perks!
I just went back to school and earned my BFA in photography, I have put my digital cameras on the shelf and now with more time I am shooting 35, 120 and 4/5 and loving every minute. I see a resurgence in film and that makes me happy!
That is awesome! Really enjoy and treasure working with film in school – the materials they have is out of this world. Do you have a website or a place that showcases your work? I’d love to see it.
I don’t think film photography will ever be dead. But I think photographers need to look closely at their own work and make a determination as to which processes make their work the strongest. I started out in the darkroom, but I never really liked working with chemicals. From my perspective I like working digitally, BUT am very conscientious as to the print quality and framing. That to me is the more important consideration.
Absolutely. Every artist is different and they need take the time to think which method is best for their work. I know photographers who still work in wet plate collodion and that method hasn’t been spoken about in years! So I agree with you totally!
Film and developing is a craft. If you’re a craftsman, have at it! It’s not “all or nothing.”