I’m about to be one of those photographers. One of those photographers who insists on going on solioquys about film about how amazing it is. I’m about to tell you how fun it is and how it felt freeing and exciting and invigorating.
I know, it’s weird, digital is cheaper and easier and looks really stinkin good….but there is something different about film. There is an intangible quality. Maybe it is the way it looks, but maybe there is more. Maybe it is in the fact that you have to wait. Maybe it’s in the fact that you have to think before you press that shutter button. I only have 24 frames, or 36, or 15, I have to make them good. It could be that there isn’t a bright blue screen blinking at you. A screen begging you to step away from the moment unfolding before your eyes, but instead to relive a moment that happened just 5 seconds ago. We are so often reliving images on our devices instead of being present and engaged. With film you can relive the moment in days or weeks, when you can really get joy from the fact that you are getting to see in front of your eyes what had been a memory forming or formed in your head just minutes prior. I think you’re allowing your memories to solidify before you flood your brain with images. Does that make sense? It does in my head, but I’m not sure it does on paper…that’s okay, we’ll just go with it.
So yes, I am one of those photographers. I loved going to the photo store and chatting with a fellow photo nerd (there is actually someone who develops and scans photos on our side of town…how crazy/lucky/rare) and rushing home to look through previously unseen images. And not only that, I look through them and they are done. They are what they are, no editing, no tweaking, just a beautiful, rich, memory filled image.
I am definitely going to do lots more film work personally, and who knows, I might incorporate it into my professional work as well (if you are interested in having some film work done on a future session, please let me know).
Three cheers for film!