ARE YOUNG PHOTOGRAPHERS BRINGING ABOUT A FILM REVIVAL?
SEEING my latest copy of Amateur Photographer discreetly hidden under a pile of papers on my desk, my colleague quizzed me on my photographic interests. Explaining that I'd got a digital compact as well as what was left of my film gear, but that I'd regretted recently selling some of my film cameras, she told me that her daughter was at university studying photography.
'She won't use a digital camera, though,' she said, which I must admit I found quite astounding. I naturally assumed that most young people would regard film equipment as something from the Stone Age. Not a bit.
'Why's that? I asked. 'She doesn't like the complexities of modern cameras, and all the stuff you have to do on the computer. She'd rather wait and see what comes out and she loves the work in the darkroom'. She then went onto tell me how how her daughter visited a camera shop that specialised in old film cameras at bargain prices, and was always adding a new one to her growing collection.
In an age when I - somewhat naively, as it turned out - thought that most people under 30 would regard using film as something primitive, akin perhaps to using a typewriter instead of a laptop, my colleague's revelation came as a pleasant surprise. But why was I surprised I wondered? The answer was staring me in the face, because despite owning a very nice digital compact myself - which does take, it has to be said, some tremendous photographs - I just cannot use it in the same intutive way that I can with my all-manual Nikon SLR.
Despite the large LCD screen, in all but the dullest light I cannot always clearly see the image I've just taken, and it's only when I get home that I realise I've misjudged the exposure. If that's the case, then what's the point of digital? If I can't clearly see the image on the back of the camera then I might as well re-engage my brain and use a film camera.
Perhaps my colleague's young daughter has realised, we've lost the anticipation of photography - those most wonderful moments when we get back the pack of prints, the box of slides or the sheer satisfaction of seeing a selection of images taken on basic equipment, knowing we made the decision on the exposures, and maybe, just maybe, got them right.
Despite the never-ending proliferation of mobile phones with cameras, constant equipment upgrades, ever more complicated software and the somewhat soulless nature of digital photography, it is good to see that some young people are keeping the spirit of film photography alive. Good luck to them.
From the Back Chat section of Amateur Photographer magazine 11 June 2011 issue. An article by AP reader Martin Johnson.
An edited version appears here.
SEEING my latest copy of Amateur Photographer discreetly hidden under a pile of papers on my desk, my colleague quizzed me on my photographic interests. Explaining that I'd got a digital compact as well as what was left of my film gear, but that I'd regretted recently selling some of my film cameras, she told me that her daughter was at university studying photography.
'She won't use a digital camera, though,' she said, which I must admit I found quite astounding. I naturally assumed that most young people would regard film equipment as something from the Stone Age. Not a bit.
'Why's that? I asked. 'She doesn't like the complexities of modern cameras, and all the stuff you have to do on the computer. She'd rather wait and see what comes out and she loves the work in the darkroom'. She then went onto tell me how how her daughter visited a camera shop that specialised in old film cameras at bargain prices, and was always adding a new one to her growing collection.
In an age when I - somewhat naively, as it turned out - thought that most people under 30 would regard using film as something primitive, akin perhaps to using a typewriter instead of a laptop, my colleague's revelation came as a pleasant surprise. But why was I surprised I wondered? The answer was staring me in the face, because despite owning a very nice digital compact myself - which does take, it has to be said, some tremendous photographs - I just cannot use it in the same intutive way that I can with my all-manual Nikon SLR.
Despite the large LCD screen, in all but the dullest light I cannot always clearly see the image I've just taken, and it's only when I get home that I realise I've misjudged the exposure. If that's the case, then what's the point of digital? If I can't clearly see the image on the back of the camera then I might as well re-engage my brain and use a film camera.
Perhaps my colleague's young daughter has realised, we've lost the anticipation of photography - those most wonderful moments when we get back the pack of prints, the box of slides or the sheer satisfaction of seeing a selection of images taken on basic equipment, knowing we made the decision on the exposures, and maybe, just maybe, got them right.
Despite the never-ending proliferation of mobile phones with cameras, constant equipment upgrades, ever more complicated software and the somewhat soulless nature of digital photography, it is good to see that some young people are keeping the spirit of film photography alive. Good luck to them.
From the Back Chat section of Amateur Photographer magazine 11 June 2011 issue. An article by AP reader Martin Johnson.
An edited version appears here.
Posts
It's a surprise to me too...but a happy one.
ReplyDeleteFrom a personal perspective it's really heartening to hear stories like this. Because I agree 100% with the positive comments made here about film photography. You will gather by that, I am no fan of digital photography.
ReplyDeleteThank you Christine for posting a comment.