Its been a few weeks since Ive updated this blog, too long I know but there’s reasons I promise you. Even though Ive been MIA, Ive actually been more busy with life and photography than ever before…and for once, I’m actually quite happy with where my photography is at right now. Allow me to explain.
Ive been involved with photography for longer than I car to say. When I was a kid, I volleyed back and forth on wanting to be a professional photographer or a rock star. I obsessed over both fields over the years, and had my moment in the limelight with both. Photography wise, i started shooting out on film with various medium format and 35mm cameras, and even though I wasnt some massively successful businessman, I was quite happy with learning my trade and occasionly making some cash on this site. This was a different time of course, not EVERYONE was a photographer then and it was actually quite interesting to meet someone that was into it as a hobby even. Back then, I didnt obsess over gear nor about every photo being pin sharp, I was more interested in capturing the moment and hopping I got 2 or 3 keepers per roll. I felt like the whole process was mine, and it really made me happy.
Flash forward about 10 years, and during that time I waned back and forth over if i was shooting or not, and actually left it for quite a long time and then about 2 years ago, I discovered digital photography (If you trace far enough back in this blog, you’ll see when all of this happened). I really became obsessed again, and started shooting like mad. I learned enough about photography and off camera lighting to where I can speak pretty intelligently on most topics, and I became decent at deeper levels of photo shop work. The problem was is that I never felt the photos really had any magic to them, no HEART. I couldn’t explain why though, and I always blamed the gear. I bought more and more gear. I had enough gear to buy a really nice used car…but it still didtn work.. I was NEVER happy with what I was getting…
Move forward again till about 6 weeks ago. I was shown this blog post randomly by a friend. The photographer (Doug Boutwell) decided to try something different and shoot wedding portraits using a 8×10 view camera. TO say the least I was memorized. Those simple portraits look NOTHING like what every other photographer with a Canon and a Facebook page is doing and it reminding me so much of why I loved photography. It was film, it was always film. I was in luck though, because of digital photography, film cameras can be had a fraction of what they were sold at 10 years ago. So I invested in some older cameras, and started reading up on others out there that are shooting film still. Yould be surprised at how many there really are and they all seem SO different than everyone else. Eventually, I switched all together and now Im proud to say that Im shooting 100% film. Sure, there were some hurdles to get over. I had to figure out a work flow that wasnt totally consuming. Coming from a digital world, I admit that it was difficult to shoot without having instant feedback, but in hindsight the first time I saw photo #1 below bubble up through the developer and look at me was…. almost religious for me. I actually choked up a little, and had to sit down. It was magical to say the least. Ive never one had that feeling with digital.
Ill be posting some more about my experience converting over, so please check back regularly. Below are a few shots of my first session using film. The wonderful Heather Albano met up with me near my house in Hampton and we shot some B/W work. I admit that I was going for a fashion CK look..which she pulled off very well. I shot most of the session on a Hasselblad (hence the square format) and used NO photoshop on these scans. It was just me and her and camera. I developed the photos in my kitchen, and then eventually printed them in my dark room in my extra bathoom. Overall, I think I got less “keepers” than with digital… probally 8 overall… but I only shot 30 photos…in digital, I wouldve shot 500..thats just plain exhausting..
Anyways, here are a few that Ive scanned… I would love to hear some input from all of you wonderful people!
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