Film Users Moving to Digital
I have noticed a small trend of a couple folks I follow that are film users. They are moving more to digital. Steve O’nions here and here discusses a partial switch over due to cost. Justin Lowery has a new project that he uses digital on. Neither of these are full conversions to digital and their choices are their choices. Driven in large part by cost though it is a concern. Fuji and Kodak have both put up their prices in the last year. Color has become much more expensive especially in large format.
This lead me to contemplate if I should consider moving to digital for part of my work. It didn’t take long to realize how difficult this would be for me. I enjoy film for the same reasons many do. The slowness and deliberate nature. There is an aspect of connecting with my grandfather and my late brother who were avid photographers as well. However the thing I would miss the most is the tangible nature of film and the sense it has because of that as a craft. Now I don’t want to imply there is no skill or legitimacy in digital photography. From my personal perspective however a craft needs to have a more tangible aspect. I think it also needs a heritage or tradition and digital is perhaps too new for me to have that feeling.
Another hobby of mine is woodworking and that again has many of the same appeals for me. It is tangible and so uses muscle and mind while engaging the aesthetic. It has a legacy and heritage. I enjoy most using traditional joinery rather than nails and screws for instance. The woodworking equivalent of film perhaps. This puts me in touch with past. I do not eschew power tools but I get the most enjoyment out of hand tools and traditional methods.
And so this is how I feel about film photography. The enjoyment is enhanced by a connection to a tradition and to something physical. In deed this evening I got some color 4x5 transparencies back from the lab and while I was scanning them I could hold them to the light and enjoy all the color and detail. I am not unaware of the fact I was digitizing them to put them up on Flickr and my blog to share but still I can hold something. I will likely make a print of one or more of them to go into a photo book I am assembling of my better work.
Then of course there is the darkroom. Again a whole other realm of tradition and another manifestation of craft and acquired skills and tangible outcomes. Also more cost. Every black and white print costs me 3-6 sheets of photo paper which could mean £20 of cost plus chemicals.
I have to conclude I won’t abandon film soon. But it could perhaps be so un-affordable that I may have to ration the materials. I hope not as I see more learning, joy, and frustration awaits me.
This lead me to contemplate if I should consider moving to digital for part of my work. It didn’t take long to realize how difficult this would be for me. I enjoy film for the same reasons many do. The slowness and deliberate nature. There is an aspect of connecting with my grandfather and my late brother who were avid photographers as well. However the thing I would miss the most is the tangible nature of film and the sense it has because of that as a craft. Now I don’t want to imply there is no skill or legitimacy in digital photography. From my personal perspective however a craft needs to have a more tangible aspect. I think it also needs a heritage or tradition and digital is perhaps too new for me to have that feeling.
Another hobby of mine is woodworking and that again has many of the same appeals for me. It is tangible and so uses muscle and mind while engaging the aesthetic. It has a legacy and heritage. I enjoy most using traditional joinery rather than nails and screws for instance. The woodworking equivalent of film perhaps. This puts me in touch with past. I do not eschew power tools but I get the most enjoyment out of hand tools and traditional methods.
And so this is how I feel about film photography. The enjoyment is enhanced by a connection to a tradition and to something physical. In deed this evening I got some color 4x5 transparencies back from the lab and while I was scanning them I could hold them to the light and enjoy all the color and detail. I am not unaware of the fact I was digitizing them to put them up on Flickr and my blog to share but still I can hold something. I will likely make a print of one or more of them to go into a photo book I am assembling of my better work.
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| Recent Transparency (Fuji Astia 100F) |
I have to conclude I won’t abandon film soon. But it could perhaps be so un-affordable that I may have to ration the materials. I hope not as I see more learning, joy, and frustration awaits me.
 |
| Recent Transparency (Fuji Velvia 50) |
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