Long Live Film!
I recently pulled out my old Canon Rebel XT film camera, loaded it with black and white film, and slapped a cheap 28-80mm f/4.5-5.6 lens on it. Because lately I've been wondering if I'm actually any good at photography. I mean, yes I can make a great image with all this digital gear, but do I really have good camera technique? Can I compose a good shot without relying on the leveling feature on my LED screen or the crop tool in Lightroom. Are my photos inherently sharp? Do I really understand light and exposure?
I had to find out, and a film camera was the really the only way. You either got the exposure right, the subject in focus and the scene well composed...or you didn't. And it is painfully obvious when you don't. There is no in-between, there isn't any excuse. Film is like lycra - it doesn't lie.
And I signed up for a beginning darkroom class. Mostly because it's a part of my photography experience I never had, but also because I wanted to own the entire process end-to-end, not unlike what I do today, only in the digital darkroom. So out into the world with a very unassuming camera. Just me, focus and exposure control. I have to tell you it was actually quite liberating! Here are some samples:
A sweet dog who found me at the Ballard Farmer's Market in Seattle. ISO400 (film), 50mm, f/5.6, 1/80th second. © Carlo Delumpa Photography, 2017. All Rights Reserved.
Snow days at MacLeahy Park in Portland. ISO400 (film), 35mm, f/4.5, 1/125th second. © Carlo Delumpa Photography, 2017. All Rights Reserved.
An icy ripple in MacLeahy Creek. ISO400 (film), 80mm, f/8, 1/10th second. © Carlo Delumpa Photography, 2017. All Rights Reserved.
Here's what I discovered:
- I've fallen back in love with film photography! It took me a couple rolls of film to stop looking at the back of the camera after every shot. But once I settled into a rhythm, I got to stop chimping (the act of checking your shot after every exposure and adjusting your camera settings) which gave me a few less things to worry about. And film-based photographs have a look to them. And a feel. I love the tactile experience of looking at physical prints. Oh yeah, and Kodak is re-releasing Extachrome, and maybe Kodachrome!
- I have a lot left to learn. The good news is that I have the basics of exposure, focus and composition pretty well nailed. But there are some nuances that get revealed with the subtlest of changes in exposure value. And selective focus is really, really hard to do right in-camera when you can't chimp. Finally, I am really digging developing my own film and making prints. It's pretty easy, inexpensive (Newspace has an awesome darkroom you can rent) and it's like Christmas every day when you're in the dark room making prints.
- There's a certain zen-like feeling of having to let go and trust in your abilities and experience. That you only have a few frames left and you need to slow down and make that shot count. In this age of digital ubiquity where the word "selfie" is now an official word in Webster's dictionary and everyone with a smartphone is a photographer, it's nice to experience anticipation, with an almost childlike excitement.
Sure I'll still shoot digital as the mainstay of my business, but I will tote a film camera with me wherever I go. In fact, I would love to get a cheap medium-format camera and see what I can do with that. Many, many thanks to my Darkroom instructor Lauren Masterson - please check out her website, she's an amazing talent.