People often refer to the notion of 'slowing down' when using film, but that pace may also be a function of limited exposures so careful composition becomes more important. And....speaking of coastal Maine, here are a few I took in the late 70s:
I suspect the slowing down has to do with at least three things: 1) yes, the limited number of frames on a roll of film, 2) the need to think more carefully about the camera settings for those limited number of frames (minimal bracketing and experimentation), and 3) the time between making the image and seeing the results. Also, auto-exposure and auto-focus are less common on older film cameras. And, significantly, you didn't have so many options with film speed (and certainly not the flexibility to change it on the same roll), so tripods were more essential for certain types of photography and that, in itself, will slow one down.
Thanks so much for sharing these photographs from Maine, John. I love the foggy atmosphere in that first photograph, especially...it's just so "Maine." Have a nice weekend!
That exactly sums up why I started to photograph with a film camera again. I am tired of the complexity of digital and the endless maze of software sub menus, I use probably a tenth of the cameras capabilities, which incidentally is why Leica and Hasselblad cameras are a joy to shoot, they are very simple.
The idea of emotion is also why film is appealing. When we make an image we are very emotionally attached to the outcome and that clouds our vision. For me at my level of expertise - an innocent in paradise - I find looking at an image some time after it was made allows me to see what I subconsciously saw when I pressed the shutter, something I didn’t realize was there in the moment, so yes, revisiting old images is a necessary thing to do. One day I’ll learn to see what I’m looking at, but for now this works.
Thank you for validating my approach to photography, it’s nice to know I’m not completely off the rails.
I love this, Alistair: "I find looking at an image some time after it was made allows me to see what I subconsciously saw when I pressed the shutter, something I didn't realize was there in the moment." There is so much truth in that. Thank you for sharing. And no, you're definitely not off the rails...you're right on track. That delay in reviewing the results can be so valuable.
Also, it's sort of interesting in that with film cameras, we have to make all the decisions, but there aren't nearly so many decisions to make. And that allows us to focus on seeing and feeling. All the menus and buttons (and how they vary so much from one camera to another) drive me nuts on digital cameras. I prefer working more intuitively--sort of like driving a stick shift car while fully taking in the surrounding landscape and feel of the road.
Oh, I love this photo and can relate to all you are saying here! I have always selected a favorite from each important/meaningful photo shoot and made a large print so that I could savor all of the details. I'm guessing we photographers, and almost everyone else, seldom view images other than our phones and computer screens. I love the tactile feel of a beautiful print on fine art paper.
How wonderful that you make a print from each important/meaningful photo shoot. I wish that I had been doing that all these years. I tend to print bodies of work and an occasional special image and, as a result, don't have prints of many of my favorite photographs. I'm definitely a believer in the print, however, and love making them and viewing them.
Back when we photographed with film, we started with a contact sheet that always gave us a nice record of a photo shoot. It was a good tool for evaluating photos, and then we selected one or two to print. Digital requires a bit different way of looking at and managing things, but we still don't usually need to carry through with more than one (or a few) photographs from each session. Thanks for sharing, Paul!
And, one more...Pemaquid Light:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGhIGgX6WQQkPnVHjVB8NLny_KMt_pUH4GGVcPnGYHoYXj22OTmGmep-OlrQSROoIQ0PBWqd0vmG9zXNg5dGWmON7fZhslcZsafeMA2uQyP5FXU-zAQZSxtgVwNTZuoPHjZ2Rd1xpyXbOF3KVFaF9Dpq0i7rRZZ6VgUPXzhtP-dhzR5AfQbHE_3G2p-Y8/s1375/PemaquidLight.jpg
People often refer to the notion of 'slowing down' when using film, but that pace may also be a function of limited exposures so careful composition becomes more important. And....speaking of coastal Maine, here are a few I took in the late 70s:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEickKHAEqAGxLyKAoVJXA0AHjUMMTo_8qPStY3L1dn5y7Ah9THp8hnizfN2iAmFxXuhXCfG5AnpLG8ydQRKg4Hb0FWFxrVJZJvBi4Be79Gy5XU0OizmuKye44TprO0A_pYyvRMwmsgumWZrJbx2ugD7H9FuNeC5tekvaZ9AAdLromWixx4kQHl_K2nGBY0/s1642/PemaquidRocksAndIsland.jpg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFybV5YfRM44UTviXXWjj-G75YDrOEncyFxbRV2dSXAyub1ERf_QX6kGJE8ilVTZb5Xuwh0RRtUiD1Dx5rh0L-XmpM5EInEp7JrD1V3Z-8MZw3GIovJAJn3gJMpfy0rpy_Y9g6C1GQHB_4f_uAe-_sGXmsF2eXH_nWIMAMEwusdk0060HPVHOc0N6paFc/s1375/PemaquidPointRocks.jpg
I suspect the slowing down has to do with at least three things: 1) yes, the limited number of frames on a roll of film, 2) the need to think more carefully about the camera settings for those limited number of frames (minimal bracketing and experimentation), and 3) the time between making the image and seeing the results. Also, auto-exposure and auto-focus are less common on older film cameras. And, significantly, you didn't have so many options with film speed (and certainly not the flexibility to change it on the same roll), so tripods were more essential for certain types of photography and that, in itself, will slow one down.
Thanks so much for sharing these photographs from Maine, John. I love the foggy atmosphere in that first photograph, especially...it's just so "Maine." Have a nice weekend!
That exactly sums up why I started to photograph with a film camera again. I am tired of the complexity of digital and the endless maze of software sub menus, I use probably a tenth of the cameras capabilities, which incidentally is why Leica and Hasselblad cameras are a joy to shoot, they are very simple.
The idea of emotion is also why film is appealing. When we make an image we are very emotionally attached to the outcome and that clouds our vision. For me at my level of expertise - an innocent in paradise - I find looking at an image some time after it was made allows me to see what I subconsciously saw when I pressed the shutter, something I didn’t realize was there in the moment, so yes, revisiting old images is a necessary thing to do. One day I’ll learn to see what I’m looking at, but for now this works.
Thank you for validating my approach to photography, it’s nice to know I’m not completely off the rails.
I love this, Alistair: "I find looking at an image some time after it was made allows me to see what I subconsciously saw when I pressed the shutter, something I didn't realize was there in the moment." There is so much truth in that. Thank you for sharing. And no, you're definitely not off the rails...you're right on track. That delay in reviewing the results can be so valuable.
Also, it's sort of interesting in that with film cameras, we have to make all the decisions, but there aren't nearly so many decisions to make. And that allows us to focus on seeing and feeling. All the menus and buttons (and how they vary so much from one camera to another) drive me nuts on digital cameras. I prefer working more intuitively--sort of like driving a stick shift car while fully taking in the surrounding landscape and feel of the road.
Oh, I love this photo and can relate to all you are saying here! I have always selected a favorite from each important/meaningful photo shoot and made a large print so that I could savor all of the details. I'm guessing we photographers, and almost everyone else, seldom view images other than our phones and computer screens. I love the tactile feel of a beautiful print on fine art paper.
How wonderful that you make a print from each important/meaningful photo shoot. I wish that I had been doing that all these years. I tend to print bodies of work and an occasional special image and, as a result, don't have prints of many of my favorite photographs. I'm definitely a believer in the print, however, and love making them and viewing them.
Back when we photographed with film, we started with a contact sheet that always gave us a nice record of a photo shoot. It was a good tool for evaluating photos, and then we selected one or two to print. Digital requires a bit different way of looking at and managing things, but we still don't usually need to carry through with more than one (or a few) photographs from each session. Thanks for sharing, Paul!
Making a print is time well spent 😉