On 14 Apr 2005, at 20:12, Walt Wayman wrote:
> As I have said previously, if I were a pro or still a photo
> journalist, I'd have gone digital years ago. If the picture is what
> it's about, and that's all it's about, then digital is the answer,
> because the camera is just a tool, the means to an end. It's no
> different from a carpenter retiring his hammer and buying a nail gun.
> Whether it's the hammer or the nail gun, when the goal is just to
> drive the nail, with either one, the nail gets driven.
>
Well, but yes ;)
> There are people who make paper just because they like to. I know a
> couple of old codgers who build most of their own furniture, although
> they both are wealthy enough to buy a whole Ethan Allen store if they
> wanted to. They do it because they enjoy the process. My wife likes
> to bake cakes from scratch instead of just throwing an egg and a cup
> of milk in some mix poured out of a box. I like doing photography the
> way I've always done it just because I like doing it the way I've
> always done it. It's a hobby, just for grins, something I do solely
> to please and entertain myself, and if any part of it ever stopped
> being fun, I'd stop doing it.
>
>
<SNIP - Walt is a gearhead>
> I even enjoy standing in the dark, muttering under my breath when a
> roll of 120 seems to want to buckle instead of smoothly engaging in
> the spirals of a Nikor reel, or even swearing out loud when, after
> fumbling around for 15 seconds, I realize I failed to put the tank lid
> where I could find it.
>
> For me, except for those rare moments of excitement when I think I
> might finally have taken that once-in-a-lifetime shot, the most
> enjoyable and exciting part of my brand of photography is the 12-15
> minutes between the time I pour in that initial water bath and the
> moment the fixer has finally cleared the film and I can poke a finger
> down the center of a Nikor reel, lift it up and pull off the last
> couple of frames to see how it all "came out," before beginning the
> wash cycle. I even don't mind waiting for the stuff I have to "send
> away" for processing. When did anticipation go out of style? When it
> comes back a week or two later, it's almost like opening presents on
> Christmas morning.
>
Here's the deal for me: I enjoy the gear and the process. I enjoy the
feel of a well-build lens, and a camera, crafted of metal with a good
grip. I enjoy the sound of the mirror slapping up -- and all that
stuff. I feel that it does slow me down....a lot. And that's good -- a
little bit of zen in the hectic days of life.
As a matter of fact, I became a better photographer when I moved to
medium format. No build-in light-meter, fewer shots per roll, a
requirement for a tripod and so on. Why? Well, because it gave me
time....time to reflect, to think. The realization that I couldn't just
"shoot away" since there's 36 shots to use from, but that I should make
an effort to frame, expose, compose each frame correctly the first
time.
A sensei of mine once said, that in real life there's only one try.
Practicing technique and being content with each time getting "better"
wasn't good enough -- each time should be "perfect". In combat, one
might get only one chance, and that chance better not be spent on a
technique that's "just a little bit better" -- it should be "perfect".
Same thing happened when I stepped from 645 to LF. Now, instead of 12
frames on a roll, there's....well, no roll ;) And it's a hazzle to load
the film holders. Not to mention to set up the damm thing....and don't
even get me started on developing the sheets.
The process has taught me something, also for 35mm photography --
something valuable.
With a digital (yes, we have 3-4 of those in the house), it's
different. That's for when it's the cats birthday or some such rather
impulsive thing, in addition to being used for documentation purposes
as required. Digital is a great tool.
However I cannot, despite everything else, wrestle myself to the
"zen-approach" to photography with digital. With what, 400 shots in
good enough jpeg-quality on the card, and instant preview-and-delete,
it's just too easy to snap away. And guess what? I've yet to take a
digital picture that I thought "wow..." over afterwards.
But that's just me. I enjoy arcane things, and enjoy when life from
time to time slows down and lets me pretend that I am doing something
that's close to a "craft" which requires skills (yes, you may say that
I don't have any photo-skills, but I don't care, I enjoy it anyhow).
> I don't usually drive on the Interstate highways unless there's some
> urgency to get from here to there. I am, however, eternally thankful
> for the Interstate system, because it attracts the big rigs, the motor
> homes, the hell-bent-for-leather, "got to make 800 miles today"
> tourists, the U-Haul movers, stinky busses, and all the other
> undesirables, keeping them off the "back roads" where I travel. It
> may take me a little longer to get where I'm going, but it's a whole
> lot more fun, more relaxing, more interesting, and offers many more
> photographic possibilities. I learned a long time ago that, as often
> as not, the getting there is more enjoyable than the being there.
> That, I guess, sort of sums up my photographic philosophy.
>
Wow....I'm sure that there's a joke in there somewhere, Walt ;)
Unfortunately, I rarely have time to do anything but the global
interstates....
> If I had to draw another analogy, it would be that, for me, the
> photograph I end up with is the equivalent of that piece of strawberry
> cheesecake that comes after the crisp and crunchy salad with garlic
> bread croutons and buttermilk ranch dressing, the hot yeast rolls with
> real butter, the medium rare, bacon-wrapped 14-oz. fillet mignon, the
> loaded baked potato, with extra chives and bacon bits, and the
> lightly-breaded and perfectly fried onion rings. All too good to rush
> through just to get to a little dessert.
>
You're not being fair......they're serving in-flight meals now, and
it's nothing like what you describe....and you made my mouth water...
<SNIP - Walt doesn't enjoy big ugly plastic>
>
> Whichever you choose, digital or film, enjoy doing it. Unless it's
> what puts the bread on your table, it's really, basically, just a
> game, and each one of us gets to make up our own rules as we go along.
>
Amen to that!
--thomas
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