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[OM] Packing for two weeks - Going all Rockwell on you.

Subject: [OM] Packing for two weeks - Going all Rockwell on you.
From: Ken Norton <ken@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:55:35 -0500
Late next month we're planning a couple weeks in the mountainous west. After
the past several years of inflated gear hauling requirements, I'm
approaching this one totally different. For the first time in years, I'm
going to be 100% film--unless, of course, that new E-Pen magically appears
on the bag, but I suspect that my priorities will probably negate that
purchase unless the price is 1/2 of what I'm expecting it to be and then I'd
have to possibly reconsider.
In practical terms, what does this mean?

1. No computer.
2. No battery chargers.
3. No backup storage devices.
4. Smaller cameras and lenses.
5. Time exposures.
6. One camera bag, One tripod.
7. One small cooler carrying the film.
8. No need to buy a new camera for the trip, which means....
9. I can buy a new ND-Grad filter and a ton of Velvia.

Without electrical needs, we are fully liberated from the need to access
electricity. This means we can free-camp in neat places. As a photographer,
it liberates me from the slavery of planning for post, and artistically,
this forces me to make the image more compelling before pressing the
shutter.  With the OM-3Ti I'm also at full liberty to shoot extensive
time-exposures without fear. The one picture I wanted to get of the stars
rotating over the Great Sand Dunes can now happen.  If it is cold up at
altitude, I don't need to worry about battery fatigue.

I'm sure, between now and then I'll go through a dozen variations of
equipment selection, but it's actually pretty simple--all I have to do is go
back five or six years and see what and how I packed. The primary variations
has to do with the addition of another camera body (I have three OM bodies
now instead of two) and lenses (300/4.5 and 35-80). Most other additions and
changes really don't apply too much to this as I'm less likely to use
motordrives and T45 flashes when hiking. My kit before digital was very
concise and effective--no fat. All the major focal lengths were covered,
with just the duplication at 35mm of the 35/2.8 and Joel's 35/shift. When
you don't have much, it's easy to pack--you just take everything. ;)

Yet, Mr. Rockwell has gotten under my skin.  The guy creeps out most two and
four-legged occupants of this planet, but sometimes he's actually right. I
disagree with him about backpack-style camera bags and tripods, but
otherwise I think his current analysis about film being a viable system for
high-quality images is right on. Especially so, as it pertains to travelling
and logistics.  It doesn't get any easier than to just stuff exposed film
into mailers and dropping them off at the nearest post-office or throwing
them back into a cooler with a day tag sticker on the canister.

Throughout all these "retro" discussions, the defenders of the new normal
will say "you can shoot digital just like film--you don't need to take a
computer with you and you can just pack extra batteries and CF cards."
 True, you can.  But do you?  Nope.  It's the gestalt of looking back at
what you just shot today, not planning and thinking about what you are going
to shoot tomorrow. I have yet to meet anybody who says that you can pack
digital like film actually do so.

With digital, I shoot more, but keep less. With film, I shoot less, but keep
nearly every shot. Instead of 20 shots of a single scene with
chimp-adjust-chimp-adjust between each shot, I take maybe two shots (always
take an in-camera dupe of a top-dog shot) and then I'm onto the next
composition. There is no need to keep tweaking and trying to get that last
ounce out of the scene and then trashing the whole sequence later during the
sort-and-select process as the picture just doesn't work for some reason.

My one major concession to change is a change in B&W films. Instead of my
standby slow speed PanF, I'm going to probably shift over to FP4+ because of
the unique tonalities which are anything but linear. I want to get as far
away from the "digital look" as possible.  I'll still use some PanF for some
shots, but FP4+ has a look which is finally starting to grow on me.  As to
color films, I'll be primarily using Velvia 100 in the OMs. That stuff is
GOOOOOOOD!

So, at that highway scenic lookout, when the "best dressed" photographers
are all sporting 5D Mk2 or A900 cameras, I'll be there climbing over the
fence and going where others dare not with my OMs.  If I want to show off,
I'll hang a big lens on the front of the OM-3Ti.

AG
-- 
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