Why are you still shooting film

5 Replies to “Why are you still shooting film”

1. Somebody said

   “This plus I love the old cameras, collecting affordable gear, like having a camera that works w/o a battery or the battery lasts for years, like playing with different film emulsions, like developing my black and white negs, like making my own wet-process prints, like being able to shoot at ISO settings higher than 200 with outs spending $1000 give or take for a DSLR kit for the privilege, prefer not to spend hours tweaking images in photoshop, dislike finicky ink jets, and they’re just – to me, way more fun. More focus on photography, less on technology bits, bytes, software, and mega pixels.

   Why do you still shoot film?

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2. Bill Mattocks said,

   “I shoot both film and digital. I use the tool that I think is appropriate to the job at hand, considering the tools I have available to me, and my ability (or lack of same) with techno tools such as The Gimp, my film scanner, etc. Sometimes it is a toss up which would be more appropriate; sometimes the choice is clear to me. I don’t expect others to have the same answers, their tools, levels of confidence and ability and needs will all be different than mine.

   I *prefer* to shoot B&W film – it is superior to the digital cameras I have available to me at this time. But the work is slow, for me, compared to my abilities to post-process digital photos. So for paid work, I go with digital unless there is an over-riding reason why not. I see them both as tools. I use them both as I see fit.

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3. “Emotion or feeling is really the only thing about pictures I find interesting. Beyond that it is just a trick.” – Christopher Anderson, Magnum Photog

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4. Bob said,

   “Two reasons in order of importance (to me):

   1.) Results
   2.) Process

   Results: I shoot primarily b&w for personal expression. I have not yet been able to come close to producing acceptable b&w results digitally. Color is a different issue and my digital color work is fine. I get my best results, and deepest satisfaction, using traditional methods.

   Process: I work with computers for a living. When I want to use my emotions and my brain in a different way doing photography I don’t want to stick a computer up to my eye, capture an image, and then spend time in front of yet another computer coaxing and acceptable image out of a software package and onto a print. Digital cameras are far more a computer than a camera. My M2 and M6 have no modes…thank GOD.”

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5. TKLuck said,

   “I like analog toys. I like intuitive controls. (I know, a Kiev/Contax couldn’t be intuitive to anybody but a mechanical engineer, but then I are one…).I know how to do it. I have the gear. Given enough time I can make a clockwork camera in my basement. (at my age, health-risk tables indicate that I shouldn’t bother to start…)
   Film is permanent, archival. I’ve printed my grandfather’s glass negs. Digital is magical. Black magical. Steals your soul, not an image of it. Hard to get subjects to give up toenail clippings… But it is a good substitute for the old Polaroid. Check the shot, bracket your exposure, toss the Polaroid. And you don’t have to stick it under your arm pit to develop it in cold weather.

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