THANK YOU.
Lots of good discussion around my last film, “Film is Holding You Back.” Mostly a give and take, but some profoundly interesting twists demanding a little more explanation, and a few follow-up questions based on correspondence.The good news? Lots of people are shooting and enjoying film. Most have valid reasons, while others do not. I was gifted with some puzzling responses, some defensiveness, and a few startling admissions. In the end, no one is hurting anyone else, but for someone who has spent their life around this business, just too good not to follow up on. Yes, a chicken fell out. Yes, my head itches, and yes, I solved my squirrel problem.
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Tragically, anyone who took you seriously the first time will miss this follow-up for at least six months.
Do you respond to portfolio critique requests by email, or do you attach Hook-Kick.mov files in a blank response? I was unclear about that after watching the first video. I would have thought that you came to your conclusion about frequent portfolio issues (like having a random assortment of images without a narrative) by all your panel work – not by email correspondence.
My main challenges are the same regardless of whether or not I use film or digital: access and time. I find it hard to get access to the photography subjects I am interested in. When I do, I rarely can spend enough time with them. Film increases the difficulty for me. I prefer the whole analog process, though, so I default to it when I can.
Author
That’s normal. Difficult access, not enough time. This is where film will potentially hold you back. Maybe begin with digital, then build trust and time, and then return to film. As for portfolios, now it’s mostly judging contests and live events for Blurb. I do get people sending me folders of images, but I have so little time to deal with those.
Thanks, you make a good point.
By the way, I did try switching back to digital a few days after your video. I attended an event despite the absurd heatwave in the northeast. I took 213 photographs and sent out 53 images total to 11 participants the next morning. 10 of them replied to say ‘thank you,’ so presumably 40 of the frames were usable.
C-41 film averages around $2 per frame for me, including purchase, lab development, and lab scanning. I would have exposed about 160 frames on film because around 1/4 of the shots were bursts in continuous high mode to catch quick gestures or expressions.
So, I saved $320 and about a month of turnaround time. Two to three months if I scanned and developed myself. Sometimes, I do wonder if brands send popular figures free boxes of film because this would be challenging to accomplish once a week.
Author
I’m sure influencers are getting some goodies. I used to get pre-release film from Kodak, but I wasn’t an influencer. I was something actually using the film professionally. I just gave away a bunch of pre-release Portra.
Hodaka 100….great bike
Author
Any bike is potentially a good one. Have wheels will travel.
After your first film about film holding you/us/people back I had to make notes….In my journal, not saying…..just saying.
Anyway, it reminded me about a thought process I went through a few years ago, I got trapped in the gear not the images hell. I mentioned it once before, I had to film(video) a band on tour and I essentially just broke my back carrying too much stuff and still used my go to set up.
My point is, when I came to the end of that tour I sold all that gear off and did a little self discovery and I toyed with “only shooting film” because we had to shoot film and only film at college but, I enjoyed shooting film when I was at college because:
– I had access to a dark room and essentially unlimited chemicals. Paper and film was my own but even just the constant access to processing made it exciting.
– I also had to critique and be critiqued by my tutors and peers.
– I was also shooting all day, every day.
The act of spending time and money on sending film away to be processed isn’t fun for me. Some of my favourite images are on my “old” digital cameras which is because I was shooting full-time, not because those cameras where better. The hard truth is that I am not good enough any more to waste that time and money on film, digital solves that for me. I can technically shoot any camera because I understand the theory of exposure, the thing that matters to me is if the camera that I have is convenient enough for me to actually chuck around my neck and take it with me.
Sorry a bit of a rant, love the films about film!
Author
That makes sense, and was much the same for me. When I had the tools around me, great. But for those on a learning curve, it can be a bit tricky.
I got my first digital SLR from AirMiles points. After having not used my old film camera in eons, and our wonderful Yashica film point and shoot dying, I had to relearn everything- the exposure triangle, etc. I practiced at the beach, at the fish market, on my friends and family, and whatever local wildlife poked its head out of the bushes. Thank goodness all of this was free, and could be easily deleted. We had no money for film or printing at the time. I built a FrankenTripod out of spare parts from garage sales- steady as a rock, but very heavy. Upgraded tripod, and I gradually upgraded by trading DSLR and old film camera to help pay for better DSLR (better lens, less noise at higher ISOs), and then did the same again with the switch to mirrorless, which has made taking photos at blue hour, night time and in the fog way easier. Next camera/lens combo will weigh less. While travelling, I take my camera and a 38mm f1.8 with me, very lightweight, has image stabilization, which lots of inexpensive nifty fiftys do not. It’s also an unobtrusive street camera with that lens on it. I love the flippy screen, the touch screen focusing at night. Tap the blurry shape in the distance in the fog at night, perfect focus, which you can also check at the time by enlarging the playback screen. I do not miss film, except for the physical printing process, where a lab tech mixed the chemicals, and I got free film and paper from the little photo lab I worked at doing customer service, which did involve everyone gathered around the big printer laughing at people’s embarrassing photos.
Now I feel like a have the perfect storage solution for my photos- books. My kids will keep those around, instead of just pressing delete on my computer. Still working away on the first book, but making steady progress. Next up are travel books, and a “portfolio” book of my design projects from my last job, so I can enjoy the memories.
Author
Yes! Books! Another thing that scares a lot of folks. Books are a masterclass.
There is no definitive edit until there is a print(s), either a physical print, a book, a zine, a magazine etc.
Author
Amen, brother.