It has been a while. A lot has happened since I last blogged. I have left NYC went back to San Diego to work for a new company but more importantly I have started down the path of Film Photography. It has been a wild journey of learning, anxiety, and finally getting your rolls back and having this overwhelming feeling of accomplishment as you see the exposures on the roll.
This is Milky way over Mt Hood. This was the final image. “The One”. It is appropriate that this is the final send off for my Canon R5.
Balboa Tower Fuji Acros II
This was my first frame taken from my Canon A-1 (1979). This shot was all luck. Turns out if you don’t touch your film camera for over 5 years things get sticky and the mechanism fails. So how this camera took this photo while in its deteriorated state is beyond me.
Balboa Tower from SD Zoo - Kodak Ektar 100
Film tested every fiber of my being, it was relearning photography all over again. While on paper the concept of this photograph was wonderful. I did not meter this correctly and I tried my best to pull all the details but film can only be stretched so far. Digital you can almost do anything you want to it. Film is a lot stricter and this lesson is the hardest to learn that I have to be near perfect (+/-2 stops) every time because recovery is nearly impossible.
The Immaculata Catholic Church at University of San Diego - Lomography Purple
However while being tested I learned about the wonder characteristics of different film stocks and what they are best used for. “Picking the film is half of the art”. During the early stages I was getting crazy with the different films that were out there. I have only ever heard of Kodak but I was surprised when I went on a deep dive to see the plethora of choices. Lomo Purple is one of my favorites, I love its unique looks and how the foliage turns pink, making the image look out of worldly.
One of the most important lessons that film has taught me is that “the photo doesn’t have to be perfect”. With digital cameras I would look for the slightest imperfections even though the photo was compositionally very good. Film taught me slow down and really think about what you are shooting and even if there was a minor hiccup. It is okay.
Petco Park - Kodak Portra 400
Light leak on Hasselblad 500c/m at Petco Park
The other lesson is with patience and maintenance. The camera gear I am using all date back to the 50s-80s. As a result sometimes they don’t operate 100% like they should. While I was upset that the photo didn’t turn out, my mentality went from “what did I do wrong” to “I can always go back and try again”.
On a side note, there is a huge responsibility in owning these older cameras ensuring they get the maintenance they require otherwise bad days like this one will happen more frequently when maintenance is neglected.
Star of India - Cinestill 400D
After going through (and still going through) all those trials and tribulations. There are times like these where the planets aligned and you get one of the best images you have taken on film. I remember the process of taking this photo like it happened yesterday, it took me almost 5 minutes to get this shot between constantly checking focus, moving the frame around, and the light meter and I for the first time agreed on exposure.