Back in the film photography days...

Louisa Wysong Photography wrote:

icepics wrote: Those of us who shoot film probably have learned and developed different techniques. It doesn't seem as unlimited when you have 24-36 frames per roll compared to the number of images you can store on a media card. So I suppose it does make you think about getting your framing accurate, your exposure done properly, etc.

I guess it's all relative as to what's easier or what works better; for color photos I think it's a lot easier to drop off film at a camera store or drop it in an envelope and get my negatives and prints back already processed than to spend time on the computer organizing and printing photos etc. (and I do minimal processing). With B&W it's way more time consuming to do darkroom work, but I enjoy the hands-on process and I like the quality of the prints - it's not necessarily better it's just different (the paper is different, the surface is different etc. etc.)

You're probably right Happy, using film probably does make you think before you release the shutter, and as Joves is saying learning to shoot film could help a photographer develop skills that could be used shooting digitally.

Your just doin it because u think its cool

Digital has no match for Large Format film. There are still uses. Sweeping stereotypes are boring.

Scotty wrote:

Louisa Wysong Photography wrote:

icepics wrote: Those of us who shoot film probably have learned and developed different techniques. It doesn't seem as unlimited when you have 24-36 frames per roll compared to the number of images you can store on a media card. So I suppose it does make you think about getting your framing accurate, your exposure done properly, etc.

I guess it's all relative as to what's easier or what works better; for color photos I think it's a lot easier to drop off film at a camera store or drop it in an envelope and get my negatives and prints back already processed than to spend time on the computer organizing and printing photos etc. (and I do minimal processing). With B&W it's way more time consuming to do darkroom work, but I enjoy the hands-on process and I like the quality of the prints - it's not necessarily better it's just different (the paper is different, the surface is different etc. etc.)

You're probably right Happy, using film probably does make you think before you release the shutter, and as Joves is saying learning to shoot film could help a photographer develop skills that could be used shooting digitally.

Your just doin it because u think its cool

Digital has no match for Large Format film. There are still uses. Sweeping stereotypes are boring.

True. Like there was this guy once who used Large Format at my school. He accidently poured liquid ajax on it an made some really weird pictures.

Stealthy Ninja wrote: So it sucks then?

Nope, only photographs and photographers suck. It's a poor craftsman that blames the tools, and such...

Louisa Wysong Photography wrote: Your just doin it because u think its cool

That's the only reason anyone I personally know who uses film is still using it.

Scotty wrote: Digital has no match for Large Format film. There are still uses. Sweeping stereotypes are boring.

The most common sweeping generalization has been that we all woke up one morning and decided to ditch quality in favor of convenience. It's insulting! No one who regularly hauled a 4x5 camera around made the transition like that. We did extensive personal testing, and made our choices based on what we saw with our own eyes.

Henry Peach wrote:

Louisa Wysong Photography wrote: Your just doin it because u think its cool

That's the only reason anyone I personally know who uses film is still using it.

Scotty wrote: Digital has no match for Large Format film. There are still uses. Sweeping stereotypes are boring.

The most common sweeping generalization has been that we all woke up one morning and decided to ditch quality in favor of convenience. It's insulting! No one who regularly hauled a 4x5 camera around made the transition like that. We did extensive personal testing, and made our choices based on what we saw with our own eyes.

Pretty much. I know a lot of people who shoot film because they still get great results. To them if it's not broke, don't fix it. As much as I tease about film, I really only care about the photo.

Henry Peach wrote:

Louisa Wysong Photography wrote: Your just doin it because u think its cool

That's the only reason anyone I personally know who uses film is still using it.

Scotty wrote: Digital has no match for Large Format film. There are still uses. Sweeping stereotypes are boring.

The most common sweeping generalization has been that we all woke up one morning and decided to ditch quality in favor of convenience. It's insulting! No one who regularly hauled a 4x5 camera around made the transition like that. We did extensive personal testing, and made our choices based on what we saw with our own eyes.

Well maybe the people you know are doing it to be cool, but I also know some who are just starting out that are doing it to learn the whole art old school. I know because I have helped a few. Then there is the matter of initial costs for some. Face it you can buy a film camera with a lens dirt cheap now. I do this myself, but I could careless about the body, I have picked up lenses at a fraction of what they cost at garage sales, pawns, and some auctions. The other thing for the people who cannot afford the initial cost of digital is they are at least getting started, and with film they can shoot now, and not when they eventually save the money maybe 6 or more months down the line. What I taught the film people I have met is what I was taught from my start, and that is keep notes on settings, film, filtration, and time of day to learn. I actually think these newer shooters will be better than than the majority those who have only ever shot digital, because they will learn to think critically before snapping off that frame. So they when they can move to digital will probably produce more keepers when they shoot. They will not have the attitude of why worry I can fix in post, which is pervasive today.
Which brings me to another point in that saying that people are shooting film to be hipsters, or cool is a generalization in itself.

Film is just a whole 'nother ball game in itself. Uing a particular brand or type can really rev up the saturation or color casts. if you use the wrong film it can really ruin your output ( try tungsten film in daylight or low speed film in low light hand held or... you get my gist. it takes thought and you can't change ISO on the fly either. So the process takes a good degree of thought before you fly out the door to go shooting. Being hip or cool doesn't cut it in the film world. I for one am glad to have spent years perfecting my skills on film. There is a lot of joy in shooting film that doesn't come with digital although I find the convenience of digital to be unsurpassed. I don't have to develop a relationship with the lab techs like I used to have in the film days so the interpersonal part is gone too- it's a lot more solitary work at the computer now.