Film strips....an era gone by?

 

I recently bought a new camera and realized in doing so that somewhere in my sleep the world has gone digital. Gone are the days of actual film and processing. Everything is done on a computer now with no need for technique and talent, just a pricey camera and a good software program. The truth is, that even though its exciting to know I can get that awesome shot without a lot of wasted film and money, it makes me sad to see the days of film fade away. Sometimes you appreciate things more when you invest hard work, blood, sweat, and tears in them.

I worked in a Kodak processing lab in the early 2000's.  I learned the art of commercial processing but also the technique and skill of custom processing and restoration.  I had an employee discount on film so I bought a lot of it and shot a plethora of pictures.  I still have all the negatives in boxes in my attic. I had three different cameras and I was always shooting pictures.One of my favorite camera was made by Kodak and it shot Panoramics. They were so cool. I did scrapbooking for a while and people always oodled and awed at the panoramics.

Anyway, there is something magical about standing in a dark room, the smell of the chemicals, the feel of the paper, and the gradual appearance of the image in paper. Its a technique and talent swiftly gone by, and its sad.

I love my new DSLR, but I get a little nostalgic for the traditional photos of the days before digital. Looking at print sheets and choosing which 10 photos out of a hundred I was in love with.  Choosing the right film speed, and winding to the next frame.  The waiting to see how they all turned out instead of the instantaneous gratification we now get.

Photo processing booths and kiosk in the parking lots of your local supermarket have all been replaced with coffee houses. Most kids under the age of 20 have never even heard of film. Even the movies are all shot in digital these days.  No more reels.

I guess progress can;t be stopped, and its always about moving forward, like the VHS tape, and the cassette, and vinyl, sometimes we have to let things go. But in the process we sacrifice some of the skill, and art, and passion it takes to be really good at something that suddenly anyone can do.

I love my new camera, and I'm learning all the wonderful things I can do with it, but.....there is something lost in translation when things are to simple.