So, when I was at the Denver Chalk Art Festival last month I was walking around with my Mamiya 645. It's a manual camera that is pretty big. Anyway, I was snapping away... well "thwaking" away really. This thing has the loudest mirror slap, it's music to my ears. I was shooting the artists and all around me were hundreds, it seemed, of folks with DSLRs. But it seemed that every time I pressed the shutter release, every bodies head turned to see what in the world kind of camera I was shooting. One guy even walked up to me and just stared at the camera in my hand. Funny.

Mamiya 645 S1000, 80mm F2.8 @ 1/1000 Fuji 160C

The thing that I kept seeing at the festival, was folks walking around the crowd with their nose in the screen on the back of their camera. I had a blast. I got to talk to the artists, hang out with my wife, AND take some nice photos. But my nose wasn't in the back of the camera. My wife appreciates that. I guess that's what I am trying to say, is that when you shoot, you should keep an awareness of the things around you. It makes the people your with much happier and you won't miss the next shot because you nose is in the back of your camera.

I was in the airport in Salt Lake City headed back home after a great week at Sundance Resort. I was going through the security line and had my camera gear hand checked and they asked if they could inspect and swab the bag etc. The officer was a great guy and we chatted a bit about the weather and our visit. Then he opened my bag and saw all of my film gear and film. His reaction was pretty cool, "Oh, nice camera. So, you still shoot film? You must really know what you're doing."

Mamiya 645 1000S, 80mm f2.8, 45 sec @ F16, Kodak Portra 160NC

That made me wonder, has the art and craft of photography been cheapened and viewed as "easy" by the masses because of the digital revolution? Has the safety net of that little screen on the back of a digital camera given people the sense that good photography is just as easy as pushing that button? I think it has. People ask me how I know that I am getting what I want when I shoot. The simple answer is I know because I know my gear, and I am shooting film. When I shoot film I tend to over shoot so I usually get some great surprises along with what I planned to get. I hardly get anything unexpected other than the usual eye blinks etc. 

The funny thing is I get just as many "bad" shots when I shoot digital as when I shoot film. To be honest, negative film is so forgiving that I can get more "keepers" out of a roll of film because of the films latitude. Now, any digital shooter worth his/her salt will tell you that the only way to shoot is with digital RAW file format. It's true there is a lot of latitude with that format but you have to spend time in front of the computer to actually pull it all out into the image. The film today is so forgiving that it is like an analog version of the RAW format. Without the computer work. Very nice.

I took some time off last week and headed up to the Sundance Resort just outside of Park City, Utah. What an amazingly quiet and restfull place that is. Getting away and unplugging probably was one of the best things I could have done for my creative mojo. Removing all distractions and focusing on what really is important just for a few days was so refreshing that it allowed my creative mind to flow back into my day to day.

Mamiya 645, 80mm 1/60th @ F2.8, Kodak Portra 160NC

I was getting ready for a hike and had my photo back pack open to pull out my Mamiya 645 to carry around first. I closed up the bag (I thought) and flung it on my back. That's when I heard it... CHUNK! That's right, I clipped the bag shut but didn't zip in shut too. Well, when I flung the pack on my back my Nikon F4 was thrown out of the pack. It landed right on the black top path I was standing on, crushing the prism/viewfinder. Ugh. I thought to myself "Great, I have all my lenses for this camera and now I can't use it". Plan B.

All I had left to shoot with was the Mamiya still in my hand, and the lens it had on it, 80mm. That was it. Not that it's a bad camera at all, but I just didn't know it that well and I didn't have a wide angle for it. Just the standard 80MM f2.8 lens. After I got over the disappointment of crushing my viewfinder and prism I was thrilled with the challenge of shooting with the Mamiya. What a blast. I haven't had this much fun in a long time. the challenge of trying to capture the image I wanted with one lens was so good for me. It changed the way I thought about the image and what was acceptable to me. I started to get better images than what I actually thought I wanted in the first place. That was really fun. If you want to stretch your creativity put one lens on your camera for a roll (because you shoot film, right) and see what you come up with. Be prepared to be set free, its fun.

The viewfinder is due to be fixed by next week...

So Last week we had a little Bar-B-Q at the Hillside School in Boulder. My youngest went there for a few years and I can't say enough good things about it. Anyway, while I was following the kids around the grounds I had my TLR with me. I was shooting some Kodak Portra NC in this beautiful light as the evening sun went down and I was blown away with how every shot came out fantastic straight out of the camera. I mean I didn't have to do a thing to the images on the roll. I love this stuff! I mean, compared to shooting chrome this stuff is fool proof. Anyone can shoot this film and have fantastic images without have to do any post processing.

It got me wondering, since when did having to do post processing become a must? I mean, Formula 1 drivers don't work on the cars, they leave that to the professionals. There is nothing wrong with wanting to do post processing on your images. If you enjoy it great, but I shoot a lot and I can't imagine having to spend tons of time working on an image after I shoot it that I could have gotten right in camera and not spent any time at all on it. After all these were only meant to be snap shots, and they look awesome without any work.

So, my challenge to you if you are a photo enthusiast or pro is to see how close you can get to your final image in camera. Good luck.

Yashica 12 TLR, 1/500th @ F3.5, Kodak Portra NC 160

I was thinking about how the digital revolution in photography has impacted our world on a sustainable point of view. There are two things in particular that I have thought about. The first is, a sustainable business in photography today. With cameras that come out every 6 months that level the field "technically". Less and less technical skill is needed to achieve a decent level of photography resulting in a flood of mediocre photographic images. ""Good enough" has become the standard. Ironically, I think that is the key to standing out today. It is easier to stand out among the flood today, than say 10 years ago when you had to be a fantastic photographer to stand out. If you can bring a higher level of vision and creativity to your photographs today then your work will be a stark contrast to the ordinary stuff out there.

Patio Fireplace at the Renaissance Orlando at SearWorld Nikon F4, Tokina 24-70, Kodak E200

The other part of the sustainability thing is what happens to all the gear every time you have to upgrade to the next best camera? Where do all the raw materials come from when new gear is made at such a rapid pace? And how much money really needs to be spent on upgrading a camera that could have otherwise been put to a better use like feeding or clothing someone? I mean $4,000 - $8,000 or more every year or two on camera bodies? Wow, that's a lot. Remember about the standing out above the sea of ordinary photographs? The camera won't make you stand out, it's your vision and creativity, not the camera. Don't fall into the upgrade trap if you can avoid it. Rent gear if you must, but you don't always have to buy that gear because you think it will give you the edge. Your creativity will give you the edge. Shoot with a Holga, if it fits your creativity, and you get the upgrade with what you put in the camera... the film. Film technology is fantastic and is an affordable upgrade, environmentally, and economically. Some would say that film is not a green tech, but I beg to differ. It has been around for over a 100 years and we are doing just fine with it. I mean, the plastic is what we want to keep right? And it doesn’t take a battery to keep the image on some device once it’s taken, it’s just there..

Think about this. A Hasselblad H3 or H4 system costs up to $30,000 or an H1 system for $1,200 (that stays out of a land fill and not producing a new H3/4). That leaves enough money left over to buy 8,500+ rolls of the latest greatest, highest tech film around. That's a heck of a lot of film, and the greatest thing is, you only pay for the film when you use it. Not in one big chunk. Creative imagery + using film = sustainable photography.

If you’re like me you are always carrying a camera around with you so when you see a photo you can take a quick capture and move on with whatever you were doing. Sometimes there are things I pass buy everyday and think "I need to take a shot of that", but at the same time you think "I will get it next time I come by". Well guess what, things change. I have learned that a photograph is only there for an instant, even if you think you see it over and over. The light will never be exactly the same again or the colors may not be as intense the next time you get around to taking that photo.

The image above was something I used to see every day. I would walk past this spot outside of an office building as I was going in all the time. One day a few weeks back I took advantage of some snow falling and went back to shoot this shot that I had in my mind for a while. Good thing I did! As of today it is gone. The tree and junipers have been removed for some updated landscaping. If I had waited much longer to shoot this one I wouldn't have it to add to my black and white images. So I learned a lesson, again, that you should always shoot it when you see it because it may never be there again.

Nikon F4, Tokina 28-70, Kodak TX 400, red filter

Photography reminds me a lot about the gold rush days. Especially digital photography. In the gold rush days people were trying to get to the gold as fast as they could. They didn't really think before they left to stake their claim. Well, we all know how those old miners ended up. Mostly broke, some dead and very few became rich. The folks that really made out like bandits were the guys selling the shovels, picks and pans to these miners. Any new product that "helped" them find the gold, or get the gold easier was peddled to them. Some were really wacky too. How does this have anything to do with photography? Easy, digital photography is the new gold field of creativity. Promises of great photos the "easy" way. "Just buy this thingy, or use my new action set to make your photos look like a pro!" If you’re not careful you can become the old 49r of a photographer by falling for the latest gadget or software.

Always remember to practice and work at your photography. That is the single best and cheapest way to improve your images. Remember that some of the most iconic images made in history were made with simple manual cameras. The photographer makes the difference between a good photo and a great one not the gear or software. Don't fall for the snake oil sales man selling the killer action. Just practice, you will be pleasantly surprised.

Nikon F4, Nikkor 50mm, 1/60th sec at F1.4, Tri-X 400 in XTOL

 There is something to the handmade wet print that just speaks to me. I think is has to do with the work and thought that goes into making them. It’s always like magic when the image appears in the tray but it goes way beyond that. The little baby steps, the subtle changes between test prints that is the journey to the final print that is so darn fun. It’s hard work to be sure, but the reward is measured by the effort put into it. There are phrases that come to mind, “you get out of it, what you put into it” and “anything worth doing is worth doing well”.

Another aspect of the wet print is the fact that it was made with the touch of my hand. Not just on the print but on the tools that make the print. From the knobs on my enlarger, to the filters I choose and slide in front of the lens. It is real, in this world, a physical process that produces a physical result. It’s not some bits and bytes displayed on a screen that has no physical properties. It is real, and will always be real.

I got a direct mail marketing piece in the mail from a well known printer company advertizing the new printer that prints really nice big prints. It even states it prints beautiful black and white prints at the touch of a button. Well, we all know it takes much more work to get a fantastic print from one of these than just pushing a button.  Any way it does look really nice but I saw the price and just about fell over. $1,195.00! On sale, holy cow! That doesn’t include paper and ink. I don’t get why so many people have abandoned the darkroom to make prints, especially when an entry level printer costs so darn much. Oh well, to each his/her own. Mine is hand made in the dark, I like it that way.

Nikon F4, Tokina 28-70, 2 sec @ f8 TRI-X 400 pushed two stops (1600 iso)

In my last post I confessed how much I like to shoot film. One of the reasons I like to shoot it so much is that I can stay engaged with what/who I am photographing. That little screen on the back of digital cameras distracts me so much that I stop interacting with my subjects. I stop thinking of what the next shot could be. I love to work in a stream of thought that is a constant flow from shot to shot. I just can’t get that mojo going when I am looking at the back of a camera after every shot. Sure I can put tape over the screen but I’m not the only one who wants to look at that screen.  My clients and models always want to see that last shot. So, there goes that magic feeling and the creative stream.

I was reading the March issue of PDN and there is an article in it called “Art and Commerce”, by Coner Risch. Turns out Joanna Ewing, the Art Director in charge of Urban Outfitters catalog department, thinks shooting digital takes the creative flow out of the process too. She requires all photographers to shoot film. Her reason for this, is that, she feels the process of shooting film is more fluid. She says the digital shoot had a “stilting” effect. Mostly because of the instant feedback that makes everyone want to look at that last shot, even the model.  I read that and said to myself “that’s it, that’s why I enjoy the film shoot so much more.”

The article goes on to discuss how film isn’t really any more expensive because there are added costs do a digital shoot that a film shoot doesn’t have. It really is about the same cost when you boil it all down. Joanna also talked about using mood boards and how she tries to get the “look” down before proceeding. It’s a really good article. If you subscribe you can check it out online at pdnonline.com or just go buy the issue. It’s worth it.

 Nikon F4, sigma 70-300mm lens and Kodak TX400, devloped in Xtol. 

I hate following the herd. Period. That's just the kind of guy I am. I don't buy the next thing that comes out just because someone else did. One thing that has come with the digital age that I have been thinking about lately is waist. More on that in another post. With photography it's easy for someone to think that the next piece of gear is going to make them a better photographer and I just don't belive that. The best tool a photographer has is his/her mind and eyes. The gear is just an extension of the artists vision. So with that said, I love to shoot film. There, I said it. I don't usually mention my methods of capture because it really shouldn't matter. But in this day and age of better, faster gear coming out every week (it seems like it anyway) it's hard to say "I love to shoot film" without getting a weird look from someone. Don't get me wrong, I shoot digital if I have to, and there are plenty of times wehn I do. But my heart is with film. It's sort of like a secret club with us film shooters now a days. Like when Harley riders wave the peace sign at each other when they pass on the road. "It's a film thing". Anyway, I want to encourage anyone out there who used to shoot film to go out and shoot a roll just for kicks. If you have never shot a roll in your life then by all means, go shoot some. You will be so supprised at the results. You may think of film as "Old Technology" but it's not. It's just different technology. So, zig every once and a while, be a rebel and shoot some film. 

All but 3 images on my website are shot with film. See if you can guess what ones were shot with a digital camera. If you think you can tell, let me know what your guess is, and I will tell you if you are right or not.