In the beginning, there was only film. And it was good.
And on the second day (actually the year 2000), digital cameras
started appearing in the consumer market and film was virtually left for dead
in less than a decade, a stunning turn of events considering that film was the
dominant photography media for eighty years.
Today, the dwindling demand for film has killed off many
emulsions, leaving the selection of film stock limited and ever shrinking.
However, there is a small renaissance of film by photography enthusiasts who
appreciate the experience of shooting with film.
Digital offers a lot of advantages for the photographer, and
like most I do shoot digital on many occasions and assignments. However in my
spare time and capacity, I enjoy shooting film for my own pleasure, and here
are some reasons why film continue to appeal to me…
Feelings of
permanence
In that fraction of a second when an image is exposed on
film, I know that the moment is captured eternally on emulsion, forever etched
in silver. When the image is immutable and unchangeable, encased in a strip of
celluloid, it gives me the feeling of permanence and importance accorded to a
single unchanging moment.
Feeling of being
there
I came across an article that resonated with my experience
with film. The author came across some old film taken by his dad during the
Vietnam War. The awareness that the piece of film in his hand actually came
from the battlefield and passed through his dad’s hand as he loaded it into his
camera connected him to his dad and the war. Likewise, holding the film I shot
when I was much younger brings back much nostalgia.
Deliberate
consideration during shooting
Each 35mm roll holds a maximum of 36 images, with medium
format yielding much less. The realization of limited opportunities, coupled
with the rising prices of film, makes one more conscious and selective about
composition, lighting and subjects before the finger hits the shutter button.
Instills discipline
to get it right
Of course one can digitize film images through scanning and
edit the images digitally, but the tonal range is much more restricted by the
scanner quality compared to shooting digitally out right. That makes digital
editing more tedious, and instills a little more discipline in getting it right
during exposure. It’s not such a RAW deal after all (pun intended).
Second-guessing is
not an option
Incessantly reviewing digital images after every shot is so
common that there is a name for such behavior. “Chimping” is named after the
“ooh” and “aah” sounds that photographers make when reviewing their images,
remarkably similar to the calls of excited chimpanzees. Film photographers are
forced by the lack of instant review to be surer of their techniques over time,
forces you to be better technically after every roll. To be fair, they “chimp”
when they get their film or photos back from the lab.
Delayed gratification
Many film photographers accumulate a few rolls of film
before heading to the lab, which means we usually do not get to see them till a
week or a month later. According to famed street photographer Gary Winogrand
(who had 9000 rolls of unseen images when he passed away), waiting to see your
images makes one more objective when you do go around editing them, and I kind
of agree with him.
Zen clarity of a
blank slate
This is a difficult point to discuss with photographers who
have never shot film. When you load in a fresh roll of film into a camera,
there is a certain focus and “quietness of the mind”, like a fresh canvas
placed in front of an artist. Some might rubbish such a notion, but like I said
– you got to try it to feel it.
The dark art of film
It is possible to process film and print photos by oneself,
and with monochrome it is actually pretty simple for the basics. Some do not
like the smell and duration in a darkroom, but the moment of seeing your images
appear in front of your eyes is magical. Digital retouching might be more
powerful and consistent, but the satisfaction of creating a great image in the darkroom
is immense and beyond words.
Mechanical cameras
A big reason why I love film photography is because I get to
use mechanical cameras and manual lenses. You know, the solid chunks of metal
that operates with buttery precision, offering tactile feedback that makes film
photography all the more enjoyable. Philosophers had always said that life is
about the journey and not the destination. It is equally true for photographers
then – enjoy the experience and not just the final image.
At the end of the day…
I love digital photography, and I am relatively competent in
digital editing. But at the end of the day, photography should remain a passion
for me, and that is stroked by the archaic art of film, mechanical camera and
wet processing. Not everyone who tries film photography will love it, but not giving
yourself the opportunity to try it is to deny yourself the chance to the poetic
and beautiful craft of silver halide imaging that generations of photographers
had experienced and loved.
