I once read that without boundaries there is no freedom. That’s a tough one to sort out at first, but when you think of it, in life, when we can go anywhere and do anything, we can loose focus and end up wishing we were somewhere else doing something different.
Living within our boundaries, if we are determined to improve our income, ie: get a good job, excel at it and make higher than average money, we then can afford ourselves the freedom to go to places that we dream of: vacation spots…or even move to “there”.
In photography, by using a “limiting” medium such as film, we force ourselves to see a little better and not shoot anything that crosses our path. You trade pixel perfection for a little clarity and vision. You trade safety for edge, and you end up gaining confidence that the real photographic experience is not at the sales counter or computer, but at the moment of capture.
Gerry - 1953 Rolleiflex Zeiss 2.8C w/Kodak Ektar 100
Wally's Harley - Canon Rebel 2000, Zeiss 85, Kodak Portra 160 VC.
When all is said and done, it matters not so much the method of capture, film or digital: they both have their advantages. It does matter what lens you use and why. It does matter where you stand and when you snap the shutter.
For many, digital ends up becoming the fast food of photography. Pictures are just machine-gunned every time out and little is thought about Vision.
i think we agree on this. nice post on your love for film btw.
Rob, you are right on the mark with your comment…
“For many, digital ends up becoming the fast food of photography. Pictures are just machine-gunned every time out and little is thought about Vision”.
Vision is what sets people apart in this ever-more-crowded world of photography. I believe that when we slow down, take a look, and are more deliberate about our picture making, we’re more likely to be successful. While the technical learning curve associated with photography has been shortened by the immediacy of digital photography, I fear that the “style” or “vision” part of it may be more difficult for those who didn’t have the opportunity to shoot film, especially slide film.
To make the analogy closer to your statement….we all know if we’re hungry and in a hurry, we may stop at Burger King…but if we want a really great tasting burger, we swing over to Kruger’s for some freshly ground top sirloin, go home, drag out the Kingsford and, with a cold Bud light in one hand; fire up the Weber grill!
Anyway Rob, thanks for a great post.
Cheers,
Karl
Thanks, Karl. Can’t wait to see your latest images…
Nice post Rob, so true. Love the Harley shot as well…Perfect light…it’s super sexy!