Film photography as fashion and the decline of the hipster

alienmeatsack

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Zedwardson said:
Getting back on topic, I wonder how much film the Holga's and Lomos ate that where fresh film that kept companies going, or old expired films bought for cheap. I am the first to say that I do not know the answer.
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I am curious about that as well. I know I personally got back into film via a Diana F+, which renewed my love of photography in general. And I know that over the course of the past two years, I've experimented, wasted film, enjoyed films I'd never have used before and I did all of this without being hip or cool or anything. I am just a man who loves photography and the escape it gives me.

And I'd be willing to bet that this forum and forums like it are full of people who've been shooting the same "hip" gear that has come and gone many times as fashion as well as function.

To me, Hipster is no different then Hippy or Preppie. It's just a word used to describe people who are at that moment in time doing a certain thing, whatever that thing is. Has the hipster culture helped keep film alive, I think yes.

Will people waste more precious films as time passes? Yep. Will some of them learn and grow and become photographers who live and breathe the art of photography as a result of trying it as an accessory? Yep.

All the rest of us can do is do what we love and share our love with others and be ourselves.

To this day, I still see what one might call Hipsters out and about and I have NEVER seen one with a camera. I am the one with the camera, me and my friend. And the few film photographers I do see when I am shooting or whatever are usually older gentlemen who have a certain look that they probably have had for a very long time.
 

removed account4

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StoneNYC said:
:munch:
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stone it seems that a few pages of this thread had tp do with comments people made while you were making photographs .. were you using your 4/5? were they giving you life changing advice and insisting they knew how to
run your "commercial enterprise" ? or were they just overly curious
and annoying you because you were busy and didnt want to be chatty
 
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Ken Nadvornick

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:munch:
 

Sirius Glass

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Tony Egan said:
Well, if beards and tattoos are the price I have to pay to keep film alive then I guess I'll have to keep practicing looking the other way!
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Many of the men at APUG have beards. Perhaps even so APUG women have beards, but I never bothered to check. You are the one who is out of step with the rest of us in APUG.

I think any market expansion that helps film survive is a step in the right direction.
 

Sirius Glass

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:munch::munch::munch::munch::munch:


B-E-L-C-H-!!​
 

Ken Nadvornick

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Two23

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I'm certainly not a hipster--there's no way I'd ever get a tattoo. I still associate them with carnies and ex-cons. However, I have been having fun the past two years using old box cameras. I often do hear, "Can you still get film for that?" I always reply, "No, but I keep using it anyway." Last night I was out with a large Gundlach Korona 5x7 camera taking some photos in a nearby park. I had several people come up and start talking to me about it. They were just interested is all. I've found that when I use one of my classic cameras such as a Leica, Rolleiflex, or Bessa folder it's easier for me to get people to pose for me than when it is when I use my modern Nikon. I find the spirit behind Lomography pretty interesting, actually.


Kent in SD
 

lxdude

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Ken Nadvornick

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Two23 said:
I've found that when I use one of my classic cameras such as a Leica, Rolleiflex, or Bessa folder it's easier for me to get people to pose for me than when it is when I use my modern Nikon.
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Yes, this really was my point too. I call them "novelty" cameras, where the novelty factor is often useful as the initial ice breaker. People who would otherwise be wary and aloof just aren't as threatened by antique or classic cameras. Or, significantly, the photographers who are carrying them.

When acquiring my 4x5 Crown Graphic kit, I made sure that each piece was as close to brand new as possible. And cleaned up those pieces that weren't until they looked like they were. Not because I'm looking for attention. But because I want the camera to generate attention. Participatory portraiture. Not stealth portraiture.

Often the first question asked is "Is that a replica?" "Nope. It's the real deal. A mid-1950s model press camera. Works beautifully." "But it looks brand new!" And at that point I've got 'em hooked.

I do make a point of knowing a little of the history for each camera, and use that as part of my answers to questions. For instance, famous photos made with it that they might recall. Relating interesting stories and anecdotes serves to help put people on a more comfortable peer basis with you. You're simply telling them a fascinating story about a cool-looking old camera.

I do often fib a little by stating that it's a new-to-me camera I'm just trying out. Harmless, and puts people even further at ease, since they're then obviously not the primary "target". Once they are comfortable, you'd be amazed at how many had grandfathers or great uncles that "used one of those" as newspapermen back in the day.



Ken
 
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Zedwardson

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Ken, I found the same thing. I can have my Canon (A typical Elan 7) and while people go "nice camera" its not noteworthy.

I took out my new (to me) Yashica-Mat, and I had younger people fall over themselves to look at it.
 

Ken Nadvornick

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A true "novelty camera" story...

I was out once with the Crown in my local town just walking around. Had the whole-tomato kit going, flashbulbs and all. Three local homeless guys sized me up as I passed them by...

"Hey! Whaddya' think yer' doin'?"

"Uh... Trying out an old camera I just got."

So the Big Guy ambles over for a closer look. Definitely not hipsters, these natural born killers appear to be equal parts angry and unbalanced. He approaches, sees the camera up close... and goes suddenly quiet.

"I haven't seen one of those in years."

A pause, then softly,

"My dad used to have one just like that. He took pictures for the newspaper."

Another pause while he thought about what he had just said, then,

"Will you take my picture? All of us together?"

"Absolutely."

We moved to the side of a nearby brick building ((there was a url link here which no longer exists) actually, before the mural was restored). I asked for their patience, as I always do, while I made the incident light reading, framed, focused, used that focus distance to set the fill-flash aperture, set the shutter for ambient, and then said I was ready.

You should have seen these guys primp themselves up for the picture. It was a really big deal to them. And so it was to me also. The photograph as an event worthy of momentarily pausing everything else.

I never photograph people when they're down for the count. But for the grace of god... However when the novelty camera gets its foot in the door and I'm asked, I also never say no if I still have available film.

So we did the "cheese" thing. They just loved the flashbulb going off. I gave the burned bulb to the Big Guy as a souvenir, as I always do. I knew I couldn't ask for an email address to send a scan, so instead,

"If this turns out would you guys each like a copy?"

The Big Guy thought for a moment, then spoke poignantly for them all,

"No. What would we do with them anyway?"

So I thanked them, shook hands, and we went our separate ways. As I walked away the Big Guy was looking hard at the burned flashbulb in his hand. I don't know what he was thinking...

Ken

Postscript: It was a good thing they said no to prints. The vintage shutter had misfired slow, causing the negative to be grossly overexposed. It was this incident that prompted me to send the shutter to Carol Flutot for her world famous glam-makeover treatment. It now works pretty much as-new, with reliable and repeatable speeds across the range.
 
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GRHazelton

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But for the grace....


Great, poignant story. Would make a wonderful short film.
 

snapguy

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public

When I go out in public with an old film camera (and they are usually at least 60 years old) I get a lot of favorable comments from other photographers. They speak fondly of the old film camera they grew up using, such as Pentax K1000 or whatever, while snapping away with their digital boxes. Most are tourists and find digital easy to use but loved their old film cameras. I would not doubt that at some point of time many of these folks will take another whack at film photography.
 

Zedwardson

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Indeed Snapguy, I do not get many comments on my Canon, but my Yashica-Mat always catches peoples eyes and starts a conversation. Even if it "is that a camera?" then "That is so cool/neat/ect." And with the older folks they get a smile when they see it and sometimes thank me for keeping one in working order.
 

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so .. they didnt tell you how to run your life, your business, were in disbelief you sell images
and tell you to dump your camera and shoot a digital camera ... but they were curious, interested and nice ?

sounds like you live in a different universe than some folks who have responded to this thread
 

Zedwardson

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I get mostly the same nice folks, but I get a ton of "They still make film for that?" even when it is a 35mm. For the 35mm I reply you can still get it at walmart.
 

removed account4

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exactly ...

but a there are people in this thread ( see the conversation before this page )
that insist someone / people do just the opposite - giving unsolicited business advice, telling them all sorts of stuff
spoke to them in a condescending way, were not nice/ harsh &c ...
and when the original person who made the post that started the conversation that was sparked by his post ( a few pages back in the middle of this thread )
was asked to actually verify if what was claimed to have happened was actually what happened he said he was too busy exposing film ... ( too funny )

granted i am sure there are some jerks out there who have nothing but negative ( pardon the pun ) things to say about film,
and using film in this day and age and how film users should get with the program ... but i have never run across any of them.
as i have said previously, my experience is similar to yours ... people are curious, interested, confused &c because they
were told film wasn't around, you can't get it processed &c read reports of companies going bankrupt, see no mini labs left,
even in their favorite drug store, and it has become hard ...

john
 

Tony Egan

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Not out of step - just suffering from a very rare phobia which is quite well demonstrated in this video starting at 2:40!!
http://youtu.be/eaKyFUuk8yc
 

Molli

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Thank you, Tony. Now that I know my phobia is officially recognised by Frank Woodley, I feel entirely justified in my rabid paranoia and creeping horror of facial fungus.

(No offense, gentlemen! Possibly it's just the whole "Pash Rash" thing that puts me off.)
 
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