Hello, all. I've been lurking here for awhile. Found out about the place from a customer who came into the eponymous camera shop at which I work, and I've been a regular reader ever since. It's a tribute to the depth of conversation around here that most questions I've had have been answerable through the search function instead of having to post.
Anyway, a bit about myself. I'm 25, a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University's school of Mass Communications (with a degree in News/Editorial). After graduation I worked at a local daily (but not *the* local daily) newspaper for a few months as a part-time photographer, but the pay didn't justify the commute, so I got a job at said camera shop.
Being a film shooter working at a camera shop that sells mainly digital equipment is an interesting experience. I hear a variation on "does anybody still shoot film" (usually said in a condescending tone) several times a day.
Even though we do carry a pretty good assortment of film and paper for a shop our size (Ilford papers from 5x7 up to 16x20 in most types, Ilford and Kodak chemistry, and Ilford, Fuji & Kodak films of most types, but only 135 and 120 formats, we've phased out large format and 220 due to a lack of demand), I have a feeling we'd not be carrying any of it if the local high schools and VCU didn't still have wet darkrooms.
Sadly, I consider it a good day if I have one customer who's a darkroom printer come in for supplies or a chat.
I haven't been shooting very long, having gotten into photography through a photojournalism class and the opportunity to work as a press photographer at the Virginia state capitol during the 2005 session. I started with digital SLRs but moved to film shortly thereafter. I think I got into photography 10 years too late.
Most of my friends think I'm nuts; I can't really put into words why I shoot film over digital. Partially because I'm a curmudgeon, partially a sense of personal accomplishment (as anybody who's spent hours trying to get one print right in a darkroom can attest).
Anyway. I do keep a Flickr page of mostly film work, a lot of my digital stuff is in a separate archive. I shoot 35mm with a Canon EOS 620 and a Tamron 28-75 f2.8 lens; my medium format camera is a Mamiya RB67 Pro-S w/ 50 and 90mm lenses. I use a Beseler 45M enlarger in my darkroom at home.
Hopefully I'll be more active here than I have in the past; I've been looking for like-minded people who can help me develop my technique, being entirely self-taught. You guys seem like a great group of folks.
-Tom
Anyway, a bit about myself. I'm 25, a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University's school of Mass Communications (with a degree in News/Editorial). After graduation I worked at a local daily (but not *the* local daily) newspaper for a few months as a part-time photographer, but the pay didn't justify the commute, so I got a job at said camera shop.
Being a film shooter working at a camera shop that sells mainly digital equipment is an interesting experience. I hear a variation on "does anybody still shoot film" (usually said in a condescending tone) several times a day.
Even though we do carry a pretty good assortment of film and paper for a shop our size (Ilford papers from 5x7 up to 16x20 in most types, Ilford and Kodak chemistry, and Ilford, Fuji & Kodak films of most types, but only 135 and 120 formats, we've phased out large format and 220 due to a lack of demand), I have a feeling we'd not be carrying any of it if the local high schools and VCU didn't still have wet darkrooms.
Sadly, I consider it a good day if I have one customer who's a darkroom printer come in for supplies or a chat.
I haven't been shooting very long, having gotten into photography through a photojournalism class and the opportunity to work as a press photographer at the Virginia state capitol during the 2005 session. I started with digital SLRs but moved to film shortly thereafter. I think I got into photography 10 years too late.
Most of my friends think I'm nuts; I can't really put into words why I shoot film over digital. Partially because I'm a curmudgeon, partially a sense of personal accomplishment (as anybody who's spent hours trying to get one print right in a darkroom can attest).
Anyway. I do keep a Flickr page of mostly film work, a lot of my digital stuff is in a separate archive. I shoot 35mm with a Canon EOS 620 and a Tamron 28-75 f2.8 lens; my medium format camera is a Mamiya RB67 Pro-S w/ 50 and 90mm lenses. I use a Beseler 45M enlarger in my darkroom at home.
Hopefully I'll be more active here than I have in the past; I've been looking for like-minded people who can help me develop my technique, being entirely self-taught. You guys seem like a great group of folks.
-Tom
