Hi, JD, great to meetcha..i remember disco and it wasn't all bad, and i shot digital and that wasn't all bad either. Matter of fact, had i not shot digital, i wouldn't be here right now. We digibabes don't just point and shoot, we actually learn bracketing, aperture priority, bulb exposure, DOF control, focal length, ISO, as well as some less meaningful skills like menu scrolling, sub-menu scrolling and sub-sub menu scrolling. But hey, whatever it takes to get the job done is ok..one isn't better than the other, they're just different. But it's true that digital ain't got no soul. The shooter might have soul but the camera ain't got diddley. Film on the other hand is a precious commodity that's got a best-used-by date, holds up well in a fridge and spoils in the heat. Hell, it's practically a tropical fruit (not the photographer, the film). Film is like a living, breathing thing and a negative, well, a negative is the veritable key to magic. A memory card on the other hand is like a Bingo chip, isn't it? As far as Photoshop, well, i think it's a holy thing that's been maligned quite a lot. Of course i have never developed or printed my own film so look for some fast backpeddling when i get to that point!
take care and n'joy the folks here, they really are super friendly and terrific..i love 'em already (they even forgave my digital past--can ya believe??) kat~