How does analog photography fit into the modern lifestyle

Mainecoonmaniac · Aug 11, 2015

I went to a party over the weekend with a group that went with me and my wife to Greece and Turkey last June. We did some catching up since the trip. When the email was circulating on who is going to bring what to our potluck, my fellow analog photographer friend said he had no photos to show since he shot mostly film. I shot both, but I shot 20 rolls of film and processed them already. He told me that with his job that where he works and travels so much, he doesn't have time to process the film and he seriously thinking about going digital.

As I mentioned, I processed all my film, but they're still in sleeves until I can get some darkroom printing time. All I did was scan the negs.

My question is how does analog photography fit with your modern life? As for me, It's very hard to process film and print with my life. I currently have a full time job, a wife and I'm also caring for an elderly mother. But my I plan to retire in 7 years or less so I can do more analog photography. I hate to admit this, I get my photography fix with my Iphone.

couldabin · Aug 11, 2015

Depends on what you see as being the essence of the modern lifestyle. Technology has surged exponentially over the past century; the objective of technology is, broadly speaking, to compress, intensify and accelerate. I treasure analog photography because it is the antidote to this ADHD mentality. So, how does it fit in? It's a necessity. (Life without a mobile device is not only possible, but ever so rewarding.)

cliveh · Aug 11, 2015

Mainecoonmaniac said:
My question is how does analog photography fit with your modern life?

It fits fine, as instead of taking 7000 digital images, I may take 7 film images.

Sirius Glass · Aug 11, 2015

Analog photography works well in the present day for me. I do not spray shots all over the place and instead take well composed photographs in black & white and in color. I process and print the film myself.

Mainecoonmaniac · Aug 11, 2015

Ah it's priorities

cliveh said:
It fits fine, as instead of taking 7000 digital images, I may take 7 film images.

I guess you don't fall for instant gratification

RobC · Aug 11, 2015

whats all this nonsense about a modern lifestyle? Eeveryones lifestyle is of its age which is no different today than it was 100 years ago when everyone was living in "the modern lifestyle" of that time.

ic-racer · Aug 11, 2015

I shoot 'throw away' images on my iPhone.

Sirius Glass · Aug 11, 2015

ic-racer said:
I shoot 'throw away' images on my iPhone.

I do not bother.

Jim Noel · Aug 11, 2015

cliveh said:
It fits fine, as instead of taking 7000 digital images, I may take 7 film images.

I'm with Clive, although with the 7x17 4 images is more like it.

Film photography enables, no forces me to slow down and think about what I am doing. How is the light effecting my image area? is htis a better composition than the previous one? Do I need filtration? How should I process the film? Will this make a good platinum image or is it more for silver gelatin? These and other questions require answers rather than picking up an electronic gadget with a lens and w/o anyreal use of my brain punch the button a few hundred times,ore even put it in a mod to go off like a machine gun and hope I get one decent image.

ToddB · Aug 11, 2015

Fits my lifestyle really well. I have two teenagers and the wife to look after and full time job and everything in between. So I make time for film photography and make every shot count. Little behind on my darkroom time but able to manage. Never go any where without a film camera on my shoulders.

Todd

4season · Aug 11, 2015

My goal is to keep my analog photography on a pretty small scale so that I don't run into a backlog problem: Not making plans which depend on my suddenly finding more time + resources! Figured I'd enjoy film more if it felt like a lark rather than a 2nd or 3rd job
(Which is exactly what it was feeling like back in the days before I switched mostly to digital).

I purchased a secondhand Epson V700 flatbed scanner, and Epson's software is very good for making quick and easy proofs of multiple images in one pass. I discard a lot of images right at this stage, both the originals and the scans. A lot of discards may be technically OK but just don't resonate with me for whatever reason. It's similar to when I import digital images into Lightroom: I immediately discard quite a bit. Even so I wind up with thousands per year, but those are images which inspire me in some way.

flavio81 · Aug 11, 2015

Fits excellent with modern life. I'm too busy to have spare time to go out to take pictures, so when I find that spare time, I carefully shoot, and what do I use for such special moment? the cameras I like the most -- which are film cameras.

BradleyK · Aug 11, 2015

I have no difficulty whatsoever fitting analog photography into my "modern lifestyle."* I live alone, work a full-time job, a part-time job and go to school part-time (two classes a semester towards my second BA - this time in Art History and Psychology). Accommodation, no doubt, is possible because I always have a camera close at hand (around my neck, in my briefcase or in the glove-box of my car).

*Qualifier: I will admit to some difficulty in keeping up with processing what I shoot. For the last two years or so, my backlog has, on several occasions, reached the point where I have had to off-load some of my black and white film processing to The Lab, here in Vancouver. It seemed like a bit of a compromise at first, but, given that "souping film" can be tedious at the best of times, one I have learned to accept in order to be able to spend more of my leisure time photographing.

John Bragg · Aug 11, 2015

I make time wherever possible to shoot and develop my film. I never got the dig it all bug so I dont know any other world than film photography. I enjoy the craft element and whether I scan or wet print, I like the film workflow and the very tactile nature of film images and see no reason to move away from such a perfect medium with which to express my self.

lecarp · Aug 11, 2015

You might have spent your spare time in the darkroom rather than on threads like this one.

Wayne · Aug 11, 2015

My current modern lifestyle seems to have less free time and less money for analog photography than my older modern lifestyle did.

Mainecoonmaniac · Aug 11, 2015

So this makes me question

lecarp said:
You might have spent your spare time in the darkroom rather than on threads like this one.

So are we wasting our time being online and on other modern pastimes like watching cable instead of doing analog photography? Is this why most of us don't cook, garden or sew our own clothes because of the modern lifestyle? Do we need to slow down? Is the excuse of the modern lifestyle making analog photography difficult a lame one?

Wayne · Aug 11, 2015

That's definitely part of it

lecarp said:
You might have spent your spare time in the darkroom rather than on threads like this one.

Sirius Glass · Aug 11, 2015

lecarp said:
You might have spent your spare time in the darkroom rather than on threads like this one.

My modern lifestyle includes darkroom time.

Theo Sulphate · Aug 11, 2015

cliveh said:
It fits fine, as instead of taking 7000 digital images, I may take 7 film images.

That's good for me as well -- and I'll appreciate those seven images more. When I see people at some locale or event tripping the shutter every 20 seconds (be it with film or digital), I think they can't be enjoying, feeling, or sensing what is around them.

480sparky · Aug 11, 2015

More and more, film fits into my 'lifestyle' when I have an image I give a damn about.

Ko.Fe. · Aug 11, 2015

Our Belgium relatives are visiting us. Facebook and such. They are taking back home dozens of my darkroom prints. The life as it is.

mike c · Aug 11, 2015

Mainecoonmaniac said:
So are we wasting our time being online and on other modern pastimes like watching cable instead of doing analog photography? Is this why most of us don't cook, garden or sew our own clothes because of the modern lifestyle? Do we need to slow down? Is the excuse of the modern lifestyle making analog photography difficult a lame one?

I thought about this and think you are right, most things we have now are disposable,our cloths,digi camera's, food, cars, when it ware's out just go buy a new one, we should have plenty of extra time, but I don't . But still develop and print, but not as often as I would like.

Mike

fotch · Aug 11, 2015

lecarp said:
You might have spent your spare time in the darkroom rather than on threads like this one.

That is probably part of it. I see digital as a higher quality, lower cost, Polaroid. If you want the the highest quality, want the longevity of real film photography, then I use film.

I take a lot of digital pics that I would not waste my time or money by making a film picture. Example: wife wanted me to pick up some vitamins at the store so I iPhone a picture to help my find the same when at the store. Quicker & easier than making a written note. The expense of a Polaroid would not of worked. Perfect for digital.

Pictures of family, friends, places, that I would like to think that maybe 20 or 50, or 100 years from now, may be of interest to someone, the only option is film. JMHO

jeffreythree · Aug 11, 2015

I am only recently getting back into film photography. Digital for me was like trying to keep up with the Jones, bragging rights to the one with the latest and greatest tech or gadget. I got out of that race with my first love, woodworking, long ago by switching from machines to hand tools for most jobs, but not sure why I waited with photography. I guess it boils down to liking hobbies that force me to slow down and relax for a bit. Plus I like playing with old tools, cameras, and such.

How does analog photography fit into the modern lifestyle

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