Not in Indiana. We have a VERY nice camera store here in Fort Wayne, a midsize city of 250,000. The store sells a good selection of film, paper and chemicals for us film users while also stocking the latest digital stuff including the high end professional bodies and lenses that the big boxes do not carry. They don't carry any new film cameras, but thats ok, as they have a good used dept and they carry a lot of new lenses that work on film or digital.
There is an even nicer camera store in the relatively small town of Muncie, Indiana (60,000 people) and a very nice one in Indianapolis too. All three stores I have mentioned are doing well and still selling film and chemicals.
To be honest with you, I find that the colours are so much more realistic with film than with digital, I use digital also but.. I still find that film is by far the superior medium!
As many of you may know I'm now getting set up with my DR stuff, but I've had people nagging me saying things like... 'why don't you take your negs to the chemist to be printed'
Some people just miss the whole point of printing your own stuff, in my eyes, I can get the image to be what I want it to be rather than leaving it to the whim of someone else!
The way I see it, digital still have a long way to go to beat film! JMO!
Is it me, or are both photography clubs and forums almost completely deaf and blind to analogue image capture? They have completely forgotten it, no-one uses it any more, and whenever the subject is brought up they all laugh and reminisce about the huge inconvenience and give remarks like 'well, now with digital we can do so much more' 'why would I use a darkroom, digital is too easy'.
It's shameful. And to think that I still can't locate a darkroom open for public use within 60 miles of Reading, UK. The camera clubs just say 'yeah, we dismantled it, no-one was using it'.
Meanwhile on the internet, discussions are all about Photoshop, HDR, Topiaz adjust, cloning, and all that digital crap. It just seems that whenever someone posts a photo there they are advised to do all kinds of crap to it in PS so that the resulting image just looks like an artificial load of rubbish. Just about everything looks oversharpened, overcontrasted, oversaturated (any combo of the three). Often when posting a film image you get a comment like 'could use some sharpening' or 'run it through noise reduction' - it's grain!
I think the sad reality is that APUG remains the only community where analog photographers can discuss and share their craft.
(rant mode off)
Why is this post made under Exposure Discussion?
I don't think you've looked very hard cos the ilford site lists 17 within 60 miles of reading the nearest being Kingsclere which appears to have a darkroom for its members use.
Thanks for the plug, I had a very pleasant conversation with the manager of that darkroom, which is still (just) functioning. I and two others will have an darkroom induction session in September.
That's right Jeff, cameras have become an electrical and computer accessory, and just as disposable.
That's the hobbyists' scene, and really, what do you expect, they are *camera* clubs and *internet* fora. Stick your nose into the art photography scene and things will be different. There you'll find an understanding for traditional media and processes. But no need to dwell on it during, say, a portfolio review.
APUG is a strange mixture of both approaches with a healthy dose of evangelism thrown in.
I Consider Long Island, to extend from the beginning of Brooklyn to the very end of Montauk.
Not in Indiana. We have a VERY nice camera store here in Fort Wayne, a midsize city of 250,000. The store sells a good selection of film, paper and chemicals for us film users while also stocking the latest digital stuff including the high end professional bodies and lenses that the big boxes do not carry. They don't carry any new film cameras, but thats ok, as they have a good used dept and they carry a lot of new lenses that work on film or digital.
There is an even nicer camera store in the relatively small town of Muncie, Indiana (60,000 people) and a very nice one in Indianapolis too. All three stores I have mentioned are doing well and still selling film and chemicals.
You may want to extend the boundaries. The NE Ohio group, organized by John Powers, has had participants from Philadelphia and Milwaukee. Half the regulars are from out of state.
I was on another board today. Someone posted "how do I get rid of my film gear"! A couple of posters told him to donate it to a high school because "who else would want to use it"? It being a mint Nikon F3HP MD4! Then another told him it can't be worth anything because F5's only go for $250 now because nobody wants them! There were dozen more like that. I had to leave before I started to cry
As for clubs I will be joining a local Art Association (mixed media) in my town. I have two aunt's who are painters and have been members for decades and as long as you create art and are willing to help out you can join
I think I need open a high school. No students, but a great photo department!
Slightly off topic, but most of those clubs are "camera clubs," as opposed to "photography clubs." I find that kind of interesting.
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