As someone who was taking film photographs forty years ago and still does, I'm aware of the visceral pleasure of the silver/platinum/gum print. My point is that those who decry digital photography as the work of the devil are rarely consistent in their dismissal of it. They mostly have a workaround that fits their film conscience, allowing them to share an image beyond an immediate circle of family and friends. Photographers who exclusively shoot and print on film and paper and don't digitise their images at any stage, are a rarity.
I wonder how film only fundamentalists put their images on APUG
I only use film for my picture taking, and darkroom for my print making, that's they way I like it, but surely it should be horses for courses, I have nothing against Digital photographers, if that is there pleasure then so be it, What I find is that digital photographers look down upon film photographers, at least where I live, for instance, a few years ago I considered joining our local photographic club, went to a meeting or two and was impressed with the standard of work, but when it became plain that I personally was only going to use film and darkroom I was told by members of the commitee that it was worth my while joining as I would let the side down, after all, I was only a film photographer, and that is my only objection to Digital, surely the arguments over which is best should be set aside and we should all be able to do our own thing, side by side, neither is better, just different,there is room for both, I scan my prints, for my site and for Apug and other sites, I like to get my photography out there, same as Digital photographers, Not all look down, and many are interested in what I do,
I've never belonged to a camera club, so can't comment on the politics involved. Last year I did come across a local photographic club exhibition at a country show, and a number of things stuck me. First, film was a minority pursuit but about one in seven of the contributors used film, scanned or optically printed. Secondly, neither the camera or medium had anything to do with the quality of the images. Most were fairly bland portraits, sunsets, cars, etc, with about a quarter of the shots being better than average. The best photographer by some distance used an "old" 6mp DSLR, according to the labels. Thirdly, judging by the people manning the stands, they didn't seem especially competitive technologically, and were carrying all kinds of gear from full frame DSLRs to low megapixel bridge cameras.
I never joined the local photographic club, for obvious reasons, At a recent local Eistodfod arts and crafts exhibition with a large photographic group, analogue was split around 50/50 with the digital, there was some great work by the digital entries, could not fault it, won some trophys, but the best newcomer was a 15 year old with a film/darkroom print, some great analogue darkroom work, but in both camps had some rubbish that, in my opioun should never have been selected.
I agree. I prefer film because it has a specific look I can't get any other way, I like the feel of film cameras, and there's a nostalgia element from decades of familiarity with the medium. None of that prejudices me from appreciating a great shot, whatever camera it was taken on. The idea that a photograph is superior for no better reason that it was shot on film, makes no more sense than saying a photo is better because it's bigger, or is printed in colour rather than black and white.
It would be interesting to know how much growth there has been in film use compared to the lowest point, and whether the drivers for that increase are likely to be long lived. Difficult to come by hard numbers from surviving film manufacturers, so the best indicator might be sales from a large photographic store.
I don't believe the terms are exclusive to film users. Forums are full of people making unsupportable claims without any evidence. That's the nature of the internet. If you'd care to offer some objective criteria as to why all digital cameras are "junk" we might have a discussion instead of a rant.
Presumably you also consider the great photographers of the modern era even greater because they use such inefficient tools as digital cameras?
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