Let’s hope that it’s more than a moment, otherwise why even make the effort now?
It’s imperative to treat newcomers right, and that doesn’t always mean to treat them how they want to be treated, or telling them what they want to hear.
Let’s hope that it’s more than a moment, otherwise why even make the effort now?We've blown way off subject.
There's a strong interest in film photography because in stores and online color film won't stay in stock. There have been multiple price hikes and people don't seem to care. Kodak has reintroduced a few stocks and quite often some third party is putting out a repackaged film. Prices of used cameras has doubled and sometimes quadrupled. No-one laughs at me using film much anymore and they see it as a mark of respect and professionalism. I have a handful of friends that 'consult' with me about cameras before they post them on eBay or whatnot to sell and make money.
Currently film photography is having a moment. It's nice to be on the forefront. It's also nice to have all these cameras that no-one cared about 10 years ago that I can't afford now if I wanted to buy.
Let’s hope that it’s more than a moment, otherwise why even make the effort now?
It’s imperative to treat newcomers right, and that doesn’t always mean to treat them how they want to be treated, or telling them what they want to hear.
At 8 I learned how to shoot, process, print film, did that simply as a part of life until I happened to hear about Minor White and studied with one of his direct students at Mendocino Art Center. I was 25 at that time. Now I'm 78 and as a direct result of that last experience I now rarely photograph anything that I don't want to print...which I do with inkjet. That may mean I value my individual prints more highly, yet view them more harshly, than many film photographers seem to do.
My prints are valuable to me (unless I discard them). For a long while I put them in archival boxes. I realized I wasn't being honest with myself and spent a couple of years, on and off, by editing the keepers and placing them all in Itoya archival albums
This means I've looked relatively regularly at all of my prints. Some are hung for six months or a year at home in inexpensive glass frames. Because I live with those individuals and learn their weaknesses, they sometimes get culled. Often I re-print with new eyes.
Looking ahead I find that I need to do my photography in terms of projects...which means I'll have to remove the prints I've hung, almost certainly discarding a few...because I've come to understand their individual shortcomings and am re-thinking how I want to exhibit my prints...perhaps at a receptive gallery.
Most of my prints are on 11X17 paper.
Why not? Treat them nicely initially and tell them what they want to hear. If they express interest bring them into the fold. If they're idiots, ignore them. It doesn't cost anything, and if we're too abrasive we'll toss the baby with the dishwater. The more the merrier.
Isn't it interesting that many today expect photography to be instantaneous. As you say, other media takes time to even start to be finalized. Ceramics, painting, sculpture. Painters can take months if not years to finish a painting. although there are some who will churn out a quantity of small paintings in a single day. Watercolors are pretty spontaneous, but take a lot of skill. There's no undo or painting over with them.
They want to hear that point and shoots are just as good as anything else. That you only need a cheap used V500 to scan everything "because there isn't anything more on the film". They want to hear that ColorPlus is fantastic. They want to hear that they are born master photographers. They want to hear that the pretty morons they follow on YouTube is right. etc.
We want to disabuse them of these fondly held notions, to set up something that doesn't wear out, lose its lustre and become "too expensive and boring" all of a sudden.
We want to set up the right expectations to avoid later disappointment.
If we lose a few during the initial rounds, film is probably better off for it overall.
Too boring and expensive crowd will get there anyhow. ColorPlus is fantastic, the flatbed is good enough, if they think they're a born master nothing will change their mind and the petty youtubers who shoot film are their Weston. I'd rather them get bored and walk away rather then have some abrasive fud scare them off.
You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him fish.
When I started with film a little while back none of this existed. No hipsters, no youtubers, not much help. I learned it by trial and error and hanging out at the soon to close photo stores. I go there in the end even if I'm no master.
Too low a starting point will tend to stick around and become “how it is”. Creating a false normal.
There is no graduating from a Mju II and a V500, if you think that is all there is to it and if you have spend inordinate amounts of time and money on BS from “fad” riding photo dealers.
Good photos with film will become witchcraft for the few geeks and sour grapes.
Beginners models is a terrible idea. At least dumbed down ones.
This is not speculation. I’ve experienced this.
Not my job.
Let them buy up film stocks and keep the labs running. I'll happily keep on doing what I do and let them enjoy what they do.
Point is, they will stop, and quite suddenly too.
If, they get disillusioned.
Movie making seems to be getting very popular today either digitally or with film. But it seems to be more collaborative than still photography. I wonder if that's the reason it's getting more popular today compared to still photography?
Arguing with newcomers to film is not productive. If they have preferences that are different from yours, that's ok. BITD of film dominance, people also made mistakes and figured things out from experience, and that was part of the process. It is helpful to offer factual advice and answer questions on technically difficult subjects, like helping people with exposure problems or beginners at home-developing film. It's not helpful to argue with people because they like plastic cameras or Colorplus film.
If one does not make mistakes while learning, then they are not learning. Sometimes screwing something up is a good place to start.
Then I'm on my way to becoming a genius
Arguing with newcomers to film is not productive. If they have preferences that are different from yours, that's ok. BITD of film dominance, people also made mistakes and figured things out from experience, and that was part of the process. It is helpful to offer factual advice and answer questions on technically difficult subjects, like helping people with exposure problems or beginners at home-developing film. It's not helpful to argue with people because they like plastic cameras or Colorplus film.
I suspect the real stumbling block with film is the darkroom itself. Youngsters aren't often in a position where they can devote space to a darkroom or convert parts of buildings that don't belong to them, or feel settled enough. Communal/college darkrooms may not be available and can be dispiriting unless there is a tyrant in charge.
Lot of young people were raised on video, and many could easily make videos on their phones.…
And they do. I’ve been a judge at our state’s Business Professionals of America (a group for high school aged students) competitions for lots of years, judging video production and digital media. It interesting how the technology has changed over the years, seeing them go from VHS tape, to DVD, to streaming their projects. The latest projects are shot completely on an iPhone and then edited in iMovie. The quality is quite good.
For emerging film-makers, the field is way more accessible than ever due to the reduced cost of the equipment required.
Even us old film folks can do stuff with a cellphone.
Here's a slide and video clip show I put together for a trip to the local fire department training grounds my 55+ community Men's club did. I used a handheld Samsung Galaxy 7.
Your memory maybe a bit selective. Even before the internet era, you had plenty of enthusiastic caveman discovers fire types who thought they were instantly great photographic artists. Print magazines like Shutterbug sometimes featured these up and coming "artists." The faster the motor drive, the longer the zoom range, the sharper the "sharpness," the more artistic they thought they were.
It wasn't really until more sophisticated digital cameras and then smartphones with decent cameras came to market that a lot of (young) people started getting artsy-fartsy with their photos. The had access to all kinds of digital effects and filters, could do simple manipulation/retouching and compositing. These things were very difficult and time-consuming to do with film and darkroom prints.Sure, but the majority of people just used film for snapshots. Vast majority of people didn't care, they just needed something to snap photos with.
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