Keeping Film in the Public Eye

I had a thought that I'd share with the APUG'ers here. The idea is to do more to keep film in the public eye. There might be some here who have never heard of Fredmiranda.com, but perhaps most have. I'm an active poster there and have been for some time. There's a forum there titled Alternative Gear & Lenses. This is a hangout for non Canon/Nikon people. It's mostly a mirrorless crowd but lots of people there also shoot alternative lenses on their Canon gear.

There's one thread in there titled Post your recent film shots. You can find it here:

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/658112/394#lastmessage

THIS thread is the #1 reason how I rediscovered film. I was an active member of that forum and kept on following the film thread.

The film thread is the 3rd or 4th most active thread in the alternative forum, yet it is still not as vibrant and active as it could be.

I post in there a lot. I try to put up an image once a day or so. If people from this forum put up an image in that thread, it would be nailed to the top of that forum.

I discovered film through that forum. I kept on being intrigued by the images posted there and kept on coming back. We need to keep that thread nailed to the top of that forum. Certain threads at FredMiranda become legendary through their longevity. Film shooters could contribute to that thread, and get more exposure amongst the digital people. I shot digital for 10 years uninterrupted until discovering film in that thread. My next step was to find APUG.

Think about it................

I might consider joining, even if I don't own a single canon or nikon. I'm always looking for places to spam with my photos.

And yes, the best way to convert people to using film is to show them what film can do out in the open. Not some place under the rock and then scream at them when the word scan... is mentioned.

I picked up film 1 year ago by looking at enough very pleasant looking film photos. Not to mention revisiting my old photos. After 9 years of shooting of digital. If you show compelling photos, enough people will come and more people might use film. It might not save paper etc, but at least it might prevent more lines of film from being consolidated.

Nuff said:

I might consider joining, even if I don't own a single canon or nikon. I'm always looking for places to spam with my photos.

And yes, the best way to convert people to using film is to show them what film can do out in the open. Not some place under the rock and then scream at them when the word scan... is mentioned.

I picked up film 1 year ago by looking at enough very pleasant looking film photos. Not to mention revisiting my old photos. After 9 years of shooting of digital. If you show compelling photos, enough people will come and more people might use film. It might not save paper etc, but at least it might prevent more lines of film from being consolidated.

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You don't need a Nikon or Canon to join Fred Miranda. The Alternative Gear forum is for EVERYONE *BUT* CaNikon folks. Film shooters are most welcome there.

Just post film photos in the film thread. Keep film visible where folks can't help but see it!

While at Fred Miranda, go to the Nikon forum and see the Manual Focus Nikon Glass thread. Have a look here: http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/board/7

The manual focus lens thread is 3,666 pages long!! And it's only a few years old!

This thread is so active, that it is almost ALWAYS in the top 5 spots in the forum, EVERY day. That's a lot of posts. As a result, everyone knows about the manual focus Nikon fans. They are always up top. My vision is to have the film shooters do the same in the Alternative Gear forum. We *are* alternative in today's world and PROUD of it. We need to get the word out. Posting in APUG is preaching to the choir.

114 views, 1 reply. NOT encouraging.

:confused:

I must be missing something. Posting on one obscure Internet site is going to save the world? Number 94, the last one, when there are over 300...? So it is okay to discriminate against people who own a Canon or Nikon? Since when? Tell me how your folks are superior to their folks. I have classic images of Elvis and the Beatles and RFK just minutes before he was shot, all taken with a Nikon. Should I throw them in the trash?
Some folks have diarrhea of the keyboard or camera, so does that make them superior human beings/artists/craftsmen/photographers? You discriminate against Canon but only lenses. Are people who use Canon lenses evil? You say this thread is the Pied Piper who will lead us to Nirvana. Is it okay if we give this thing pass?

snapguy said:

I must be missing something. Posting on one obscure Internet site is going to save the world? Number 94, the last one, when there are over 300...? So it is okay to discriminate against people who own a Canon or Nikon? Since when? Tell me how your folks are superior to their folks. I have classic images of Elvis and the Beatles and RFK just minutes before he was shot, all taken with a Nikon. Should I throw them in the trash?
Some folks have diarrhea of the keyboard or camera, so does that make them superior human beings/artists/craftsmen/photographers? You discriminate against Canon but only lenses. Are people who use Canon lenses evil? You say this thread is the Pied Piper who will lead us to Nirvana. Is it okay if we give this thing pass?

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Bit out of context and totally missed the point of his post. Or like you handle you just snap at random things without reading a thing.

If you take a minute and read what was said. It's a canon and Nikon digital forum with subsections for other cameras and and a film thread.

So yes, to a swear your question, you are missing a lot. In this case the point of this thread.

For what it's worth, I try in my own little way to promote film and show my printed work, and also prints I have received from others, in a positive light.

I'm not really worried about film. I am worried about the fact that printing is becoming much more scarce.

Naive and childlike wishful thinking on websites isn't going in any way to slow down the decline in film use, in the real World you just have to accept the facts.

benjiboy said:

Naive and childlike wishful thinking on websites isn't going in any way to slow down the decline in film use, in the real World you just have to accept the facts.

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No, but anything positive we can all do instead of constantly urinating in the drinking pond is a good thing in the long run. I know it must disappoint you but Ilford will be making silver gel paper and black and white film years from now because there is solid if not steadily increasing demand for it, ask Simon about that.

As for posting photos on photo enthusiast forums, I have to take a pass for the most part, not the greatest idea if I want to continue to make a great living at it. I am currently in a court battle with a pop artist who somehow got ahold of an aerial image that is under a 3 year exclusive contract. He used it prominently in a 50" x 50" inch piece and sold it for 14K, client not happy and neither am I.

Sorry Ratty, I can't be your guy but I sure as heck promote film use by showing my little portfolios of hand made prints to people in person, that works too...

PKM, I know where you are coming off, good luck with your case.

I just find this place hilarious, since if there's any speculation about film being discontinued or company going under, you can bet there will be hundreds of replies and people wanting blood etc... But if they actually spend some of that free time productively,instead of wasting it on useless arguments. There's a chance that something might happen.

But it seems from bejinoy's opinion great things have only been achieved by doing nothing and arguing on Internet forums.

Anyway, in my circle of friends, since I discovered film there's a 200% increase in film use. I'm working on more. All I know is, if someone didn't post up their photos to internet, me or ratty wouldn't start using film. Nor my friends...

Nuff, I really do try to not be on here so much, get out and make things happen, I have got people in my area using film too, but many want a place to develop and print it so I am trying to find a space to do that in a community sense, not easy in a town with an average home price of 6 million.

For the past few days I have been working on pulling images for my biggest client for a 10 year retrospective, once I am done, I log out and bail. I do post images here on occasion because you need to pay the membership to even see the gallery which I like, but try to limit even that, just not a fan of having my work ripped, lol!

I guess I scratch my head at the notion of you not using film without seeing work on places like Flickr. Even though I see nice work there, I still find I am most inspired by all the great published work and work in galleries the most which still far eclipses most of what is shown on the mainstream internet.

If I am feeling uninspired which is maybe once every five years, all I need to do is pickup Salgado's Workers or Migrations, Michael Kenna's 20 year retrospective or Geir Jordahl's mesmerizing book Searching for True North.

If you are motivated enough to join the effort, great. However, I do not think the effort will make any statistically significant difference.

Nuff said:

PKM, I know where you are coming off, good luck with your case.

I just find this place hilarious, since if there's any speculation about film being discontinued or company going under, you can bet there will be hundreds of replies and people wanting blood etc... But if they actually spend some of that free time productively,instead of wasting it on useless arguments. There's a chance that something might happen.

But it seems from bejinoy's opinion great things have only been achieved by doing nothing and arguing on Internet forums.

Anyway, in my circle of friends, since I discovered film there's a 200% increase in film use. I'm working on more. All I know is, if someone didn't post up their photos to internet, me or ratty wouldn't start using film. Nor my friends...

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Exactly right. I was happily shooting digital for a *decade* when I stumbled onto the FM thread that I posted about where film users were posting their work. There I saw images that were very intriguing. I could not get them out of my mind. I continued to shoot digital, but always returned to that thread, viewing the work that kept getting posted there. The more I viewed, the more I wanted to be a part of it. Finally, I took the plunge.

I would NEVER have returned to film without seeing regular people posting images showing me what film could do. These people were exposing the value of film DEEP in digital territory. That does NOT happen here at APUG. We are behind friendly lines here.

That thread at FM is responsible for me buying at least 300 rolls of film in the past 2 years. I try to shoot 5 or more rolls per weekend if the weather is good. I did 5 last weekend.

That thread at FM is responsible for me finding APUG. Without it, I never would have searched out for more information.

But I understand. Posting images takes effort. It doesnt happen by itself.

I tried.

PKM-25 said:

No, but anything positive we can all do instead of constantly urinating in the drinking pond is a good thing in the long run. I know it must disappoint you but Ilford will be making silver gel paper and black and white film years from now because there is solid if not steadily increasing demand for it, ask Simon about that.

As for posting photos on photo enthusiast forums, I have to take a pass for the most part, not the greatest idea if I want to continue to make a great living at it. I am currently in a court battle with a pop artist who somehow got ahold of an aerial image that is under a 3 year exclusive contract. He used it prominently in a 50" x 50" inch piece and sold it for 14K, client not happy and neither am I.

Sorry Ratty, I can't be your guy but I sure as heck promote film use by showing my little portfolios of hand made prints to people in person, that works too...

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Dan,

I'm in no position to dictate what a working pro does with his images. You and all the others are a special case. You might post some throw away shots. Or, partake in the thread as a commentator. My point was to make that thread THE most active thread in the alternative FM forum. Generate traffic, keep it visible, bring in new people.

It can work if done right.

Good luck with your case to claim your rights to your own work!

Sirius Glass said:

If you are motivated enough to join the effort, great. However, I do not think the effort will make any statistically significant difference.

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Nothing I do in my life will make any statistical difference with anything.

So I should not do anything, right?

RattyMouse said:

You might post some throw away shots. Or, partake in the thread as a commentator.

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There is no such thing as a throw away shot and if I want to represent my self well, I would never do that. And the commentator thing, I just can't man, really. I find the single most invasive thing to making great photographs is spending too much time on the internet. I only participate on this site and LFF and that is way, waaaay too much time as it is.

I try to add some input on here, look for good deals on stuff I need and that is really about all I can do. The most successful photographers I know spend *zero* time on forums, they only read them once and awhile to get a pulse or to look for some tech tip.

PKM-25 said:

There is no such thing as a throw away shot and if I want to represent my self well, I would never do that. And the commentator thing, I just can't man, really. I find the single most invasive thing to making great photographs is spending too much time on the internet. I only participate on this site and LFF and that is way, waaaay too much time as it is.

I try to add some input on here, look for good deals on stuff I need and that is really about all I can do. The most successful photographers I know spend *zero* time on forums, they only read them once and awhile to get a pulse or to look for some tech tip.

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There's no firm rule you have to represent yourself if you decided to advocate for film in that thread. You could post under an anonymous name.

But if you dont want to be on the internet, well then that's a whole 'nother story and one I can' disagree with.

RattyMouse said:

Nothing I do in my life will make any statistical difference with anything.

So I should not do anything, right?

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And with attitude like that nothing will ever change. If people of the past thought like that, we still would be seating in caves.
I'm sure you are aware of that if you influence 10 people with an idea and they influence 10 others. That's already 100 people right there.

I'm just glad that people of the past didn't think that way. Otherwise I would be seating in a cave never knowing what fire is...

PKM-25 said:

I guess I scratch my head at the notion of you not using film without seeing work on places like Flickr. Even though I see nice work there, I still find I am most inspired by all the great published work and work in galleries the most which still far eclipses most of what is shown on the mainstream internet.

If I am feeling uninspired which is maybe once every five years, all I need to do is pickup Salgado's Workers or Migrations, Michael Kenna's 20 year retrospective or Geir Jordahl's mesmerizing book Searching for True North.

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I know what you mean by feeling inspired. A lot of the works here in the apug galleries don't inspire me, but some do. Same with flickr. Same with 1x.com etc...

I usually follow the big photographers and really enjoy their work. In galleries it's the same, some of the work is hit and other is a miss. I actually use another website to catalogue all of the photographs that I find inspiring, it's my 2nd biggest time waster outside of taking photos. Be it Salgado's, Nick Brandt, Daido Moriyama, Bill Brandt, Irving Penn, Philippe Halsman, etc... I could throw names all day.

I believe that my photos are really bad. But that's what keeps me moving forward. Still, even tough I don't find my own work inspiring, I think I still have few nice photos that I quite enjoy. I think others might find some enjoyment or even inspiration in them too...

Nuff said:

And with attitude like that nothing will ever change. If people of the past thought like that, we still would be seating in caves.
I'm sure you are aware of that if you influence 10 people with an idea and they influence 10 others. That's already 100 people right there.

I'm just glad that people of the past didn't think that way. Otherwise I would be seating in a cave never knowing what fire is...

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I was using sarcasm to respond to another post.

RattyMouse said:

I was using sarcasm to respond to another post.

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I'm aware of that, it was more expending on your sarcasm and following up to Sirius Glass...

Nuff said:

I'm aware of that, it was more expending on your sarcasm and following up to Sirius Glass...

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Well, it would have had more impact directed towards the person showing the inability to think outside his own sphere.

Oh well, I tried here. The defeatist mentality is overpowering.

RattyMouse said:

Oh well, I tried here. The defeatist mentality is overpowering.

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I agree with you, but there's a wealth of knowledge around here. It is all technical and I started to get interested more in the art side of photography, maybe that's the main reason that I don't post here much. Every forum has it's purpose.

RattyMouse said:

The defeatist mentality is overpowering.

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I hear you, and you have my support Ratty...

You have not had many people post, it is how this place works, there is a really bad vibe here at times, people would rather blast Kodak than promote film.

Both Thomas and I said we show prints and I know for a fact it gets people fired up, perhaps more so than looking at them on the web because they are looking at the finished product. I used to have a heck of a gallery on Photo.net. Then I went through nothing less than 12 copyright infringements in a 2 year span, no bueno mang, nooooo...

Don't give up so soon...

Ratty, I posted few of my photos from my last years trip to Nepal up there. It was my first digital free holiday since 2003. I'm not sure if I will continue posting there, I really don't like the interface But for now I will see how it works out. I do prefer posting photos, since that's what photography is for me all about etc, not talking about the endless technical thingies magicas. Deep down inside they are all soulless black boxes with lenses.