The Over Analyzation of a Creative Crisis...

[ChristopherCoy]

I love photography. Through a lot of soul searching, reading, and journaling recently, I know that I want to push myself to be more creative than I ever have been. "Just shoot" is a common thing that I've been told.

If I were to be told that I could only do photography one way, it would be a full analog method. The slow, thoughtful shooting, followed by the chemical processes, and magic appearance of film on silver paper has always gotten me excited. It's a very zen feeling.

But digital has its place in my current processes also. The immediate ability to see a photo, the lower cost per frame, and the ease of perfecting an image through digital editing, all make it a viable method for me.

At the current time I'm strictly digital, but I'd like to be able to do both. I have an opportunity to pick up an F5 at a good price, and I think it would pair well with my D700's. But I'm torn as to whether or not I should for many different reasons.

In the time it's taken me to type this post, this far, I've decided that I WAS going to buy it, then I WASN'T going to buy it, and I've closed this browser window at least four times. Thankfully apug saves my drafts each time.

I don't really know that I'm asking for any advice, or even what that advice would be, but if you have any, please feel free to share. Especially if you've ever been in a position like this.

I mean in the grand scheme of things, its probably over analyzation at its finest, but I need somewhere to turn and it's not like I can meet a group of photographer friends at the coffee shop for a chat. At least for another month or two anyway....

 

[Tom Kershaw]

The F5 should work with your Nikon lenses so that is a good option. However for me, an important aspect of film photography is darkroom prints so I think there is something to be said for setting up even a simple darkroom if possible.

 

[ChristopherCoy]

The F5 should work with your Nikon lenses so that is a good option. However for me, an important aspect of film photography is darkroom prints so I think there is something to be said for setting up even a simple darkroom if possible.

I could take a minimalist approach to a dark room and use my bathroom on the boat. It would have to be a set up/tear down each use thing though.

 

[MattKing]

Buy it if the price is competitive and you want to try it.
If it suits you, keep and use it.
If you don't find that it suits you, sell it.
It is just a thing - a tool that you might enjoy using or you might use to good effect.
Make decisions about acquiring or disposing of things based on pragmatic considerations.
Make decisions on how you spend your time based on a combination of pragmatic and inspirational considerations.
If it were me, I'd buy something smaller than an F5 - something that would give you a more portable option than your D700s - but that is just me.

 

[MattKing]

I could take a minimalist approach to a dark room and use my bathroom on the boat. It would have to be a set up/tear down each use thing though.

I have been doing that for decades.

 

[Vaughn]

I have found that letting cost determine process and material is always disappointing and self-defeating. Instead, I found the processes and materials that best express the light I am working with (and I have a lot of fun doing) and let cost determine productivity -- which I can (hopefully) enrich by slow, thoughtful, high quality work. Not an approach for everyone...just suits me. Perhaps it was the ten years of mule-packing, 18 years of being a SAHD to triplet boys, and 50 years of using view cameras in the landscape that has given me a different (and perhaps twisted) perspective on patience.

A possibility is a TLR, such as a Rolleiflex instead of a 35mm. Only because I see wet and digital photography as two very different beasties -- so why mix the two? One can use the differences in the media to express and explore different avenues...instead of capturing similar imagery with both systems. Warning -- I have a bias towards Rolleis! But consider the possibility of using the film camera as a way to explore avenues that digital will not lead you. Dare I say it!...yes...4x5 camera or larger for contact printing on silver gelatin paper or alt processes.

Just another country heard from...

 

[BradS]

I'm not sure what the question or dilemma is....
it sounds like you seek a path to increased creativity.
Are you feeling cooped up and non-productive because of the self imposed house arrest? or debating whether buying a Nikon F5 will stimulate creativity?

It is perhaps folly or counter productive to push oneself to be more creative. It seems like many creative types (not just artists) find that creativity is stimulated by...
1) relax...even meditate
2) put yourself in a different environment or
3) present yourself with a new set of challenges to overcome.

These things are difficult to accomplish while cooped up at home, our most familiar environment (and possibly stressed out about health or economic concerns).

 

[removed account4]

hi christopher
get what you are looking for, if the f5 doesn't work the way you had hoped you can alway sell it.
regarding your set up tear down &c you gotta do what you gotta do.
i hate to suggest this but ...
im not sure what sort of photography you hope to do. just to throw another piece of photographic gear in the mix, instead of a 35mm camera, instead of something that is reliant on extra steps ( developing film ) you might think about getting a camera that can make a big negative, like a 4x5 or bigger and a lens, and a box of photo paper.
then again you could always just use the equipment you have and start making photographs ?
have fun with your new adventure !
john

 

[ChristopherCoy]

Buy it if the price is competitive and you want to try it.
If it were me, I'd buy something smaller than an F5 - something that would give you a more portable option than your D700s - but that is just me.

The specific reason that I want the F5 is that it will allow me to use my SB700 speedlights with TTL capabilities. The F5 and the F6 are the only Nikon film bodies that do this, and the F6 is still obnoxiously priced. This method will allow me to set up a still life for example, get the lighting correct using the D700's "preview" and then allow me to switch to the F5 with the same settings.

 

[warden]

I have an opportunity to pick up an F5 at a good price, and I think it would pair well with my D700's.

Maybe let the film rig be its own thing instead of buying it to pair well with your digital camera. If cost is a concern do nothing; that D700 is a nice camera already, costs about nothing to use, and is not holding you back.

I like Vaughn's idea of doing something new though, i.e. medium format or even TLR. If you want to increase creativity that will have some impact because you'll be forced to do the exercise of seeing square, looking down to see out, etc. Creativity thrives with limits. Might be fun too.

 

[ChristopherCoy]

Are you feeling cooped up and non-productive because of the self imposed house arrest? or debating whether buying a Nikon F5 will stimulate creativity?

It is perhaps folly or counter productive to push oneself to be more creative. It seems like many creative types (not just artists) find that creativity is stimulated by...
1) relax...even meditate
2) put yourself in a different environment or
3) present yourself with a new set of challenges to overcome.

These things are difficult to accomplish while cooped up at home, our most familiar environment (and possibly stressed out about health or economic concerns).

Well, there could be an hour long conversation on this particular question. I'm not feeling cooped up, but I am feeling unaccomplished. For the last three weeks I've been trying to clean up and consolidate hard drives and digital files. I've deleted over 413,836 image files. And I still have nearly 20,000 left on my hard drives.

And I've acknowledged what always happens, I'll go out and shoot something, import it into LightRoom, edit my one or three favorites, post them to a forum somewhere, and then the process goes cold. I never make prints. And I never go back to them even in electronic form. I do not enjoy electronic editing either.

What I do know is that I always enjoy having a tangible image in my hands. I bought some 4x6 photo paper the other day and printed a black and white image shot with my D700, and framed it in a 96 cent "gallery" frame and hung it on the wall. Every single time I pass that photo I look at it and get a happy feeling.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

The specific reason that I want the F5 is that it will allow me to use my SB700 speedlights with TTL capabilities. The F5 and the F6 are the only Nikon film bodies that do this, and the F6 is still obnoxiously priced. This method will allow me to set up a still life for example, get the lighting correct using the D700's "preview" and then allow me to switch to the F5 with the same settings.

Don't assume that the results you get on your digital camera will be the same as the results on the F5 all other settings being equal. Digital camera sensitivity and film sensitivity are not equal.

That said, if your goal is to work slow and thoughtful, why limit yourself with a tool designed for high throughput? From a results perspective, you'd be better off getting a medium format or even large format camera and a couple of clip lights. Then you'd only have to shoot twelve shots (if medium format) at most before being able to stop, process your film, and look at it. And you could get a medium format TLR or something similar, plus the lights, for what you'd spend on the F5.

 

[ChristopherCoy]

And you could get a medium format TLR or something similar, plus the lights, for what you'd spend on the F5.

The F5 is $200. I don't know that I could find a full MF setup for that price, unless I wanted to shoot Lomo.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

The F5 is $200. I don't know that I could find a full MF setup for that price, unless I wanted to shoot Lomo.

A Rolleicord or a Yashicamat, or an older Mamiya C22.

Regardless, I'd agree with what Vaughn said about not forcing your creative decisions based on budget. Not that you should go running around whipping out your credit card and getting maxed out just to buy a new toy. First, decide on your goals - what do you want to do? What kinds of images do you want to make? Then, determine the appropriate tools to get you there - if you want to pound nails, a screwdriver is not the best tool for the job. Then, once you've decided what you need to do the job, find the budget to get you there. You'll be much happier for it.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

The F5 is a great little camera...but If you really want to enjoy analogue photography, get yourself a banger 4x5, a lens, and a box of film. You can use the taco method to develop film in your film dev tank for 35mm...You could photograph the negatives with your D700 and make a digital negative for wet or inkjet printing.
There is nothing wrong with having a tear down darkroom. Many of us have been there and still are. Just keep it really simple.

 

[cjbecker]

Im in a tear down darkroom for now. Its the reason I started shooting 4x5 again. I just do contact prints. No enlarger needed

 

[Tom Kershaw]

An inexpensive 4x5 is probably a great option and a completely different experience to working with the D700.

 

[ChristopherCoy]

An inexpensive 4x5 is probably a great option and a completely different experience to working with the D700.

What is "inexpensive"?

 

[Tom Kershaw]

What is "inexpensive"?

probably not $200. You might be able to get a twin lens reflex medium format camera for that money.

 

[ChristopherCoy]

probably not $200. You might be able to get a twin lens reflex medium format camera for that money.

Keyword being "might". I'm knowledgeable enough to know that I'm not going to get anything in medium format that was manufactured anytime after 1953, or that I would enjoy shooting for an "inexpensive" price. I've owned a C220, a C33, a Hassey 500cm, a Yashica 635, and for a short while I even had a Graflex Speed Graphic 4x5.

I can store the F5 in the same bag as my D700's, I can use all my same lenses with both cameras, and I can use all my lighting with both cameras. Additionally, both cameras have the same field of view which I feel will assist in further developing my photographic eye. These are the main reasons why I haven't ventured to look into other formats.

 

[MattKing]

The specific reason that I want the F5 is that it will allow me to use my SB700 speedlights with TTL capabilities. The F5 and the F6 are the only Nikon film bodies that do this, and the F6 is still obnoxiously priced. This method will allow me to set up a still life for example, get the lighting correct using the D700's "preview" and then allow me to switch to the F5 with the same settings.

If you are using the D700 to preview, use it to determine flash exposure as well, and then use the flashes in manual.
TTl flash is great - for fast changing scenes.

 

[BradS]

Well, there could be an hour long conversation on this particular question. I'm not feeling cooped up, but I am feeling unaccomplished. For the last three weeks I've been trying to clean up and consolidate hard drives and digital files. I've deleted over 413,836 image files. And I still have nearly 20,000 left on my hard drives.

And I've acknowledged what always happens, I'll go out and shoot something, import it into LightRoom, edit my one or three favorites, post them to a forum somewhere, and then the process goes cold. I never make prints. And I never go back to them even in electronic form. I do not enjoy electronic editing either.

What I do know is that I always enjoy having a tangible image in my hands. I bought some 4x6 photo paper the other day and printed a black and white image shot with my D700, and framed it in a 96 cent "gallery" frame and hung it on the wall. Every single time I pass that photo I look at it and get a happy feeling.

I can certainly empathize with you. I think lots of people are feeling non-productive right now. I think you just have to give yourself permission to be less productive than you may be used to being.

...and with respect to that ennui associated with digital...yup, that's a very common sentiment here on APUG.

I think that if you want to buy an F5 and you can afford...go for it but do not expect that doing so will improve the way you feel....eh, I don't know. maybe it will. I don't know your situation.
I know that for me, it would not. It only be a further burden...but I already have too many film cameras. Actually, photography is kinda dead for me right now because I cannot travel, I cannot hike anywhere interesting, I cannot visit with friends or family...so, I've taken up cooking and baking. I made brownies from scratch yesterday! and banana bread last week. Now instead of feeling unproductive, I feel...eh, like I've stored up excess potential energy around the waist line, if you know what I mean.

What part of Texas is the armpit? I've been through Texas a few times...I like the north west corner well enough. Never seen too much of the interior nor have I been along the Texas coastline . It (the gulf coast) is definitely on my list of places to go, things to do, etc..

 

[ChristopherCoy]

I can certainly empathize with you. I think lots of people are feeling non-productive right now. I think you just have to give yourself permission to be less productive than you may be used to being.

...and with respect to that ennui associated with digital...yup, that's a very common sentiment here on APUG.

What part of Texas is the armpit? I've been through Texas a few times...I like the north west corner well enough. Never seen too much of the interior nor have I been along the Texas coastline . It (the gulf coast) is definitely on my list of places to go, things to do, etc..

Giving myself permission to be less productive than normal is hard for me, as I'm sure it is for others. I keep thinking about shooting projects, and then realize they aren't available. Just 10 minutes ago I thought, "I'm taking a photo walk. I'm going to put on my mask, take my hand sanitizer, and go walk around downtown Houston and the city parks." And then I remembered all that is currently closed and off limits. So I think I'm going to do something next week that I've been wanting to do but keep putting off. I'm going to go to my storage unit, make some room, and set up a still life of some kind.

As for digital editing, I've never liked it. It would take me several weeks to get through wedding edits because I got bored after ten minutes of editing. I'm a kinesthetic learner. I have to have my hands involved, and monotonous button clicks put me to sleep.

The armpit of Texas is along the gulf coast. Houston to Beaumont is over-run by chemical plants and oil refineries and it smells like armpits all the time.

 

[ChristopherCoy]

If you are using the D700 to preview, use it to determine flash exposure as well, and then use the flashes in manual.
TTl flash is great - for fast changing scenes.

The TTL capabilities isn't just for fast changing scenes. It's great for doing things like portraits with the sun as a rim light, without having to fumble around with a light meter. Underexpose the frame two stops for the sun, and overexpose the flash by two stops to compensate, and control it all from the camera.

 

[BradS]

Giving myself permission to be less productive than normal is hard for me, as I'm sure it is for others. I keep thinking about shooting projects, and then realize they aren't available. Just 10 minutes ago I thought, "I'm taking a photo walk. I'm going to put on my mask, take my hand sanitizer, and go walk around downtown Houston and the city parks." And then I remembered all that is currently closed and off limits. So I think I'm going to do something next week that I've been wanting to do but keep putting off. I'm going to go to my storage unit, make some room, and set up a still life of some kind.

As for digital editing, I've never liked it. It would take me several weeks to get through wedding edits because I got bored after ten minutes of editing. I'm a kinesthetic learner. I have to have my hands involved, and monotonous button clicks put me to sleep.

The armpit of Texas is along the gulf coast. Houston to Beaumont is over-run by chemical plants and oil refineries and it smells like armpits all the time.

on permission to be unproductive...yeah. It does take a long time. I retired five months ago and for the first two months, I'd be down on my self because I hadn't accomplished anything that day....it took me longer to get over that wild anxiety I'd feel for a tiny fraction of a second when I woke up at 7:30AM.

...and the house arrest thing is really killing me too... I'm supposed to be in spain, doing the camino de santiago right now....and I cannot go hiking anyplace locally because literally every place that might give somebody from out of county an excuse to travel here is closed...parks, camp grounds, the national forests, even the nearby BLM land...all closed. I have a road trip to Duluth planned for later this spring...now its looking uncertain. I wanna go have pizza and beer with friends...nope cannot do that either. It sucks large. eh, whining about it doesn't make it any better.

As dumb as it sounds, I'm thinking about buying a junker car or truck and "fixing it up"...not too bright I know but it is something to do.