your analog story

[cjjjmj]

My analog story is I used to be all digital I absolutly lovved it.Then one day I was making a video and then it ran out of memory instead of telling Me you are out of memory and stop recording it deleted everything!!!!!!!I did'nt notice it at first until I wanted to view My show and nothing (Except the video)came up!!!!!!!!!!!!!confused::confused:I pressed every button 3 times over until I gave upI stoped everything about recording and pictures until one day I found a old analog camera. I bought film and started using it. at first I did'nt now how to use it,(you see on the digital cameras were the picture comes up you put in the film)so I opened the film and then closed it and took more pictures 0 pictures. But I did'nt stop and the rest is history!P.S. post your storys

 

[Wayne]

My father was a professional photographer into the early-mid 60s when it became too hard to make a living or find good help, then he had to get real jobs. We had a darkroom and 8x10 enlarger in the basement, and a view camera that sat in the dining room for some reason I'll never know. I was practically baptized in Dektol. My favorite memory is wandering around exploring all the neat, weird, mysterious contraptions and chemicals down there...and watching pictures emerge from the Dektol under the amber glow...


Wayne

 

[Steve Smith]

Born 1964, my father was at the time, a full time central heating engineer and a part time wedding photographer - something he carried on doing for the next 30 years.

Some of my earliest memories are of his cameras. There was usually a a Rolleiflex and a Rolleicord around the house together with a bag full of Nikon equipment and a flash which had a separate leather case for the batteries - about half a dozen 90 volt brick size valve radio batteries.

When I was 10 my father gave me an Agfa Isolette with a flash and a supply of flashbulbs. The following year was my aunt's wedding. Strangely, I was the only one there with a camera. I delivered the couple a set of perfectly exposed prints - all with their heads missing!

When I was 16 I was given an Edixa Prismaflex (which I still have). A couple of years later I got a Nikkormat which was quickly traded in for a Nikon FG (which I also still have and use).

From 1983 to 2004 the FG was the only camera I owned. In 2004 my wife bought me a compact digital. Blinded by it's convenience I bought myself a Nikon D100 a few months later.

After eight months with the D100 I realised something was missing. Enjoyment.

At that point I started collecting film cameras starting with a Rolleicord then a few 35mm rangefinders, a Bronica ETRS and a Mamiya RB67. I have also built a 5x4 camera.

Recent additions are a mint condition Kodak Retina Reflex III and a poor condition Speed Graphic which I am refinishing.

and a view camera that sat in the dining room for some reason I'll never know.

Weird isn't it? My father had a Thornton Pickard set up as a living room ornament for a while.

Steve.

 

[Ian Grant]

Born, learnt to walk, picked up bellows camera aged 2, it was wonderful sexy, cute, I took images of women and the world OK just my baby sister but I wasn't allowed any film

Many years later I began using LF, and had bellows for real in my early 20's. I guess all that prcatice aged 2 paid off because I just love my field cameras.

For my sins I do work commercially with electronic imaging, it's not a matter of choice, I have no issues using it but get no enjoyment from it, just the financial gain. I was producing Tera-bytes of images and HD video a year before I decided I'd had enough, it was like working as a machine gun shooting images.

Ian

 

[eddym]

After 25 years of B&W film photography, I was seduced by the possibility of ultimate tone control offered by Photoshop. So I wasted 5 years and thousands of dollars on scanners, hardware, software, cameras, printers, paper, ink, custom curves, and godknowswhatall, before I finally came to my senses and realized that I could just walk into my darkroom, process a roll of film, make a beautiful print, and be done with it. And I end up with a much better print than anything that ever came out of an inkjet printer.
I should have invested all that money in Enron instead...

 

[nsouto]

Not really a "story" here, more a lifetime of it.
Parents were heavily into photography and 8mm film. I've got amazing film and photos from their life and mine, all the way back to colonial Africa in the late 50s.
Basically I never forgot about analog because it never left me.
Professionally, I've been in IT for over 30 years. That saturates me with enough of the digital stuff.
Apart from a short period in the late 90s-early 00s when I misguidedly thought digital was "getting there", it's been analog all the way. Used to run my own darkroom back in the 90s.
I can't have one now so I'm forced to use alternatives: scanning and inkjet printing. But a lot of the photos still get printed with an enlarger, either by professional studios or by friends with access to one. Investigating community places for more darkroom access, at the moment.

 

[bobwysiwyg]

Mine sounds like so many others. My first camera was a Kodak Six-20 (still have it), I guess I must have been maybe 12 yrs old. Didn't get too much into film until the early sixties. My first 35mm was a Pentax purchased at the PX in Vietnam (still have that one too). When I got out of the service, picked up two Nikons (yup, still have them, see a trend here?). Continued shooting film until, as someone else mentioned, thought digital was just about there.

Went through a series of digicams starting with an early Kodak with a 2Mb chip, whoo hoo! I too 'graduated' to a Nikon D100.

For some reason it just hit me that something was missing. I've finally pinned down what it is, three levels of anticipation. Level one, when you compose and take the picture, level two the development of the negative and the final level, the print. No comparison between these and the instant gratification (or disappointment) offered by the digicam screen.

I'm clearly something of a pack rat. I still have all my cameras, plus a few given to me by folks who have learned I've returned to film. Just had them lying around and they thought I might be able to use them.

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

I started getting into photography just as the digital cameras were starting to break ground, in the year 2000. My dad has shot, for his own enjoyment, probably well over 100,000 slides. Family vacations, semi artistic stuff, cars, stuff like that. He always talked about resolution of lenses, how this camera was better than another for whatever reason. That turned my interest for photography completely off, because the technical aspect of it was just too boring.
And honestly, my dad's results were not all that great either.
It wasn't until I went to the United States in September 2000 that my interest was sparked. I came to visit my then fiance. My dad had loaned me a camera to 'document' the trip. It was a Pentax ME with a 35-70mm zoom. I shot some color neg film. My fiance and I took it to the 1-hour lab and had them developed, and I was pretty pleased with the photographs. That's when my fiance asked if I ever photographed anything interesting... Ding, ding, ding, ding. Wake-up call. I asked her what she meant, and she started laying out to me how most of the photographs were pretty in colors, and had good technical quality, but they were ultimately just boring.
I took the challenge and borrowed a digital camera, a little point and shoot, to practice. When I came back to Sweden from my 1-1/2 month visit, I started photographing everything. I sent digital photos in the email to her, and she'd look at them and comment. I quickly discovered that i wasn't interested in digital photography. Too much computer work, too little enjoyment. I started using that Pentax ME with b&w 35mm film, and that's when I found the calling of photography. I was still too indoctrinated with my dad's sentiments on sharpness, grain free negatives, etc. I finally let go of all that after playing around with toy cameras, and here I am describing feelings and mood with photographs.

I very much view myself as a learner, with a lot of ground to cover. But photography has become my passion and my insanity asylum. Had I not discovered b&w analog photography, I doubt I would have been as passionate.

A good way to close is that my dad now is letting go of his technical approach, and is now getting more and more into content, and expressive printing. It's very nice to see that a person at age 60 being hungry to learn more. We both contributed to each others' passion for the craft.

I will also add that I listen to a lot of vinyl records. CDs are nice. High resolution formats such as Super Audio CDs are even nicer. But vinyl just kicks a$$ and to me sounds better. Through the whole vinyl versus CD pi$$ing contest I held true to my beliefs that vinyl was just more fun, and today I walk into Cheapo's and see thousands of titles - NEW! - on vinyl. I'm not sure whether film will do the same and have a resurgence or not, but I hope it does. I don't dislike digital. It's just that it's no fun! There's no magic, no tangible sensation, no stinky chemistry, no darkroom. Blah.

- Thomas

 

[removed account4]

my story is long and drawn out
so i will give the short version

i was about 6 and given a 127 format hawkeye/flashfun ...
i never stopped shooting film and acquired
all sorts of photographic equipment over the years.
i do have D camera not because i believed any of the
buzz that it was going to put my film-stuff to shame,
but to do commercial work ( i freelance ) ...
the photographs i make have changed a little bit
from the first classes i took in high school.
i had a great teachers in high school and college, and a great mentor
who taught me all about portraits
with a large format camera ...
friends and family use D stuff all the time,
and i stick to my guns and shoot film
i was told by a friend that he things i am the only person he knows
who still uses film

go team!

 

[papagene]

Here's my story, and I'm sticking to it!
Back in college I needed a 35mm camera to shoot slides of my sculpture and paintings. I started shooting a little B&W here and there and thought, hmmmmm this is quite interesting. I realized then that photography could play a major part of my artwork.
Jump ahead a few years...
I decide that I want to use MF & 4x5 transparencies in my sculpture. So first I get me a Yashica Mat 124g to play around with and start shooting some B&W film and having a friend develop it. The hook gets deeper.
I cobble together a small darkroom and make some uninspiring prints.
I soon get an inexpensive 4x5 field camera for those large trannies. 4x5 trannies would look nice in a sculpture. But alas, at that time I was a full-time Mr Mom with two part-time jobs and no time for sculpture & painting. But I could take photos of the kids. Of course I gave up sleeping to develop and print the photos!
At this time the transition was complete. I haven't done a painting or sculpture in 23 years (my oldest daughter is 23 ). I have traded in one mode of expression for another. But I still wish for more time to practice that mode of expression.

gene

 

[chop61]

In high school I babysat for three little monsters and earned enough money to buy a Yashica FX 2 at the PX, and I started shooting sports. Lots and lots of sports. Went to college, majored in art, took lots of photo classes. I worked for a guy that contracted out for sporting events, like 5k runs and stuff. That was in the 80's, and you'd cut up proof sheets and send out mass mailings to sell your prints. i wanted a little steadier income, so I went to work at a most excellent camera store in Alexandria, Louisiana, called Newcombs.

Lynn Hock owned the store and she was fabulous. There was an archival B&W lab there, and I mostly did custom printing and film developing. I have rolled thousands of rolls on stainless steel reels. We did copy work on 4x5, up in the attic. She had an amazing collection of cameras and over 7 years I shot on most of them. On the retail side I knew what nearly every camera manufacturer offered, knew Kodak, Ilford and Fuji's catalogs like the back of my hand, and could help set up a portrait studio from budget to all the bells and whistles. But for some dumb reason, that wasn't enough and I quit to go to television production school.

About a year ago I shot a roll of 120 on the old Yashicamat my dad gave me. The lab did a crappy job of developing it. So I found a place that offers class/labs in B&W, so I'm back in the swing. In two months, I am going to Vietnam and I will only shoot film. I understand the lure of digital, after all, I started out shooting sports and a DSLR is perfect for that in a down and dirty way. But nothing beats B&W prints from film in my opinion. It is the medium of the history I remember, and so it is precious.

 

[PBrooks]

OMG, I'm sorry I'll post more later but I just got the what felt like a lightning shock from my eyes to my hands and made my hand wet when I read your post chop61. Chop61, I'm not sure you know this but Newcombs closed after the passing of Lynn about 4 years ago. I got the news while on the steps of Parsons a place that I would not have been if it weren't for that delightful lady. The lights are still on and nothing has been touched but alas the doors are closed. I made my slides to get into grad school in that very attic. Have you ever seen a whole 15 or so feet sink rock? they have one on the second floor.
I'm sorry for my interruption.

PBrooks

 

[phenix]

Well, my story with color film is decades long and boring. But if you’d ask me when I discovered photography, I’ll answer you: recently, with the B&W film! How so? This is how: thank you, thank you, thank you DIGITAL for opening me the B&W film universe!

 

[naeroscatu]

I started taking pictures when I realized that time is passing by too fast; full days, empty days they just fly by leaving us behind; then weeks and months and years; there is nothing we can do about it.
I get very nervous when I see how my life slips like sand through my fingers.
You take a picture and freeze a moment, then another one and another one...before you know you shoot all the time.
Many years ago some one asked me to look at his camera, apparently the winding lever would not return in the normal position. It was a Smena-4 one of the most common and simple FSU cameras available at the time. The spring under the lever was displaced. I fixed the damn thing and decided to run a film through it just to make sure everything works well. I don’t remember whether I bought a film or I got one from my brother in law however sure thing it was a black-and-white Orwo or Azopan.
At the time my brother in law was into photography taking pictures at weddings and family events, developing film himself and printing on black-and-white paper. His kitchen would transform overnight into a dark-room. I was his helper making mental notes of the handling procedures, recipes, etc. It was fascinating to have access into people lives and most intimate events. I saw many nice moments but there were sand ones too.
Briefly I took some pictures with the Smena being very much afraid do not screw-up the exposure or developing. What followed was magic... to this day I cannot explain what was my thinking when I took this family picture; fact is that the result put me behind the camera forever...

 

[sionnac]

I am just now scanning some slides of my Dad's pictures (& of my Dad taking pictures) - I was born in 1965 and I think that's when he got the Fujica. He passed away a few years ago. I have a Canon A-1 that is my main camera, and I collect and use old box cameras with 120 film. Just now realizing I too have the photo bug.

 

[winger]

As a kid, my dad was the one who was always taking pictures. He used a Pentax H1a (pre-Spotmatic, no meter) and usually slide film. The more I shoot, the more I realize he really knew what he was doing because I don't remember any poorly exposed shots.
Anyway, my parents gave me a Kodak Instamatic for Christmas when I was about 5 and I always had it with me. I finally got to borrow my dad's Pentax in 4th grade. I first learned to develop and print in high school (graduated in '86) and have worked on my skills sporadically since. The last few years I've really worked more and I just love hanging out in my darkroom with the stereo cranked up and chemicals in the trays. It's just a more tactile experience and I really feel like I can say, "I did this" when I'm done.

 

[MurrayMinchin]

Used to borrow my parents 35mm camera to take into the mountains, and was frustrated when the resulting photographs contained none of the power of the original scenes. That's what started it all and what keeps me going; trying to put that power and/or my personal reactions to it on film. Also, at 48 years of age my negatives and prints are still getting better, so why would I want to switch?????

Murray

 

[John Jarosz]

I attended the Institut of design at IIT from 68-72. 2 years of photography were required as part of the curriculum. I took classes from Aaron Siskind, Joe Jachna, Garry Winogrand. I never professionally did photography but being exposed to photography in that environment marked me for life. I have never stopped photographing whatever interests me. Since 1980 I have worked with carbon printing and little platinum. Recently I have jumped into ULF so I can make in camera negatives. With all the demise of the real photo labs it's difficult to get internegs made or any support for large contact printing. I view ULF as a required discipline for the future if one is going to do non-silver processes.

I have dabbled in digital but only with the non-professional cameras. Chemical photography is something I will aleways do. Digital seems good for snapshots, digitizing old family photos as a means of distributing family history, but a truly disposable medium nonetheless.

John

 

[ricksplace]

My spouse says the difference between analog and digital is like the difference between breast feeding and bottle feeding.

 

[2F/2F]

I like to take pictures.