technique

Why I still love film

I'm a firm believer in the advantages of digital photography. It opens up so many opportunities for creative experimentation. For professional work, It virtually eliminates much of the risk that comes with film photography. So why do I still shoot film on occasion? For one, it forces me to slow down. I shoot medium format film, so I only get 12 images out of a roll. That means I have to make every frame count. My camera is also all manual, so there's no "shooting from the hip." That slow approach helps me concentrate on the subject. The other reason I still shoot film, is the different look the images have. With the larger image area of the 6x6 frame, the relative depth of field is less than with my dslr, so there's an almost 3D look to the images. The way that film captures color, or the grain of black and white film, also gives the images a distinct look compared to digital. It's just another way of "looking at things." My hope is it will see a resurgence similar to what's happened to vinyl records.