There is a terrific scene from Adaptation in which John Laroche describes his obsession with tropical fish – and how that obsession simply and abruptly ended.
Then one day I say, “fuck fish.” I renounce fish. I vow never to set foot in that ocean again. That’s how much fuck fish.
The closest thing I have to an obsession these days is shooting with film. I love film cameras. I enjoy experimenting with new films and development processes and all the extra hoo ha that goes with it. Film for me is, for lack of a better word, neato. It’s not an obsession like with Laroche, but it’s fun and quirky and has all of the against-the-grain (no pun intended) qualities that I like.
But… Fuck film!
I spent last week in Maine hiking, kayaking, sailing, exploring and generally being presented with one great photo opportunity after another. I botched nearly every one of them. How? I’ll tell you…
I ran out of film while on a deserted island. I set the ISO incorrectly on my OM-1, overexposing the roll by 2 stops. I opened the bottom of the Leica M7 before rewinding the roll. I had only a 28mm prime lens with me when what I needed was a telephoto. I was in fading light with nothing but Fuji PRO 160. Walgreens scratched one of the negatives during processing. The lens hood I used caused terrible vignetting. And so on. Oh, and I left a roll of exposed film in the pocket of a pair of shorts. it didn’t survive a trip through the laundry.
Normally I would write these things off as part of the “charm” of using film. This time, however, it was annoying and disheartening. I was pissed. Still am. I don’t get to Maine every day, and now I’ve got maybe 2 dozen usable shots from the entire trip. Some may say that’s plenty, but they’d be wrong, since that wasn’t my intention. Some will say all of these problems could have been avoided had I paid more attention and been more careful. They’ll be right, but that’s not the point. The point is that for the first time in a long time, I didn’t enjoy shooting film. The entire trip I longed for digital for the usual reason: it’s easier.
I’m not quite ready to renounce film completely, and once I calm down I’ll probably forget much of why I’m still so upset. But for now, I’m culling my film gear and putting the money toward a nice D700 with a fast, versitile, autofocus, zoom lens that will just let me take some photos and be sure right now that I did it right.
(Of course, I’ve said all this before)
{ 8 comments }
Love the post! I think this could be applied to quite a few things in my life.
One question… is this a gateway to an new M9?
I would love to have an M9 someday. I’ll need to let depreciation set in for a couple years first. Besides, I think I’ll try something more versatile (DSLR) for a while first.
I’ve been there – and doing this a lot less intensely than you have. It’s tough to find time in my travel schedule to get stuff processed, fixed, and scanned. That M9 looks nice, but pricey.
I want to be empathetic, but similar calamaties can occur with digi gear. It ain’t the medium, Jack. It’s the preparation and planning that’s the problem, all due respect. Like you suggest, once you calm down there is a lot to be learned, no?
Of course you’re right, Mike. I was in unfamiliar territory and hadn’t really thought things through. Film does require a bit more planning and care, but certainly isn’t entirely to blame.
Jack,
It could have been worse. Important thing is I do hope you’ve managed to enjoy the magnificant sights of Maine. Record that down in your memory and savors the moments
Jack,
The good thing to take away from this is that the film itself didn’t let you down, just the attention to detail. I’m glad you didn’t rant that film didn’t have enough resolution, or too much grain, or it wasn’t fast or sharp enough…the usual suspects.
For simplicity, nothing can beat a nice compact digicam. I have a Canon G10 just for that reason, and it’ll slip into a pocket.
I was distracted two weeks ago and opened the bottom of my M6 before I rewound it. Yep…operator error, not film’s fault. I have a D700. It’s a fantasy come true for existing light shooting, but it’s heavier than an M Leica, and if you add a zoom, it’s annoyingly large.
Stick with film if you enjoy the process. Yes, I think shooting digitally is easier in the capture stage, but really I think it depends upon what you enjoy about photography…cameras, printing, or pictures.
David, it was indeed my attention to detail causing my grief. I think the difference in this case was that I was “on vacation” and having to pay attention to those details was secondary, and getting in my way. Next time I go on an adventure, I’ll probably bring something easier.
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