Prefer My Older Shots

[Rob MacKillop]

Julian mentioned in a recent post that he prefers his older shots, and was dismayed at that thought. I've been contemplating that all day, and after looking at some of the first shots I did, I have to side with him! These are with a simple Pentax K1000, but I can't remember the lens. There was nothing wrong with my photography then. I should have stayed with that camera, simple as it is. But I guess I had to explore. Now I want to go home, so to speak.

1. Bookshops



2. The Grassmarket after rain



3. Rhona's Grannie



4. Girl With Camera



5. River Cottage - emblackened

 

[Ivar Dahl-Larsen]

Hear, hear! I may have a simple box camera for you Rob or is it that you are just an old romantic?

 

[Rob MacKillop]

No thanks, Ivar. That's going too far!

 

[Ian Grant]

Despite having used digital cameras for 20 years I still prefer older film cameras. I have quite a few Pentax SLRs KX,KM, MX etc but actually like using older Spotmatics and have 3 the Takumar lenses are superb. But I shoot very little 35mm instead I when not using LF I shoot mostly with TLRs a Yashicamat 124 when in Turkey/Gtreece and Rolleiflex or a Microcord here in the UK, I always have a TLR when out shooting LF.

A lot is down to the fact that you need to take more care with film so you think more carefully, that may be subconscious, you also tend to make shots count you don't have the luxury of shooting many variations to get the best image. Of course shooting LF make you even more careful at over £1 a sheet of 5x4 film you look more critically while your shooting.

Shooting digital can make you lazy, so could shooting multiple rolls of 35mm filmwhen it was cheap.

Ian

 

[Rob MacKillop]

I don't think it's that, Ian, as I do take care with my digital shots. In fact, I rarely shoot more than 30 to 40 digital shots at any one time. And I'm doing far less post production than I did before. I don't know, there's just something very different about the film experience.

 

[Ian Grant]

You've said it, the film experience is diffrerent. You have to know your craft before WYSIWYG and there's a big time lapse betwen what you saw and what you get on the negatives/prints (or scans).. What you see after shooting a Digital image can appear to be far better on the camera screen .that the file you download,

The good news is films sales are increasing by more than predicted but the shift is towards larger formats, and the driving force the young and Chinse photographers where LF and ULF (film sizes over 10x8) are growing dramatically and they have the money to spend.

Ian

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Interesting. I'd like to give it a try someday. I'm impressed with your LF camera, and what you do with it.

 

[Ian Grant]

I think LF camera is a bit wide of the mark

Cameras plural is more like it, good job the wife never visits these website . . . . . I have 2 10x8's, an 18x24cm, a 12"x10", 3 whole plate, 4 or 5 Half plate, 3 7x5s, 7 or 8 5"x4", half a doxen 9x12cm and i use quite a few of them.

It's like you and stringed instruments.

Ian

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Well, they're large to me!

I only have one guitar, nothing else....(she can hear me typing!)

 

[Julian de'Courcy]

I whole heartedly agree Rob. The Pentax is all you need these you could never surpass, if you could kindly send your Hexar this way it would help you to rid yourself of these newer bad practices you find yourself doing

Actually for me when I mentioned it. I was not thinking of the medium used but what the eye was seeing.

As far as film is, the aesthetics are by far more to my liking but of course that does not make for a good image alone.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

The Hex is happy where it is, Julian, so nae chance!

I know what you mean about what the eye was seeing, and have to say I feel that way too. But, it's just my usual restlessness at play again. Where would I be without it?

 

[Brian Moore]

I've been shooting more digital than film in recent months but only because convenience made it compelling. (For work related stuff, where indoor shooting and quick turnaround are required, digital is very convenient and produces good results.) However, shooting with a film camera is always more appealing to me. So too are images made on film.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

I thought you might prefer film, Brian But it's also what and how I shoot with film, and what I do with it after I've shot it. With film, I might do nothing afterwards, at most a little exposure change. But with digital, the temptation to get stuck in is too strong, and although I've achieved some good images that way, today they don't seem so impressive to me.

Went to Melrose in the Borders today, with some XP2 in the Hex. We shall see what materialises soon.