I was poor enough when I first started photography back in 2004 to have to shoot film. I didn’t know much about photography — but the film camera in the store where I bought my first camera was much cheaper than the digital camera they had (1GB CF cards were a few hundred dollars at the time!). So I bought the film camera. It was fun while it lasted. I loved taking 40 rolls of film on overseas trips, getting home, and waiting to get my film like it was Christmas eve. It all really was a lot of fun. But then I finally had the money to switch to digital — and I’ve been here ever since.
There seems to be a movement back to film right now. That’s fine. I have about as much a problem with that as I do in choosing Apple or PC, RAW or JPEG, or just about anything else that photographers argue about. If it works for you, well… it works! But there definitely seems to be a large group of wedding photographers looking to find something in film that they aren’t finding in digital photography. I just happen to be to lazy to try new things more than once a year :P Maybe one day I’ll shoot film at a wedding again… we’ll see.
Anyways, I took out one of my old film cameras recently just for fun. I shot Lindsay and the dogs down at the local baseball field. They definitely have a different feel to them — so what do you guys think? Can you see the film difference? Is there something more pure about film photography over digital? I’m not entirely sure, but I know one thing — photography is so fun :)
Mark - Film rocks! My Eos3-HS is just waiting to be loaded up with some Velvia! Maybe for my honeymoon in Sept!March 10, 2010 - 2:29 am
jodi - i just shot a roll of film last weekend!! perhaps we just like to go back to the old days every once in a while. it is pretty fun waiting to see the pics!! (good heavens, i love your dogs!! then again, i love everybody's dogs...)March 10, 2010 - 4:27 am
Jay - I love film, but never say one format is "better" than the other. It's just different. There is no arguement when things aren't the same IMO. One thing is certain, with film, I think about getting the shot "right". Using digital, I might not think too much about the settings and just take a test shot. I try not to, but...like you said...you get lazy.
Want to have fun with film? Get a 35mm half frame. I have a Dial-35 and always take it on vacations. It's fun seeing which two images end up together. Plus, 72 pictures out of a 36 exp roll. :)March 10, 2010 - 7:45 am
Kisha - I’m still a newbie and shoot only digital but for the past 2 months or so I have been teaching myself to shoot film (never ever touched a film camera before). I found myself trying to pp my images to look like film when it just hit me – why not shoot film? I don’t know if it’s something I’ll switch to entirely but I would like to incorporate it into what I currently do/offer. For me, (98%) of the time I can tell the difference between film and digital. There’s something about the colours – especially in the sky…you get a nice tonal range that I really like. The images are also ‘softer’ to me. And while the colours are vibrant they don’t look….forced or too saturated. I also like the process of shooting film – the mindset of each click costing so make it worth it…I try to think like that with my digital images but..I dunno. Hard to explain. I too have noticed a lot of photographers trying out film again or making the switch but I don’t know if that’s just because I’m more ‘interested’ in the topic now. For example, it’s like when you decide you want to take a trip to, let’s say, Paris. All of a sudden you start noticing French speaking people when you’re out, & then you happen to catch a documentary on Paris on TV, then you see a ‘come to Paris’ bulletin board…was it always like that or are am I just more attuned to it now? LOL. But I’m with you though – I say to each his own! (holy hell long comment!)March 10, 2010 - 7:56 am
David - I love films too! I have a question though: do you take care of the scanning process yourself? If not, where do you go? I found it very difficult to find people who knew what they were doing without paying arms and legs!March 10, 2010 - 8:11 am
Ben - It's quite hard to tell because it seems you have done some PP, but from my experience there's something about the colour/grain that I can't replicate with digital.
I love to shoot medium format (bobby if you don't... get a Hassleblad or something as soon as possible!) The colour of 120 film is just amazing without messing in LR, sends shivers down my spine!March 10, 2010 - 10:00 am
Kyle - I think your PP almost always looks film-ish to me so I don't see a huge difference. I think photographers are going back to film because there's the whole backlash of "anyone can enter the industry" and a lot of people think that anyone can shoot digital but not anyone can shoot film. Inneresting.March 10, 2010 - 10:25 am
Terrance - That's funny because I also just stared shooting color film 6 months ago (I basically started with digital). It all started with a B&W film class I took 2 years ago that focused on basic darkroom techniques. After that class I thought I'd shoot all my B&W in film (cause they look great) and all my color in digital. But now I'm starting to shoot color film more because it actually saves more time. With color film I don't need to do any post-processing in PS or LR... it just looks good when you get it back from the lab.March 10, 2010 - 3:13 pm
I love rainy, wet days. They are amazing because the local school grounds and parks are usually empty — and Remmy LOVES it. She’s a fetch fiend! Trouble? Not so much… He gets tired just watching her run around :P We try to get him in on the action (which is shown in the video), but he’s usually content to sit with us and watch Remmy chase the ball around :)
Want to know the God’s honest truth? I don’t look in the mirror much. Not a shocker for most of those who are around me on a daily basis — but sometimes I surprise myself how long I’ll go without actually looking at myself in the mirror. Seeing this video was the first time I realized that I’ve got a bit of a real beard going! I’m lucky to be married to a woman who digs the “lumberjack who just might be homeless” look, so win/win. But yeah, I sincerely thought that I just shaved and was pretty shocked to see how long my beard got! I have a client meeting this weekend so I’ll have to shape up a bit before then ;)
Lele - Lola is a boxer. She drives me up the wall most of the time. What they say about boxers being kids all their life is a fact. She will be three this year and there is no calming that dog down. She's always ready to play. When she sees you walking up the sidewalk, she starts twisting and turning her butt around (because all she has is a nub) and runs and grabs the first toy she can find. I think my favorite thing about her most of the time though is her gas tendencies.
First of all they are horrendous. She could knock you out with one of her farts. The best part is when she does it. Fifty percent of the time she just lets them come out like no one is listening. She'll be standing up in the window, barking at who knows what. Her two front paws on the window sill, all stretched out and then . . . ppppooooooffff. It's like it doesn't even phase her.
The other fifty percent of the time, she looks around like "WHO, wha, how, wha?" It's pretty funny actually. Mark (my hubbs) and I have come to tears laughing a few times because of her.
If you get another dog, you need to get a boxer.March 9, 2010 - 7:43 am
Amy - Yes, dogs are the BEST! I wish you could have more too...still looking for a home for pup ;)March 9, 2010 - 8:25 am
bearska - Those dogs look stupidMarch 9, 2010 - 8:46 am
How is this reverse icicle possible?! My dogs have been staring at nothing and barking a TON at the nothingness lately. Is there some paranormal activity happening here??? You decide!
But seriously, this happens to nearly all of our ice cubes — but ONLY when we use reverse osmosis water. If we run out and just use the filtered water from the tap, it doesn’t freeze up like this. Usually it’s about twice as tall, but I took the tray out, got my camera ready (had to get a battery), and by the time I took the photo, the reverse icicle melted down a bit (hence the water drop you can see on the reverse icicle). But isn’t that weird?
I’d LOVE to hear any theories out there. I honestly have NO clue how this is possible!
Nick Radford - Is you freezer set to reverse gravity? id check the user manual and see if the anti-gravity comes turned on from the factory. if this IS the case simply swith the anti-gravity switch to off and voila!March 8, 2010 - 12:12 am
blaine - I had that happen in 2007 (when I lived in Oceanside!) and blogged it to.
http://www.blainefranger.com/snapshots/2007/02/im-puzzled-enlighten-me.html
Link to explanation is at the end...March 8, 2010 - 12:56 am
Kye - http://themarvelousinnature.wordpress.com/2008/02/04/icicles-in-reverse/March 8, 2010 - 4:11 am
Kim Ward - Reverse Osmosis water = reverse icicle?March 8, 2010 - 7:31 am
Ben - I'm afraid it's not whacky... but I've heard of it before with distilled water. It's as the water freezes slowly from the outside the less dense ice needs somewhere to go as it moves inward, and pushes upwards. Maybe your freezer is just warm enough for it to not freeze too quickly.March 8, 2010 - 8:02 am
Carlos Bruno - If nobody knows, we're living a period where the day doesn't have 24h anymore ... just 16h!!! For this reason we always think our days are so short! Check it out: Leo (my friend da Vinci) use to make at least three pietas per day ... nowadays, he couldn't produce a complete one! Anyways, so, the earth has to have its rotation/translation complete in less time SOOOOO you will see all these 'extensions' of the tray in a same direction that is THE opposite of the side for where the earth is going!
AND I can not believe you reach until this point reading so huge BS I ever wrote to waste our time! Love and Piece (of a huge chocolate cake).
Congrats (again) for your little girl!March 8, 2010 - 8:44 am
amanda - Purer water has a higher freezing temperature, so once you filter it, it will freeze faster and get the bursties. Your unfiltered water just freezes that little bit more slowly enough that it doesn't get the spikes.
And my guess would be the dogs aren't barking at nothing. They're probably just barking at something that you can't hear, or maybe smell, but they can. I've never known a dog that didn't bark at nothingness once in a while. Wait until your baby stares, points, giggles, and talks to "nothing"--THAT will freak you out. I think all babies do it, and make their parents think their kids are seeing ghosts!March 8, 2010 - 9:08 am
Erin - ok... i have a dorky answer for you, so brace yourself! My hubby has a degree in chem and explained it to me. I thought it had something to do w/physics and ion charge (I was also a nerd in college) but I was wrong. Here is his answer:
We did a lab on this during a chemistry class. It has to do with the density difference between the states of water (liquid - higher, solid crystal - lower) and the way water freezes during super cooled conditions. A freezer has to be really cold for this to happen. To try to replicate a reverse icicle is more of an art than a science, like all crystallizations - this is why I really enjoyed forming crystals out of solutions during organic synthesis workups when I was a Medicinal Chemist.
If I remember right, the water freezes along the sides and top first, leaving a small hole on the surface, and the shape (angles) of the crystallized water is determined by how fast the water freezes. A little sub-surface pocket of water forms and is almost completely surrounded by the ice. Since water is
denser than "ice", the remaining water has to go somewhere when it freezes, so it has to freeze up and above the surface. The shape of the crystallized water protrusion is determined by how fast the water is pushed out of the hole and how fast the water freezes - if they are equal rates, then it will form a very unique spire. The angle of the protrusion is based on the
crystal lattice structure that formed the pocket in the first place.
And there you have it! Mr Wizard (nickelodeon in the 80s) would be so proud!March 8, 2010 - 9:42 am
Ben - Actually amanda, the salts and minerals in tap water catalyze the freezing, making it freeze quicker. Distilled water should freeze slower, explaining the little spikeMarch 8, 2010 - 11:21 am
Tim Newton - Lots of interesting info here, Bobby. But you need to hit this nail with your hammer. That's right, set up a time-lapse capture inside your freezer with your 5d2. Of course, you'll have to bump the ISO a bit 'cause it's so dark in there (but that will save you one GrainStorm step in post-processing). Once you post the video, we can pause the replay at will (freeze frame) to see what's really happening. :-)March 8, 2010 - 1:14 pm
Jay - Just ask the penguin in the freezer who turns the light out. :)March 9, 2010 - 10:46 am
I’ve always wondered something. Why do some people delete their myspace, twitter, or facebook accounts? If you don’t use it, then isn’t that enough? Additionally, I’ve wondered why so many of them announce that they are deleting these accounts? I’ve also wondered if it’s more of a “I’m making a statement!” type of thing instead of being some sort of practical reason. TOTALLY random, but I noticed it a lot when a Myspace account became NOT cool to have anymore a few years ago. We ended up getting a Facebook account — but only because the people we were friends with on Myspace all moved. It’s all the same to me…
And while we’re at it, why do so many people complain about other people’s Facebook status updates? With the main complaint being “I don’t care that you went shopping or ate soup today!!!” And why do so many of those complainers do so in their own status updates? :P
Totally random, but it was on my mind :)
Trouble was chewing Lindsay’s shoe. I gave him my angry eyes and he just layed next to the shoe for a good minute :)
tim tab - I'd like to be informed if you have soup or go shopping. haha - people do take facebook too seriously sometimes... its all just digital noise, take it or leave it :DMarch 5, 2010 - 9:55 am
Elisha - So you'll beg them not to! Kinda like the kid who threatens to quit the game so that the rest of the team will say, "No, no, we need you." My two cents.
And, why do people update about mundane things like what they're eating? To contrast the racy updates about pregnant women's boobs. :PMarch 5, 2010 - 2:51 pm
Katie (a good friend who’s wedding we shot) has been bugging me to high heaven to get her wedding photos done. She’s a slave driver! Alright, alright… I’m overstating it a bit ;) But as I’m going through them yesterday, I found this one. I immediately imagined them talking politics, started laughing, and figured I’d blog it today…
I love that the young girl is holding the wine glass and Katie is holding what looks to be a water cup :P
Amy(aka lil girl's mama) - "So I said to her...look you little first grader, theres no ropies in teather ball and thats final!...geez, kids these days right Aunt Katie?"March 5, 2010 - 9:04 am
by Bobby Earle
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