Living in Philadelphia gives me ample time to roam around for just a few minutes up to several hours….then return to the condo and do it all again, later on in the day. Since I can do that, I frequently will go out with my Digital GR11 or 111 one time, while the other pick up some film shots with my Leica M6.
I notice a difference in not only enjoyability but also the number and type of shots I take.
Enjoyability….. Clearly ‘film’ wins…..and that is without even seeing any of the images! But film just gives me that ‘ground’…..it is enjoyable. I enjoy loading the film, advancing the film, light exposuring, focusing (although I can do that in digital too)….This is such a personal and intangible aspect of shooting that it is difficult to convey my ‘enjoyability’. Film forces me to slow down. Now I know that is an old cliche that seems applicable to any camera, any time, any situation…..but for some reason it just doesn’t transfer to digital. Film makes me think of shots before I take them, as opposed to just taking them.
Thinking of Shots….. To segue from that past section….. I have a certain style / genre that I prefer and try to look for opportunities with that in mind. Now, this can be done with both film and digital. With film, this style is always in the back of my mind and I might walk a few hours with my style in mind and take perhaps 12-15 photos. When I am shooting digital, for some odd reason my mind wanders. My style gets lost. I find myself taking ‘tourist like street shots’ ….or attempting to snap someone up close, just because. Or I find myself looking outside of my style and just taking shots. Either way, in the same hour or two, I will come home with a hundred shots if not more. To connect to the first thought of ‘enjoyability’….that wandering from my style and shooting just to shoot and coming home with garbage shots etc, pulls away from that enjoyability.
Shooting style/genre…. To segue from the previous section….. my street photography has evolved. I have shifted from tying to capture the nose hairs of individuals and get as close as I can to people….to that of using people as intangibles or subjects that just supplement the entire scene. My shots are of ‘the scene’ and not of the person. That is what I do when shooting film. When shooting digital, well….I might have some of those shots embedded within the memory card, but I also have tons of shots of ‘whatever’….. I want to keep honest to my ‘evolution of a photographer’ and do not like non-impact shots….I do not like tourist shots….I do not like shots that anyone can take as they encounter someone on the street. I want shots that tell a story and make you wonder and forces you to ask questions. I get that all the time with film, and a portion at best, with digital.
Last night as I lay in bed and reminiscing of my day….those things occurred to me. I am going to resolve to take less shots with digital and become more akin to my Leica film. I am going to shoot for my style. I am going to force myself to take a shot and move on, as opposed to sneaking a peak at the shot. I just came back from a jaunt to the local store to pick up a few things. I took one shot with my digital. That is a good start.