I Found Out

Modern technology can be really great. Who would have ever thought that we would all be able to take photos on our phones one day, for example? And that we could take a million photos, only to delete them and start all over again?

There are arguments all the time amongst photographers about whether digital photography is better than analog (film). Many photographers who had been in the business for a long time gleefully sold any film cameras they owned and never looked back. For a lot of them, it was a business decision; clients now expect photographers to own a digital camera. It is, after all, much faster.

For those photographers who still shoot with film, the challenge is finding places who will process it. One can still have film developed at chain drug stores and camera stores, but black & white film must be shipped out somewhere or developed by the photographer. The typical consumer (if there is even such a thing) would bode well to buy a point & shoot camera for around $50-$100, or the latest Smartphone.

I can only speak for myself at this point when I say that film image quality is just better. I have several digital cameras which include one DSLR. I always felt like photography as an art form had gotten a lobotomy after I attempted to go digital. I was never really crazy about the pictures I was taking with my DSLR. At first I thought this was because I wasn't used to digital media. Now, though, it's been nearly two years and, while I've gotten more used to it, photography still feels muted rather than vibrant. Part of this is due to the fact that digital images are waaaaay taken for granted. If we can just delete them all and start over, where is the real challenge of getting light and location right?

I realize that everyone is different and am not about telling anyone what to (or not to) do with their art. But I am declaring that I will only shoot with film from now on unless the situation specifically calls for a digital camera, such as shooting live music in a darkened venue. When it comes to photography as a medium, there is still a lot of experimenting to do for someone who made the discovery later in the game.

--DR

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”--Steve Jobs

White

I am so lucky to feel this anger I feel. At least I know I can feel anything. I will not stop myself from saying how unfair things in life can be, not right now. We all have something to say, and fuck if I can't say what I feel because of whatever consequences may be there. I thought this would be poetic and creative, but I don't feel like it. It is what it is.

I don't know why I chose this photo to represent my blog post today, it just felt like the right one, I guess because it's ironic. It has been said that anger is not something to fear but something we should listen to. I am so angry now and I can stay in the cocoon of anger long enough to let what I am angry about pass by or reveal itself....I don't know which is the greener pasture.

----DR

Photo taken with Sony Mavica, floppy disc version

Church and State

It was February, 2009, and around 10:15 AM. I walked past St. Mary's Catholic Church in downtown Nashville on my way to my part-time job. The day was cold, gray and overcast. Late for work as I was, I saw the state flag wrapped around the angel statue's face, and knew that capturing the image was more important than getting to my job.

I had a little Panasonic point & shoot camera, the only digital camera I could afford right then, but it was enough. I think I must have drawn some attention from the passers-by as I climbed up the church steps to get the frame just right. This was very important, because even though the gray sky is the photographer's friend, one must take the time to get the story straight when shooting a candid photo. Was there no separation of church and state in the Bible belt after all? was what this image had me wondering.

The very next day, there was no flag. Someone took it down, and it has never been placed there again since. Was it because I so adamantly and visibly documented this moment in time? I will never really know.

---DR