Going Digital? Part 2

There’s another option I have available to me if I want to avoid going digital for a while and avoid the hassle of buying an expensive digital camera (the Canon 5D looks hot though). In fact, this method might be the cheapest and most convient way, relatively speaking, for me to go.

All I would do is shoot print film (C-41), drop them off at the local 1 hour development place, and get them scanned into a CD in one simple process. I’m surprised I haven’t thought of this before!

Going Digital?

I’ve been running into problems lately because I still shoot film 100% of the time. Its very difficult to find labs to develop it anymore and its costly when I do. I have to ship my film out of state and it’ll take at least 2 weeks to get chrome 120 film developed and 1 week for 35mm chrome, whereas with a DSLR 35mm equivalent the end result is immediate.

I’ll never sell my RZ or Canon Elan but I have to evaluate going digital more closely if I decide to get into model/glamour/portrait photography. DSLR’s can be vastly more cost and time effective in that case.

Working With Models

I can count on one hand the many models I worked with and only one, so far, stands out as being the best and most enjoyable to work with. When making a photograph (creating art) you need two major components, you need yourself and the subject. The subject can be anything from a piece of fruit to a living breathing person. The upside to using a model is that things tend to be more interactive, the downside is that the variables in your shoot increase dramatically because their mood and attitude can affect the photograph.

Since I shoot mainly abstract still life’s and industrial type of photographs, most of my work with models was relegated to taking headshots and portfolio photos. I made a few bucks off it but I did it mainly to learn how to use my camera better and come up with portfolio ideas. Sometimes it was a pain to work with the models for the very reasons I mentioned above.

Sometimes you get lucky and end up working with an amateur model who just throws herself/himself into the swing of things. Either consciously or subconsciously, they get the idea that they are the second part of the art equation in making a stunning photograph. Most professional models know this already, or else they wouldn’t be professionals!

So the trick for any aspiring models is to listen to first question the photographer on what the goal or outcome is for that particular shoot. Then get in there and work it as hard as you can because on the other side, the photographer has spent countless hours figuring out how to light you or pose you to uphold his end of the art equation.

Oh and above all, make sure that you always have fun!

On Thoughts Of Truly Being You

I love reading Haiku and most of my favorite haikus were written by Matsuo Basho during the Edo period in Japan (the mid 1600’s). One of my favorites is as follows:

“Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; seek what they sought.”

I never gave this haiku any deep thought other than understanding it to mean that I should be myself. Yet when I look at my really early work, I realize that I was just copying other photographers. Fast forward my photography 4 years to when I was just about to take my 5 year break, and I began to notice a theme emerging in my work. As I became comfortable understanding how my camera works in manual mode, my creativity took on a whole new twist. Suddenly I was able to express my creativity better and it started to show.

It wasn’t until after my 5 year break and recent creative awakening again that I came to understand Basho’s Haiku deeper. Technical gizmos, bells and whistles, and the latest camera doesn’t matter. What matters is making a photograph instead of taking a photograph.

Another one of my “copy old photographers” photo. Today I’d probably take photos of the vibrant market outside instead of the same old tired Chimayo Church

Old Truck in Madrid

I think it was 10 years ago that I photographed this old truck in Madrid, New Mexico.  It was behind a fence and part of the local Mining Meuseum which I had to pay to get into.  I remember it being early May when I took this photo because my friend Brian visited me then and we went site seeing in NM.

I went back a few years later (after I moved back to NJ) to photograph this truck again but the owners came by and took it away.  Too bad, this is one of my favorite images and I would’ve loved to shoot it again! 

Details: Canon Elan 2E, 28-105mm lens, Polarizer, Fuji Velvia @ 50 ISO

Five Year Break Is Over!

I took an unexpected 5 year break from photography and in that time the world went digitally mad. I guess I’m a relic now because I still shoot film and can’t seem to accept digital yet. Right now I’m content to shoot film and then make a high resolution scan of the image.

Here’s an image from a roll of 120 Ilford print film that I recently “found” again after being undeveloped for 5 years.