Back In The Day...

Before our 35mm SLR film cameras evolved into the digital wonders they are today, a photographer who wanted a different "look" to his/her images was, for the most part, left the option of using different films. Negatives. Transparencies. B&W. Color. Kodachrome. Ektachrome. Velvia. Provia. Kodacolor. Fujicolor. Agfa. Ilford...

Depending on the results you desired--more contrast, less contrast, warmer tones, cooler tones--you needed to decide before hand which film or films you'd bring along. For instance, Velvia with its deep, rich blacks and vivid colors and strong contrast looks amazing on an overcast day in Autumn when the trees are peaking. But might not work quite as well for a nice soft portrait of the family. Several rolls of film designed for portraits and another designed for landscapes at the very least would be in the bag.

Today, all those emulsions are in the camera! Well, more accurately, they're in the computer. But the RAW information gathered on the CCD of your camera and written onto the CF or SD card therein provides the information needed for the computer program to make the best image, to realize the final photograph you envisioned.

When I saw this fellow walking along the rocks, in my mind's eye I saw a silhouette with dramatic clouds as backdrop. But as you can see in the first photo the tone is rather soft, and the silhouette weak.

It took a little fiddling in Nikon Capture NX to get the image I really wanted. (below)

It went from being a somewhat low-contrast Kodacolor print to a strong contrast Velvia slide. At least for me it did. What do you think?

Kodachrome 64... No More...

It was inevitable, really. The Godfather of transparency films is being snuffed out! Kodachrome will no longer be available after this Fall. (Story)

Kind of a shame. But oh well... a photographer continues moving on. Bigger, badder sensors, and custom curves and all that.

But just for old times sake here's a shot of my big brother with a "trophy" bass from the Greenbrier River in WV. (ca 1973.) Good times. Great film.

"Kodachrome... they gives us those nice bright colors, gives us the greens of summer, makes you think all the world's a sunny day... Oh yeah."

Cheers.

Film.

Just going through some old images this weekend. Reminded me of the days when I didn't look at the back of my camera immediately after each shot! Heh-heh.

For those interested: Velvia 100F slide film. Nikon F100 or F3. 70-300mm, 60mm micro, and 105mm. (I think!)

Cheers.

Velvia 100 and a light table.

Shot some film the other day. Yes...film! Slides. Chromes, if you will.

I have to say, I sometimes really do miss film. There's nothing like that tactile reality. A sensation that's painfully absent from digital. Throwing a roll of 36 slides onto a light table and watching them come to life. Slowly scanning each one with that 8X loup. The colors! The sharpness! (if you have a steady hand and a good lens!)...there's nothing like it.

But time (and technology) moves on. Digital has done wonders for my photography. No denying it. And if it weren't for my digital camera (Nikon D200, thank you very much!) it'd be next to impossible to maintain a web presence without going completely broke!

So, no real complaints...just a mild lament. There's no going back. I will, however, continue to on occasion pull out the old Nikon F3 or F100 and have myself a blast shooting away without the crutch of looking at the LCD on the back of the camera (I actually still do that with the film cameras, but nothing's there!). Oh and did I mention that killer sound of the mechanical whirr of the motordrive. Ah...what a joy!

Yep, I really do miss it.