Film vs. Digitial [Photography]

"If I didn't have my camera to remind me constantly, I am here to do this, I would eventually have slipped away, I think. I would have forgotten my reason to exist." ~ Annie Leibovitz

Happy New Year and first blog of the year! Good morning; afternoon; and evening friends and fans out in the world taking care of business or sitting down reading this during their spare time. As the year is just beginning and I would like to give my review on [35mm] film and digital photography. I may not own a DSLR (Digital Single-Lens Reflex) camera but a proud camera mom to a lovely Minolta X-370, a 35mm film camera and have a point and shoot camera. Since the spring semester of 2013, I have not used a point and shoot camera since, I've gone with a 35mm film camera and have invested hundreds and thousands of dollars investing in film since then. Yes, shooting film can be cost effective between purchasing film and dropping them off at B&H, well, whenever I use colour film. Since I haven't been in a classroom environment at LaGuardia Community College since the fall semester of 2014; I'd have to be a current student in order to use their darkroom to develop my own black and white film such as Ilford Delta 100; Ilford Delta 400; Ilford Delta 3200; Ilford HP5; Kodak Tri-X and just to name a few [36 exposure]. That's the struggle of using film for street photography or any event. Have no fear, I'll eventually upgrade to a DSLR camera once when I've furthered my educational in Commercial Photography and have enough funds to transition to a DSLR camera.

-Film Photography-

"I fell in love with the darkroom, and that was part of being a photographer of the time. The darkroom was unbelievably sexy. I would spend all night in the darkroom." ~ Annie Leibovitz

Since shooting film from the spring semester of 2013 until present day, I enjoy shooting film despite the financial cost of buying and dropping the film off at B&H. I do intend on buying the fifty pack of the Ilford HP5 and/or Ilford XP2 films from B&H or Adorama when I've paid off my two charge cards and begin paying off my [Nelnet] student loans from when I was attending TCI: College of Technology (from 2007 - 2008 for three semesters) then purchase film. What I like about using film is the contrast and it doesn't lack what digital photography brings to the table. The colours are bright and not looking distorted the way digital photography looks or looking all crazy in megapixels. Either way, film and digital both still produces lovely pictures, however, I fancy film over digital due to contrast and the grain of it. Film brings out the colour more brightly than digital which I like and in favor of at the moment. I love the photography aspect of film but not so much the cost of buying and dropping the film off at B&H for film processing. All in all, I do enjoy the outcome of what I've taken thus far. I do feel like film photography can be the best or the worst teacher if you're on your own, starting out. There's that level of gratification when it comes down to film photography and there's that silent satisfaction of shooting film. There's that joy, satisfaction and that instant gratification when shooting film and being able to view them; to me, it feels like Christmas morning once when I've spent the amount of money on buying and dropping off the film. In the end, it is worth it because you can ultimately learn from film of what to do; what to avoid; and what not to do on your next photography adventure; what to avoid; and what not to do in the future. Again, in the end, it may be worth it (despite the cost) and as much as you're tempted to "delete" a picture which is impossible to do with film photography. At least you can somehow learn from it and it is a learning experience for those who have zero experience of using film photography. I do feel like people rely too much on digital photography because there is that instant gratification involved that film may not have and I do love that gratification of film photography.

-Digital Photography-

"I never have taken a picture I've intended. They're always better or worse." ~ Diane Arbus

Onto digital photography of pros and cons of what I like, enjoy and dislike when it comes down to using digital photography. I personally find digital photography lacks in contrast, that same contrast that you'd find in film photography. In regards of black and white photography, to me it's not the same as using films such as Ilford HP5 or Ilford XP2 and the Kodak brands of black and white films. That same gratification doesn't feel the same but there's that instant gratification whenever you take pictures but so very easy to delete these very photos due to your own dislike for that particular picture. Yes, digital photography is very cost effective but doesn't share the same common feature but then at the same token, it's annoying when you have to empty your memory card then transfer your pictures and/or videos onto CD's/DVD's. If in the distant future, I'll invest in a DSLR camera and use the camera for YouTube and concert purposes while I continue to use my 35mm film camera [Minolta X-370]. I hope to feature a photography challenge in my next blog and will make sure it's posted by the end of the month. The pros of digital photography is its cost effectiveness and instant gratification but the con is that you don't feel like a kid on Christmas morning opening gifts and your parents seeing your facial expression. Digital photography has its own self/instant gratification. In the end if you ask me which I have more an appreciation for in regards of digital photography or film, I would say I now have more of an appreciation for film than I do for digital but both are equally similar in their own way and both offer the same outcome regarding photography.

Warm blessings,

Jennifer