Scarcity With Film Photography

Scarcity With Film Photography

In the realm of digital photography, the concept of scarcity is almost completely removed. A photographer can shoot as many frames as the battery of the camera and the available memory cards will allow. I have heard many people remark that they have returned from a great trip with something like 1400 photos. That is fine, and shooting more frames with my digital camera has served the purpose of refining my photographs, but the scarcity of film has also refined and improved the pictures that I take.

The constraint of only having 24 or 36 frames available on a roll of film has retrained the way I approach taking photos. I become more intentional because I know each one will cost me. I cannot delete it, or review it instantaneously like I might with my digital camera. I am working in a full manual environment while I am using my film SLR. I am working with manual focus lenses and only a handful of frames on the roll of film. When using a manual film camera I do not have the comfort of exposure compensation, 53 autofocus points, or the option to instantly review the photographs after I have captured them like I do when shooting with a digital SLR. My intent with film was to avoid all that extra technical stuff, and concentrate on composition, focusing my lens, and manually adjusting my exposure settings to get it right in the camera. I am restrained by the technical limitations of the equipment which forces me to slow down in my process. Instead of making more images; I am focused on trying to create better photographs.

Realizing the scarcity of frames available to a film camera has taught me that it is ok to pre-edit; to recognize that the lighting is not right, or that the angle available should change. It shows me that I do not need to make every single photograph but rather; I should try to intentionally make one right photograph. The lack of frames available to me in the camera, and the out of pocket expense to develop a roll of the film helped allow me to be more present and thoughtful when I was out taking photos.

Scarcity With Film Photography

Scarcity With Film Photography ,Billy Newman Photo
A Summer storm built up over the mountains west of my home town. Late one Summer afternoon this enormous thunderhead moved into position over the city. The veins leading down from the bright rim remind me of some giant living thing.

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