Friday, February 6, 2009

Shooting film in the digital era.

There is no doubt about it, shooting film is freaking fun. Film allows you to create a concrete and tangible object. Holding the film in your hands gives you a sense of empowerment. You are in complete control over what will be on that film. You will be in complete control over the photograph when you are making the print. In this case. I was in complete control when I took the film from post-processing to the scanner and made these photographs digital. Analog photography, the traditional form of exposing negatives, developing them, making photographs using an enlarger and watching that image appear on the paper in the darkroom, is a very quickly fading practice. Digital photography is making massive strides forward in the advancement of the medium. Film companies are folding up, closing the doors on the photography industry. Companies can not compete against the demand of digital photography. The sense of instant gratification over powers the anticipation of waiting to see the image appear as you are processing or making your prints. Some people are still producing fine arts photographs by using traditional methods such as tintypes and other processes from the early birth of photography. The demand to collect and have traditional silver and c prints in museums, private collections, and galleries is still very high in demand. As much as the industry is changing, there is still a passion for film.

 

I photographed an up and coming Illustrator from Holland, Ron Schuejt. Ron’s Portfolio

Ron 2

Ron 4

Ron 1

Ron 3

 

Man with his hand out

Looking out the window

On the T

1976

Kelly 1

All of the above photographs were shot using Kodak Tri X 400 speed film. Scanned and then processed digitally. Film still has a place in my heart. It always will. I began my career as a photographer using nothing but film. It does make me stop and think, I am living during the next major historical turning point in the photography medium. I, like hundreds of other people are anxious to see what comes next. So get out there and enjoy the days of film before it is long gone and most places wont develop your film and prints if you can not do it yourself. 

3 comments:

Tony said...

Shooting with film is brave nowadays, as mistakes are much more expensive to make. Great shots. For some reason I like that old car with the black and white treatment, I think because the scene takes me back...

Jeffrey Byrnes said...

All of these were shot with black and white film. When I saw the car I knew it would bring people back to a period of time that they might remember or have had memories that they had forgotten about. Thanks Tony.

VanDog said...

Great work Jeff! Gritty, Glossy, and Timeless.

Hey that's a 76 Pontiac Grand Prix, SJ. with the pathetic 180HP 400ci V8. Although it could have the optional 200HP 455. Ahh yes, I can just hear the sound of money being sucked down the carburetor now. Memories!