I simply love the 35mm camera. I do not use mine enough, but need to.
In 2003, I took some classes in photography from Tri-County Technical College in Pendleton, South Carolina. There, I learned how to use a Single Reflex Lens (SLR) 35mm camera and develop the film photos in a dark room. In 2003, the Digital SLR (DSLR) cameras were expensive and still being developed. Now, there are many different affordable models at Best Buy, Amazon, and even Target. However, I still return to the old 35mm cameras. I bought a Nikon N75 for that class and took a N65 to my deployments to Iraq. I have a couple of others I picked up along the way and they never cease to interest me.
I enjoy the feel of the weight that those cameras have and the feel of the shutter as the photo is taken. I actually enjoy the mystery of the development although sometimes I do not enjoy when the photos are returned to me. I enjoy walking with the camera thinking about F-stops, shutter speed, and film speed. There is no white balance or the bells and whistles; you have to depend on your own skill. I enjoy the simplicity of the film camera. Even in the midst of the technical data in my head, it truly is an opportunity to take the photo and what gets printed…is the print.
I think the dependence on personal knowledge of the camera and the techniques of manual photography makes “shooting film” interesting. There is risk. There is art. There is science. And, there is adventure.
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Photo: Unsplash.com