Photography on hold
Well.. time for writing. A lot of writing actually. So photography will be on hold. And I guess that is okay. Been shooting a scary amount of photos for the past 3 years, so the time has come to combine with new skills.
What I have learned from shooting analoque has great value. The Hassie and the 1v will be back, loaded with Tri-x and TMax, but a new digital is needed. And Its heavy to carry that much gear. When I look back on all the film I have used, It does seem a bit crasy. But the analoque way of thinking is on my backbone now, og It gives me alot of confidence when shooting digital. So It has been a very expensive journey, but worth every penny.
My bag of tricks is actually very simple. I just think film when I shoot digital. Very much back to basics. Might not be great art, but Its my way of doing It, and I get results. Not always the perfection Im looking for, but thats the way It will always be. The perfect shot is very rare, and I do consider editing a form of cheating. The satisfaction of a perfectly balanced frame of Kodak E100G is something you simply cant get from a digital camera. And that is also why I will return to the Hasselblad 500 c for a few future projects. The machine Itself is a pleasure. The feel, the sound, the handling. And even though the camera is from 1963 It can still compete with some of the best gear around. The old lenses are a bit soft, but that gives a great feel.
Friend of mine is buying a Leica M9. Very impressive and unique machine. I hope to take that for a spin. Im not sure If I dare to walk the streets with a machine like that. Well.. In tandem with a Bowie knife maybe :D I hope to see some great shots from my old friend. He is oldschool, so I wonder how he will handle the M9. Not his first Leica, but still... Digital is a different playground, and a difficult bitch at times. hmm. funny thing say maybe, but I have gotten so used to using film, and somehow I almost trust a Tri-x or a cheap roll of Superia, especially when using the 1v which is close to being the perfect 35 shooter.
But all that fine gear is only a small part of getting the shot. At times I dont even care what camera I use. Now when I dig into some more writing, maybe the camera will just become and old friend hanging from my shoulder. But knowing I can get the shot, even under difficult conditions, Is a comfort.
Hmm.. education. What is It really worth ? I agree that learning to write is a process that has to have rules. But photography is so different. I started out with Sunny 16 when buying the first film, and even today I stick to that rule from time to time. But apart from that, I think taking pictures is what Its all about. Dont talk about... Just do It !! That is the hardcore but sure way to learn. Find out what works for you. What makes you more hungry. What style fits your personality. What lens make you work harder. And talking bout lenses. So much bullshit talk. Basically, all you need is one or two good primes in the camerabag. Hell.. a fast 50 and you can do almost anything. In my opinion there is way too much focus on gear. If you cant use some old Olympus with a 50mm, well... then you have a long way to go. I tell It again and again to noobs: Get rid of the zooms !!! Mostly their answer is "I can do everything with my zoomlens". Hmm.. right.. Whatever. I say "I you cant do everything with a prime, you can do shit !!". Start out with the 50 or the 35. When you master one of those two lenses, well.. then you are ready to move on, and THEN you will know what works and what doesńt. But most importantly, you will have learned to use your camera, instead of burning cards, and hoping for a few lucky shots.
Hmm.. I will get into details later on about my views on primes and why they are so important. Will split It into several articles. Because photography is not about keeping secrets. Like all knowledge, It should be free for all. If you wanna keep your hard earned tricks to yourself, well.. then you are just another asshole. Because you are going to die no matter what, so whats the point in not sharing ? With a few billion people on the planet, honestly, there is already plenty of competition around. So dont be a jerk. Photography is something we share, and sharing means better photography. hmm.. and hopefully a free beer from time to time :D
Original Article