I think I finally get it. February 24, 2008
Posted by Abby T in : rants & raves, technophilia, the photo project, wish list , trackbackI never thought I’d find myself feeling the need, however legitimate, to get myself a DSLR camera. I’ve got a great SLR and a great little digital camera, both Canon, and they both have served me very well for their respective purposes. I took a few photography classes in high school, and they were the best way to get a class credit for a term I ever could have imagined. I learned a lot and had a great time and I have a portfolio I’m pretty proud of from those days. My digital camera works like a dream for my non-artistic photography endeavors - gatherings, concerts, snapshots, whatever.
It never occurred to me that a mix of the two would make my life better until I took them both out shooting yesterday. It was a beautiful Saturday evening and I went to the park near my apartment to play with the light. I shot SLR until I was out of film and then I switched to digital and felt the difference instantly. I missed being able to tweak my focus and my depth of field, but I was loving being able to see my photos immediately and switch instantly back and forth between B&W and color. The combination would be the best of both worlds!
Eventually I found myself taking digital photos and making a mental note to come back to the park at the same time of day once I’ve got more film and have gotten my SLR’s battery changed. I want to do up some of these shots for real-style.
Here’s one of my favorites from yesterday’s expedition:
See the rest of my favorites at my Flickr site.
There’s so much more I could have done with this one, and all the others, if I just had the control I have with the SLR. But at the same time, you wouldn’t be seeing it for a while if I’d taken these on film. I’d have to get the negatives processed and get prints. Those prints still wouldn’t be what I wanted them to be, though, so then we’d have to wait for me to get some time and sneak into the photo lab and print them up right.
There is a solution, though! Too bad it costs five hundred bucks. I’m a thoroughly amateur/hobby photographer. Even if I had it to spare, I really couldn’t justify spending that much for the object of my newfound technological lust (technolust?).
Technology really is a cruel mistress.
-@
Comments»
technology IS a cruel mistress. and honestly, even with a dslr, i find that i still don’t have the control that i’ve got with the slr. there’s also more room to fudge which makes the darkroom process more exciting. but i guess the lack of darkroom is where the problem lies… sure you get instant gratification with digital, but you don’t get the joy of working with your hands to craft the final image. AND your pictures will NEVER print out to look like silver gelatin prints, regardless of printer quality.
…ok. so really i think i’m just bitter that the rest of my life will be spent sitting in front of a computer screen rather than in a dimly lit room inhaling chemicals to my heart’s content. but to be honest, i love my dslr. probably a good investment if you find yourself wanting to keep shooting.
p.s. i’m ridiculously excited about your flickr site - your photos look fabbbbulous.