Back to the basics

I fell in love with photography because of my film camera. My handy-dandy Nikkormat film camera. There is no greater feeling that hearing that mechanical click after you've carefully crafted the composition of your image, because with only 25 pictures per roll, you have to make sure each one is just right. You have to calculate each image and adjust settings by pulling metals nobs and leavers, not just one plastic button, which makes you really think about how the aperture and shutter speed will affect each image. And the wait time, oh the wait time, between hearing that click and actually seeing the final product. I get to dream and ponder about what's on that plastic roll of film, and every time I pick up my photos it's like Christmas has come early.

Since getting a digital camera, I'm sad to say that I can count on one hand the number of times I've picked up my Nikkormat and gone out to shoot. Digital cameras are just so easy- they provide the instant gratification of seeing your work which allows room to change setting and composition, and usually leads to five or thirty of the same picture. You can upload them, edit them, and see your final product within minutes of doing a shoot. It makes taking photos fast, easy, and carefree. But for some reason, I've never felt 100% comfortable with that plastic camera with hundreds of buttons and settings to choose from in my hand. Recently I've felt obsessed with getting the right exposure, instead of the right moment, and have felt slightly burdened by editing my work. I've felt like I've lost that feeling of why I love to take pictures. 

Today I replaced the battery in my old Nikkormat and went out in my parent's backyard to shoot. And boy, it felt so good to restore that confidence and feel comfortable with my camera. It brought me back to the basics by making me actually think about what I was doing with my camera. Instead of seeing something I liked and pressing the shutter button multiple time, I spent a few minutes crafting the composition and got that jolt of excitement with each click. I kicked myself a few times when I automatically looked down at the back of the camera to see the image, but immediately got that sense of excitement again about how the images recorded on that plastic roll would look. Walking around with this camera reminded me of why I love taking photos: the joy of uncovering beautiful moments and sights and putting my own spin on what I see around me.

Oh film, I just love you. I can't wait to use up this roll and see what pictures (perfect exposure or not) I'll get back.