I recently spoke with a young man who I discovered was very interested in photography. (I didn’t know anything about my own ‘Special Effects’ photography), and having told me that it was his main hobby, I was intrigued and very surprised when he explained that he preferred to use film over digital images. Although it is very difficult and expensive to buy film these days. I mistakenly assumed he was referring to black and white photography, but soon realized that he was buying color film.
All new cameras, even cell phones, are digital. Also, there are only a few small labs that process color film, and home processing, while possible, is not easy. However, he told me that there are groups of photographers, like him, who prefer to use film and their number is growing.
I have searched the internet and in fact there are many discussions about the advantages or disadvantages of using film compared to digital.
Most claim that when using film, due to the need to be much more selective (taking far fewer pictures due to high costs), has trained them to become better photographers.
Another claim was that good digital cameras are expensive and need to be replaced every four to five years since they are updated so frequently. However, buying a second-hand film camera will be cheaper, last a lifetime, and retain its value, despite the fact that film cameras are much bulkier and heavier.
Lastly, old negatives and transparencies can and will always be easily seen, but who knows, since digital technology changes so rapidly, it will be possible to view digital images in the future.
I was surprised to learn this, due to the incredible possibilities of digital photography that exist now. Cameras don’t just make image and exposure control easier in many ways that were previously much more complicated with film. There is the advantage of seeing the digital result immediately. But even after the photo has been taken, with the help of software, the options now available for manipulating digital photos are simply fantastic!
This made me ponder why I had favored the use of color inversion film. (for my own creative transparencies) instead of negative film in the 1960s, before anyone had computers. I really enjoyed seeing the large projected image, much more than a print, although there was no option to alter the image once taken, however I was using it for my own ‘special effects’. But having to wait at least a week to see the slides was frustrating.
I preferred transparencies to negatives because, as a hobbyist, I found it extremely difficult to master color printing, which is why I always relied on professional processing labs to do my prints.
My ‘Special Effects’ images were imaginative (nothing to do with the usual photographs) And I soon found out that it was almost impossible, when they made prints from my negatives, for them to know how to get the color balance I really wanted. The advantage of transparencies was that you could simply tell them to match the color balance of the transparency that they could see.
My favorite film was Kodak ‘Kodachrome 25’ which is sadly no longer available. The transparencies were much more vibrant than any of the prints, so I focused on what I could do with Kodachrome. By always using this film, I soon came to know the best way to control it, even with my own ‘Special Effects’.
These days I’m excited about the digital option, more than the cinema. However, using my own invented ‘Light Painting’ technique that involves photographing projected images, I can create some effects that would be extremely difficult to achieve with digital software.
My own opinion has always been that the most important aspect of photography is the resulting image, composition, quality, and choice of subject. It is not the questions of technique, or the brand of the camera, the lens used or the film, etc. It is only the resulting image that really matters; however, it was created!
After so many years using film, I am now personally totally convinced of the digital system, but if any reader is interested in the special effects that I achieved with my own ‘Light Painting’ technique, please take a look at my website https : //www.jncohen.net/Limited-Edition-Prints/Painting-with-light.htm