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kodak still makes film… | scottsdale photographer

children, General, personal

the blog:

Hi All,
Did you know that Kodak makes more than cheap digital cameras, printers and paper? They still make photographic film. Really! I know that there are photographers out there who never made a living with out being able to see the image immediately after exposure. That of course is VERY handy but it was science fiction not that long ago. In those days Polaroid instant film (many different types) was used to make sure that everything was as expected before you exposed your first frame (mostly for commercial photography). None of this is currently important of course as technology has moved on and most people don’t care as long as the end result appeals to them. Film did/does have a certain something though that is inherent. I can’t put it in words but it is there. It can now be faked of course digitally but it is still a fake. A finished photograph left you with a sense of achievement and craftsmanship that I don’t feel with digital. There is/was a merger of science and art if you went through the process fully yourself (even more so if you shoot collodion). Lastly, well made film cameras were great investments in the craft. For example… the images in this post were shot with a Norita 66. A camera that was last made in the early 1970’s. I also recently used my 41 year old Hasselblad 500c on a commercial assignment. Hasselblad still makes and sells film cameras in addition to ridiculously expensive ($38,000) digital ones . Both of those cameras work as if they were new. Today, cameras are more computer than camera and as such they become obsolete quickly. It is such a shame. I am attached to just about every camera that I have owned (I still have many of them) and used prior to digital. Now I think of digital cameras as merely very expensive tools. They don’t wear long enough to develop a personality.

What do you think?

Sincerely,

Keith