Where it all started.

In my very first post (To the moon and back Sept. 4, 2016) I talked a bit about my first "real" camera, the Fujica ST605n. It will never rank with the all time classic cameras, but it holds lots of sentimental value for me...so much so that I went hunting for one. I was in luck...a search on Gumtree proved fruitful. An added bonus...it was in working condition.

The intent was always to find a ST-605n and add it to my "camera shelf" ... purely a piece of nostalgia. As you have probably guessed, things changed. A good friend, fellow tog and photography teacher at Wodonga TAFE, Ben Eyles decided we should make things a bit more interesting. He had recently been gifted a Canon Canonette from his Dad and was keen to try a little film shooting ... a challenge was suggested ... and accepted.

At a guess, the last time I had shot film was probably early to mid 1999 ( The Advocate was one of the first regional daily newspapers in Australia to go fully digital ... probably a blog topic for another day) and that was using one of my all time favourite cameras, the Canon EOS-1N (the fact it was the first time I had ever been provided with a complete "system" may have coloured my thinking...but it was a bloody great camera). Autofocus that worked, accurate metering, a fast drive and a selection of fast glass...compared to the Fujica...well...no comparison.

Film was sourced, loaded, and the challenge was underway. Talk about having to relearn and unlearn ... it is amazing how ingrained our habits become. I think the biggest was trying to remember not to "chimp" (checking the review screen) ... not a lot of point when there isn't one! Another was remembering to wind the film on and cock the shutter. Many a time I went to fire and nothing happened.

A huge benefit from the experience was the fact it forced me to slow down ... for lots of reasons: there are a finite number of shots available on a roll of film and each one has an inherent cost, (film purchase, processing and printing) you can't just blast away, delete the dodgy shots and start again; focussing is manual; metering is almost non-existent and I was at a fixed 50mm focal length. The mantra becomes, get it right the first time. It was a challenge and it was SO MUCH FUN.  

I would do it more but I encountered a few unexpected challenges along the way ... The scarcity of film and people who can process it. The cost. The lack of quality of scans... and this is magnified if you happen to live in a regional or remote area.

Film is making a resurgence with some (especially those with the beard to match their boots and macchiato) but from purely practical reasons, digital and the  camera tech that comes with it is here to stay.

I feel privileged to have seem the transition from film to digital and to have worked professionally with both.