Saturday, November 24, 2007

I have wasted the last 17 years of my life

I have spend a good amount the last 17 years learning how to use a darkroom.
Now I have to re-learn everey thing I knew about photography, but this time digital.
Oh, well at least I don't have to worry about the darkroom chemicals eating my brain.

8 comments:

hern42 said...

In Big Fish (from Tim Burton), at some point some guy says "The time spent with the people you love is never lost" (it maybe different, I quote it from defficient memory...).
The same applies with darkroom...
I hope you won't make the mistake to totally switch to digital, I mean in your way of apprehending photography, like "think before you shoot" instead of "shoot like a maniac and sort after". I sort of trust you on that though...
Be well my friend.

The Eel said...

I am actualy discovering the oppisite. If I see a shot that I want, I and narow in on it very quickly cuz, I gots instant feedback on the adjustment I just made.
But no, I have no intention of getting rid of my film cameras.

jwfbean said...

It's never a waste of time... Just think about what you would take for granted in digital photography if you didn't have the darkroom experience...

Personally, I never took to the darkroom thing. Too many points in the process for uncorrectable errors appear. I can correct any error, except for the propensity to error, which is not going away as I age. So I'm all for digital, where I can shoot like a madman and then sort later.

Anonymous said...

old fashioned photography is never a waste of time! But I know what you're talking about. I'll be getting a digital camera of coolness for my birthday, and I worry that I'll never use my "real" camera again for lack of ability to process film.

Is it just me, or is it getting harder to find places that develope real film these days?

The Eel said...

Word up yo. I have a guy who still runs film, but he is in Berkeley so that is probably not much help to you.
But, damn, film is expensive!

Anonymous said...

Yeah, film is getting expensive, especially GOOD film. What really gets me though is the recent rise of fake "black & white" film. I mean, seriously, who thought this shit up? Color film (that has to be processed just like regular color) that shoots black & white ... why? I don't get that one at all. I've pretty much accepted that if I want to keep shooting film, at this point I'm going to need my own darkroom. Or keep taking photography classes just for the darkroom access ...

Bleh.

The Eel said...

There is still one darkroom rental in Berkeley.
But it is not too expensive to deveope the film at home if it is something you do often. I outfited myself for about $100.

Hay, I don't seem to have your e-mail
When and where are you going to be in CA?

Anonymous said...

Oops, my bad! You can reach me by way of snowsong_at_softhome_dot_net ... without all the underscores and replacing the apropriate words/symbols, of course.

The California trip, once we get the tickets (long story, I'll have to tell you all about it sometime), is slated for 20-27 december, in the bay area. We hope to have use of a rental car, but at this point it's all about money and availability. *sigh* I hate doing this so last minute, but that seems to be the way the last few months have been going.

Darkroom. Someday, I must have my own darkroom. Must! Or, you know, something...