Film Photography

[samstevens]

stop the "point and spray" approach to photography. How is a student expected to understand what's going in inside the camera when he/she just fires off 200 shots in a day? Students will learn far more then they are forced to stop and THINK about what they are doing.

While I'm in agreement that a student can benefit from learning film and have encouraged this with some younger photographers I know, I'm not keen on making generalizations about digital shooting. While I've learned a lot about darkroom work and think I have a decent working knowledge of photographic history, I've only shot digital since becoming serious about photography. Nevertheless, I've never been one to "point and spray" and resent the implication that that's a method serious digital photographers employ ubiquitously. Believe me, one of the first things I learned was to THINK about what I'm doing and one of the most valuable things I've learned as well is when NOT TO THINK too much about what I'm doing. But that doesn't require pressing the shutter button relentlessly.

Edited December 14, 2019 by samstevens

[Grandpa Ron]

I use digital like most folks but I still use my 1910 Seneca view camera and my old 127 format TLR form high school and recently my late mom's 1940's vintage Ansco.

 

Why, simply because a digital camera will never have the charm of holding a camera created and assembled by long dead craftsmen or cutting film to bring an old camera friend back to life.

 

It also does wonders to know that you are practicing a centuries old form a Alchemy.

 

Such things need not be explained, because the questioner would not understand anyway.

[James G. Dainis]

I also have a 1910 Seneca view (field) camera. One can feel like a real photographer when taking the time to compose a scene on the ground glass, setting the aperture and shutter, inserting a film holder, removing the dark slide, etc, etc. And, some people are amazed when I tell them that a photo they admire was taken with a 100+ year old camera (and Nikkor-M 300mm lens.)

[john_tran14]

1. I agree with many members saying that the student should ask the teacher first. An answer from the teacher would be most appropriate. Sometimes, the student did get the answer from the teacher but he/she does not understand or agree with that answer. In this case, we should know that answer before adding more comments.

2. Why teach photography by film cameras? There are different teaching methods/strategy/philosophy and it is hard to criticize without knowing exactly what is going on in the class. I taught myself, so I could say that there is no need of any photography class whatsoever, film or digital. But it is nonsense to suggest a way that only works for one particular person. I believe that even if the students will mainly use digital cameras, it is also easier to understand to start with film and film cameras. I know many people think the "memory card" is the "sensor" in a digital camera. Also many people say the "memory card" is similar to the "film" in film cameras. Using digital cameras, a student never "sees" the sensors and especially "touch" them. With films, the students see (and hold in hand) this is a roll of film of 200 ASA and the other is of 400 ASA. They understand exactly what it means by using "higher" or "lower" sensitivity film. With digital cameras, many students sees ISO is just a setting or a "dial" on the CAMERA. Obviously, the sensor, wherever it is inside the camera, is still the same, one and only, sensor, "therefore" its sensitivity does not change at all. I have talked with many beginners who misunderstood many things just because they used digital cameras.