Article: Going Dark: How to Build and Equip a Photographic Darkroom
In a post detailing the construction of a darkroom, it may seem unnecessary in a modern era where digital technology has risen to be seen as the superior medium for many consumers. The common myth associated with the building process is that it is too expensive and unaffordable to those who wish to practice the medium while also not wasting too much of their money of a hobby. Derailing the myth, author, Gary Miller, states, “I recently paid $125 for a complete set of darkroom equipment.” As to any researcher of the film photography medium, this would come as a shock, considering the expenses of the equipment at the time is incomparable to the bargain prices they are now.
This article serves as a form of news instead of opinion, because it details the updated version of a do-it-yourself technique that allows an affordable method to take place for a dated medium. It displays how the current market can benefit from learning how to develop there photos from start to finish without having to invest too much money, and if they choose to prefer digital afterwards, then it is not much of a financial loss to them.
Article: Fujifilm Announces Neopan 100 Acros II Black & White Film Coming This Fall to Domestic Market
Although the title of the article may lead readers to think it is a dated title from the 1900s era, it is actually date from June of 2019. This addition of having new film produced in a modern era of technology leads to the conclusion that there is still a large market of film photographers. If the modern era’s newest technology surpassed that of its predecessor, why would there be film photography connoisseurs for any reason other than a nostalgia attraction? According to the Shutterbug Staff, “the film is said to deliver unsurpassed resolution, fine grain and sharpness, and will be released in 35mm and 120 roll formats.” What many novice photographers, or those unfamiliar with the film spectrum of photography do not know, is that the amount of detail transferred onto the negative film is more than many digital format cameras (with the exception of a few highly expensive large format digital cameras, which range into the thousands of dollars on the market). They also stated production would initially be processed in Japan, demonstrating its global phenomenon, and consumers would know the film’s value based upon its varied marketplace due to its future success when it arrives.
This article is a form of news that demonstrates the continual production of new film negative rolls, and the outreach to the global status that it has around the world. Fujifilm has been displayed in this article as a producer of quality shown through dated techniques that will produce genuine, quality photographs versus them focusing on promoting digital software to enhance the details instead.
Article: Opinion: The Film Photography World is a Million Times Less Toxic Than the Digital World
In the closing statement of Gampat’s article, he states, “film photography is still better as a culture than digital. And I’m not sure that that’s ever going to change.” In part, this is true to the community of film photographers that can see the differences between conversational topics that arise when being confronted by people outside of the photography culture itself. Many of the questions pertain to “one brand vs another,” and film tends to open up questions “more about creative intent.” The author makes a point, that photographers seem to be more focused on the craft when they’re not caught up in the technological aspect that usually correlates with the rising technological advancements that happen within the industry continuously. Film photography forces the viewer to use their eye critically, and to capture their subject with precision.
This article is an opinionated perspective, where a film photographer uses his bias of film photography’s advantages, without pursuing the benefits of digital photography that could make a well developed counter-argument against the production of film photography. He is also not accounting for the photographers who have experienced both mediums of photography, and possibly preferred to shoot digital after experimenting with film’s techniques and its limits in the craft.
Article: 7 Reasons I Still Shoot Film in 2018
Nato Macedo states, “This article is an answer to all the people who ask me why I still shoot analog today. This is not at all a digital versus analog kind of article, and my main goal is to present film cameras as a viable tool for some kind of work and practices, just as digital is for others.” Although this article focuses on the pros of film photography, it is trying to stay neutral in terms of its rival-digital photography. This article focuses on the pros of film, while negating digital photography from the discussion at all. A very important topic is that of color. Macedo reiterates why film is still used today with this statement: “…analog film color rendition and black and white tones are amazing. There is nothing like it in the digital world. I still haven’t been able to reach the same color results I have in analog using digital cameras.” Unbeknownst to many digital photographers and non-photographers alike is that the film color process is a very unique color palette that is very difficult, if even possible, to replicate with the use of photo manipulation software such as Photoshop and Lightroom. The story and use of color are much stronger in the visualization that is made with the photographer when they use analog photography since there is much more conscious thought put into the process (unless they choose to waste money and film to create mediocre products).
This opinionated article served to show readers that although digital photography is not a bad format to use, there are many rewards regarding the use of analog photography. It is true that she uses the assumption that a film photographer will always think more using analog versus digital, but that is up for debate depending upon the person behind the camera. Although many formats were discussed in the analog process, she tends to lean more towards the description of medium format cameras that allows for more detail and a lower picture count, which could draw viewers away from the medium due to its limited balance.
