[Leica] More about digital & film

[robinson at sfsu.edu (Gib Robinson)]

I hang around here some times and the recent discussion about digital vs
film got me thinking for the umpteenth time about why digital works so well
for me. 

I take many more images now than I did with film. Tons more. And I spend way
more time photographing because it's so satisfying and inexpensive. I'm
certainly not as careful with each image as I used to be using film, but I
work my subjects way more thoroughly than I did before. I keep exploring
subjects and I keep shooting as I explore. And, of course, I take many more
"risks" with composition and photograph a much broader range of subjects
because there really isn't any risk. Yes, I throw away a much higher
percentages of the images I take, but overall I get many more "keepers".

Not only can I experiment freely but I can provide images for others at
minimal cost. I often photograph for non-profits (mostly schools &
educational or environmental projects) who could never afford film and
processing costs, much less hire a pro. Recently I took about six hundred
images of groups of children from various schools learning to cook under the
guidance of a professional chef. The lighting was iffy and depth of field
was marginal but I could keep shooting until over the course of five
sessions I got images that really captured the qualities of the project. No
way could I do that with film. I couldn't afford it and neither could they.
Now they have what they need for fund raising & their website, and school
presentations. 

Do I learn more using digital? Absolutely. Shooting more and experimenting
as I shoot is teaching me tons of stuff that was harder for me to learn when
I was being more careful with film. 

Do I miss the darkroom. No. I can print B&W on an Epson R220 using six
blacks or an Epson R2400 if I want larger sizes. I get great tonal range &
clean prints with less work than I did in a dark room. Works for me.   

Of course I still use film for various things. If I need a 19mm shot with an
R camera I use film. When I travel light or want to shoot quietly, I use an
M6 which I will surely keep for wide angle photos even after I get the $
together for an M8. And now, because I'm photographing so much more, I've
bought a 4x5 and I shoot sheet film too.  

I've found no downside to shooting with digital. I'm ecstatic about
photographing in a way I haven't been in years.  

Cheers & good light,

-Gib