so an update is needed on shooting film these days. its a big enough distinction from how i normally shoot to justify a post. So i got a rangefinder camera and a couple lenses. Basically were talking no electronic components besides a pretty ineffective meter. I’ve got to say, i feel like I am re-learning how to use a camera here. Shooting with a rangefinder is much more difficult that i had anticipated, and i was already used to shooting with manual SLRs. basically i have to frame the photo before i put my camera up to my eye, but before that I need to ensure my exposure is correct (and those who know how i shoot know that i rarely shoot in consistent light, making metering that much more difficult) then i have to guess the distance and set the focus to whatever i want to focus on, then i put the camera up to my face and frame the shot, anticipate, and shoot. keep in mind, you never look through the lens on these cameras, instead you look through a viewfinder like you would on a one time use camera…so to see what your lens sees, there are framelines in the viewfinder that show the focal length. plus, each frame costs me like .30 cents and im a cheapo, haha.

I notice im thinking a lot more when i shoot, and i feel more in tune with the camera, rather when i shot with my 5D and im just blasting frames all over the place. i need to get to a point where i can do all this stuff without really thinking about it, but for now…if i take a picture of you, expect to wait 5 seconds while i fiddle with everything before i take the shot, haha. I do see myself finally trsuting film though. Since ive been developing, ive been understanding things a lot more, which is really what i was hoping for, so im glad. So far i can see one HUGE advantage, not standing out. i thought that i was good at blending in while shooting (and i kinda am) but shooting with something like this is a whole different playing field. no one even cares about you cause they think youre a joke shooting with such a dinky camera. niiice

1433457468 693 924 693 924

i also just developed my first few rolls of film today. i was surprised that was actually successful at it. well i need to scan the film, make sure nothing is totally screwed up, but looks pretty good from here. got a nice sense of pride seeing my negatives developed.