Chris A few moments after loading the Kodak TMax 35mm film I realized why I had not taken Nikita out before. She needs a battery for the internal light meter (see the needle pointing way up?)
After a few disastrous mistakes I was able to adjust and recover some of the remaining exposures. The first two images shown below are from when the film was exposed to light during install. Live and learn.
The best part of iPhoneography is the convenience. An iPhone is lightweight, easy to use and you’re most likely to have it with you wherever you go. Take it out and shoot with it whenever the mood strikes. You don’t need to worry if you forgot to bring a card drive, aperture settings, or anything else. Just shoot from the hip and adjust on the go. Photography rules go bye-bye.
The more you photograph, the more you train your eyes to see composition, lighting, what’s worthy or what is not. Everyday objects now become interesting where in the past, you’d walk by without noticing. Once your photographic eye and brain are turned on, it is hard to turn off. Do you want this photo? Then yes, take that photo.
I’m taking Nikita out for a spin today. Can’t wait to see what the old girl can do.
Here are a few reasons why I enjoy 110 mm film cameras.
Compact
My pocket-sized 110 cameras are a great companion for street photography or while traveling. You don’t need to carry a camera bag because it will fit in your pocket. Who wants to lug all your camera gear while you travel? I can quickly capture street scenes without anyone noticing I have a camera in my hands.
Looks cool
There is something to be said about why we like our cameras to look retro: those early designs were brilliant. Modern day cameras cannot compare and try to imitate that aesthetic.
Analog
Film creates the best lo-fi effects with their grain, light leaks and feel.
Point and shoot
No worries about technical details such as focus, exposures etc. Just ensure you have good light and composition.
So one of my favorite writing apps, Ulysses, is up for the annual subscription renewal. At $50 a year, it is one of the pricier apps and I am not keen to renew as a result. Yes, it organizes my novel writing workflow better than anything else. But is this enough?
Compare that to IA Writer- similar features and a one-time purchase. It does lack the organization tools but can I find a work around or a new workflow?
I’ll test this for a week, in fact, I am writing in IA Writer and publishing from the app to this website now.
A web of linked notes all in one location and designed to connect my thoughts — this is my personal database and second brain.
This pandemic is really taking a toll on my desire to walk downtown and capture people in street photography. So, I’ll just write and share images and remind myself of some basics when I finally do get back out there and face the public.
See these images and more on my photography website:
Now included in my website is the ability to read the EXIF meta data written on to every image. Just in case you were a photo geek like me. I find it useful to see other’s EXIF data to see what works and then maybe even duplicate it.
“How does one keep an imagination fresh in a world that works double-time to suck it away? … I think that the answer is, one must live a curious life. One must have stacks and stacks and stacks of books on the inside of their bodies. And those books don’t have to be the things that you’ve read. I mean, that’s good, too, but those books could be the conversations that you’ve had with your friends that are unlike the conversations you were having last week.”
- Jason Reynolds
