The good old days !!!

[paul cull-pearce]

Reading some posts about problems and technical issues that come up with our new digital toys. It started me think about the good old days of photography...

Do any of you guys remember the days when you went out with a manual camera and lenses and carry a flashgun, but seldom used it except in total darkness...but you also got the job done !!!

I think we have become to zoom dependent, AF dependent and always looking at our monitor after a shot dependent ! :shrug:

Sometimes I think it would be cool to walk up to a scene like I used to and know instinctively which lens to use. Without looking at the monitor after the shot was taken.

Oh well, maybe my memory makes those the good old days sweeter than they actually were but that is what memories are all about.

Any of you guys ever feel this way or am I just getting old ?

Thanks,

Paul

 

[Steep]

My first camera was a Zenit E it had a meter in it (match the pin with the circle thing) and a 50mm prime lens. I took crap pictures. I still do but at least now my gear looks cool

I will sometimes go out with just the 50mm on my 300d these days, it forces you to think about what you are doing more and it's an awful lot lighter than carting all the gear.

 

[minimeeze]

I very often go out with just one lens. It's more of a challenge to see what you can come up, and saves the hassle of constantly having to swap lenses.

My A level course is all film based - the only part I don't like is all the fiddly darkroom stuff.

 

[cjnicolai]

I will confess to being an extreme dinosaur, and a simple one at that.

I shoot film, almost entirely medium format. I don't have a histogram to reassure me, and I have to know instinctively that I got "the" shot without being able to see it on my camera. Further, since I shoot MF with no motor drive (I have to wind it after each shot) I am forced to anticipate moments rather than react to them -- I can't put my camera in machine gun mode and fire off 40 frames to be sure I got one!

I very, very rarely ever change my lens and I very rarely ever buy equipment of any kind.

Often when I teach workshops, I'll identify chronic "overshoot-and-chimp" folks and give them a challenge: to take only three frames of their subject and get something really meaningful. Without exception, every one of them has been amazed at how much better their shots are when they simplify, slow down, and shoot with purpose.

Just my two cents.

- CJ

 

[CT]

Mt first SLR had no instant return mirror, the mirror went up and stayed up when you pressed the shutter, returning when you wound on with the lever wind. There was no metering in the camera at all so a hand held meter was mandatory. I have to say that it would probably be the best thing you could possibly buy if you could get one today as an introduction to photography.

Having said that, I'm a total digital convert these days, I have film gear but don't use it, so any noises I make about the old days are purely nostalgia based.

 

[Ally]

I still do Film at college with enlargers, 5x4 systems and Monochrome printing and prossesing. I think that everyone should do those things first and then apply them to digital. I meet to many people who say "oh its ok if its a stop or two underexsposed I'll fix it in photoshop" rather than learning to get perfection straight out of the camera. When I edit an image I only really do what I would do on an enlarger - Levels and Contrast (exsposer time and Contrast) and Perhaps some dodging and Burning if I feel like it

Often when I teach workshops, I'll identify chronic "overshoot-and-chimp" folks and give them a challenge: to take only three frames of their subject and get something really meaningful. Without exception, every one of them has been amazed at how much better their shots are when they simplify, slow down, and shoot with purpose.

So true. Our tutor only lets us load one peace of 5x4 film into a double dark to make us do it right first time.

 

[Joe T]

so any noises I make about the old days are purely nostalgia based.

And nostalgia just aint what it used to be :shrug:

 

[Irritable_Rabbit]

I will confess to being an extreme dinosaur, and a simple one at that.

I shoot film, almost entirely medium format. I don't have a histogram to reassure me, and I have to know instinctively that I got "the" shot without being able to see it on my camera. Further, since I shoot MF with no motor drive (I have to wind it after each shot) I am forced to anticipate moments rather than react to them -- I can't put my camera in machine gun mode and fire off 40 frames to be sure I got one!
- CJ

And that is possibly why (along with your talent), that I like the work you posted back in the people and portrait section. (Even though I haven't posted in there - Sorry )

I do admit to suffering a bit from GAS (Gear Aquisition Syndrome). I wonder why I bother when the most positive comments continue to be about images I have taken with film gear. It's not like I haven't been up to my neck in digital tech since I picked up a camera again a couple of years ago.

 

[Mohain]

Sometimes, especially if I'm on a mission to shoot a place and I keep on not getting it right (like recently for instance!) I like to go out with my Lomo LC-A or my old film body and 50mm lens and snap away. You do get into a different frame of mind and it's a nice break. Glad I don't have to do it all the time tho

I usually have a specific end picture in mind when I'm shooting with my DSLR and it often not exactly what I'm seeing, so I'm glad I have my LCD screen and histograms to see what's going on. I find I'm more creative with all these extra gubbings

 

[Dimitri]

Reading some posts about problems and technical issues that come up with our new digital toys. It started me think about the good old days of photography...

Do any of you guys remember the days when you went out with a manual camera and lenses and carry a flashgun, but seldom used it except in total darkness...but you also got the job done !!!

Of cours you did and of cours you still do,its only alot easyer now.

I think we have become to zoom dependent, AF dependent and always looking at our monitor after a shot dependent ! :shrug:

Thats not entirely true,i still manual focus with the 5D when i do landscapes,and that wee screen is a bonus.

Sometimes I think it would be cool to walk up to a scene like I used to and know instinctively which lens to use.

and now you cann`t do that ??
Why not?

Without looking at the monitor after the shot was taken.

Oh well, maybe my memory makes those the good old days sweeter than they actually were but that is what memories are all about.

Any of you guys ever feel this way or am I just getting old ?

Thanks,

Paul