As I was organizing folders on my hard drive, I came across some photos that I didn’t remember taking. What a surprise!
A little background: I used to carry two cameras when traveling – one digital and one analog, and sometimes a third one, also analog but with black and white film stock.
The photos that I didn’t remember taking are the analog ones.
The benefits of film cameras-
1/ be more mindful of your shot selection due to only 36 frames in a roll
2/ be more present in the moment without the urge to watch the playback
3/ tend to forget about the shots until they’re developed
So with my film camera – Holga, the aperture is fixed at f/11, shutter speed at 1/100, and focal length 60mm. I don’t have much to worry about, just hit the road on sunny days. When the light is sufficient, the pictures are great.
When it’s cloudy, I can switch to the rangefinder loaded with black and white film. The Ricoh 500GX allows me to use f/2.8 and a slower shutter 1/8.
Here are some shots I took in the restaurant, utilizing a wide aperture and shallow depth of field.
Keep it simple
Great artists often strip down to basics as they learn to do more with fewer tools.
That’s why I never promote acquiring more gear. Bells and whistles aren’t helpful when it comes down to real work. In my ebook, I shared how to utilize what you already have, such as a kit lens. If you have the skills, nothing can stop you from getting the results – not the camera, not the lens.
Imagine standing at a fork in the road with 10 paths – you can go anywhere. What would you do? Imposing limitations can be a good start.
This same principle can be applied to color grading.
Just like using every color in a painting on any size of canvas would be overwhelming, limiting yourself to a color combination makes the decision easier.
In the next post, I will provide further information about color grading.