Right as I was putting the kids to bed, I happened to look out the window and notice the orange glow of the sun starting to descend. My wife was gracious enough to let me slip out of the house and I brought both a digital and a film camera. I took exposures 30 and 31 on the roll so I should have some images to share in the next couple weeks. For right now though, here's one that I really love.
One thing worth mentioning is that the time and the unknown are what kept me from really pursuing photography earlier. As I've mentioned before here on the site, I have owned quite a few film cameras. I mostly just treated them like a point and shoot. I didn't write down the settings I'd used or read books about Aperture, ISO and Shutter speed.
It's really too bad I didn't and yet, there's something that- at least for me- has made it accessible:
The freedom to fail.
I can take as many photos as I want and it doesn't cost me more money or time. I can try things I may never have attempted when I only had 36 chances. In fact, you could say that I've kind of gone crazy- taking many versions of each shot learning how to get the camera to do exactly what I want.
One thing that's been fun over the last few weeks has been the intentionality and the limited nature of the 36 exposures shooting with film. This time around I'm documenting every shot with an iPhone app called Pocket Light Meter.You just hold it up to the scene, choose a setting or two and then it gives you a suggestion for the third. Once you've got it composed, you click a button and it saves a snapshot with your settings and the scene to your iPhone camera roll.
I have already noticed that shooting with film has made me more intentional about how I compose and shoot with digital.
I'm so glad there's always something new to learn!
