My First Camera.

     My first camera was a Minolta SRT, gifted to me by dad back in the '90's when I was in in Art College. Film photography was always my first love, in the photography sense of the word. Anyone who has ever smelt the inside of a darkroom knows the sort of nostalgia this can invoke, and the feeling that you get when you develop that perfect photograph. There is something about photographs that he have been developed in a darkroom by the person who took the photo while out on the street, it certainly gave me a buzz.

My Minolta SRT101, with a Miranda lens.
Sorry about the kitchen surface background.
    

    While I am no technophobe, I do believe that digital cameras are fantastic and they certainly have changed the photographic landscape, there is something that they cannot produce, and that is the handmade feel that darkroom photography has. Developing digital photographs is a completely different process. It is still a labour of love for photographers, and we still enjoy the image, but it does feel like it is massed produced, it can be repeated again and again with absolute precision. With darkroom photography, this isn't quite the same. The process involves a lot different parts, which can all add their own complications to the development of the photograph, which means that the photograph will always have a limited run.

    I must admit, that I am quite nostalgic for film photography, and I certainly wouldn't use it for a professional job. It will always be my first love and digital will always be my second. However, both are excellent ways to scratch that creative itch. At the end of the day I love both, unfortunately film photography is suffering at the moment, but I do believe that it will always have a place. People always want something that feels authentic and not mass produced.

    During this blog, I will be looking at how film photography has informed my images, style of photography, who has influenced me and who is currently influencing me.

    "You cannot depend on your eyes if your imagination is out of focus"

Mark Twain



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