Taking it back. | Slowing it down.

I love the consistency of digital & the imperfections of film.

Herbie, Coltrane & Josephine. (shot on iPhone --- VSCO preset)

About 1 year after diving into photography with my first digital camera, I came across a Canon AE-1. It's the 35mm camera that just about every other photographer learns how to shoot film on. I found it when helping my mother clean my grandparents house in the transition of moving my grandmother to a nursing home. Grabbing that camera, learning how to shoot it and actually taking it out was probably the best thing I could have ever done as a photographer. Through film I refined my composition, experimented with light, forced myself to shoot in manuel and a whole list of other technical aspects; but most importantly it slowed me down and made me think. Having only 24 or 36 frames encouraged me to make every shot count.

Somewhere along the line I set the canon down and focused on more client based opportunities which lead me to sticking with digital for safety in certainty, but I knew I would pick it back up. My goal was/is to shoot both digital and film and implement it into shoots with various clients & projects. I wanted quality comparible to my dslr, just in a film setup.. So I made the jump to a medium format camera!

Pentax 67 & some good ole oreo chucks. (Shot on iPhone --- VSCO preset)

The Pentax 6x7 is a beast to carry around (8 lbs) but a joy to shoot. The greatest misconception that I had while shooting my AE-1 was that all film is overly saturated and grainy, but that's not the case. Turns out I just didn't experiment w/ various film and I didn't know my camera as well as I though did. I've been shooting Portra 400 which is what you'll see in the images below.

The tones are perfect in my opinion and for the little grain there is, it adds great texture. At 2.4, the fall off of blur is very suttle and soft which I absolutely love.

Once again, I've slowed my workflow down and I'm only shooting what seems worth it. Other than the technical and visual difference of shooting film, it just nice to switch up the flow a bit. It's brought new ideas and inspiration. I'm looking forward to sharing more stories and series.