From Darkroom to Lightroom (Pt.1)

Like almost other art forms, photography has undergone a pregnant shift in the appearance of the digital age. Information technology's an exciting time of innovation for this industry.

Chemicals to electronic. Darkroom to Lightroom.

Steven Sasson of Eastman Kodak changed the landscape of modern photography forever by inventing the kickoff digital camera in the 1970s, though it had non been embraced in the photography community until iii decades later. These days, digital cameras are the norm. Near photographers would not know what to practice with a curlicue of film anymore and, even more than, will say that they have never gear up foot in a darkroom in their lives.

At that place are still many who patronise film, but they are a dwindling few. Most beginners become straight to digital photography due to its ease of use, functionality, and popularity. Hence why the pool of moving picture shooters remains significantly smaller compared to that of digital.

Then the question is: does film photography still have a place in a world where digital reigns supreme?

The Big Debate: Film VS Digital

A abiding topic of debate among photographers, the battle between film and digital has long been discussed in the photography customs. Both sides accept their arguments on which is the better medium, but picture show enthusiasts—though fewer in number compared to their digital counterparts—do not lack for passion. This is because, while nigh film photographers would agree that there is merit in using digital, many photographers who prefer the latter cannot see the benefits of movie, and simply consider it as a novelty or a cornball past-time for older people and hipsters.

What any photographer who has used both will tell you is that neither one is meliorate nor worse than the other. Whether or not y'all find film better than digital or vice versa depends entirely on your application and, peradventure, skill level.

Moving-picture show credit: Wikipedia

Equipment

Analog cameras, picture rolls, and other related accessories aren't every bit easily attainable present. You tin can buy them only at certain places, like thrift stores and antique shops, or from online gadget stores like Adorama. Even so, you may all the same stop up getting your equipment 2nd-manus because, unlike digital cameras and Digital SLRs (DSLR), analog equipment is in short supply due to the decreasing demand.

On the upside, analog SLRs are far cheaper than their digital equivalent. You can go a decent 35mm flick camera for US$100 or less and you lot won't have to keep buying a new one every few years just to keep upwardly with technological advancements. Unlike with DSLRs.

This is due to the fact that film cameras aren't going to have any technological advances, for obvious reasons.

If you choose to develop your own moving picture, yous will accept to spend some money on a darkroom setup. This should cost a few hundred to a thousand bucks, depending on how sophisticated yous want it to be. There will as well exist ongoing expenses such as having the necessary chemicals and other supplies, and of course, rolls of film—a black and white roll with 24-36 exposures is priced around Us$5 or less, while color motion picture will be about US$10 or more.

Most digital proponents would contend that film photography is more than expensive due to these recurring costs. Nonetheless, we do take to keep in heed that basic DSLRs usually toll US$1,000 or more, and then there are lenses, memory cards, and other camera equipment. Digital photographers also accept to spend thousands of dollars on a peak-of- the-line computers with large screens for mail service-processing.

Let's not forget that at that place is too photograph-editing software, printer inks, and photo paper, all of which are all recurring expenses besides.

Picture credit: emaze.com

Shooting

The upside to using DSLRs is that they are easier to utilize. You can easily get the perfect photo considering you have unlimited, or as unlimited as your memory card volition let, shots to attain it. Yous can too proceed adjusting your settings as you go. More so, DSLRs can produce a proficient photography workflow procedure—from captured images to data direction.

An analog SLR is non as flexible. With the more traditional platform, you get only a express number of shots per gyre of film and you tin adjust aperture and shutter speed just as yous take your shots. Once y'all've put in a coil of pic, y'all cannot modify or adjust the ISO sensitivity, a factor that is wholly pre-determined via the type of film used.

On top of that, analog tin can besides be restrictive due to the lack of an LCD screen on the camera torso, a feature that prevents yous from reviewing your pictures. That ways not being able to check if your composition or exposure is off. Despite these limitations, learning how to photograph with film can really assistance a photographer hone his skills and perfect his arts and crafts.

If anything, there is less room for error when working with flick, and mistakes mean wasted money.

Undeniably, digital photography is easier to work with. However, for people who are serious well-nigh their arts and crafts, flick might exist the better pick. The choice to utilise film or digital so falls on what is more of import to the user, and again, the application they are using it for.

This two-part feature explores how far photography has come from its traditional picture-related roots. The side by side part discusses about how the digital age has transformed the processing piece of work, overall results in image capture, and the hereafter of photography.