Film VS Digital

Personally, I prefer to use film. I think it makes snap shots less tempting, as it forces the photographer to put more thought into the composition of the photo. By making the focus, aperture and shutter speed manual, the photographer is forced to make decisions on lighting and depth that they wouldn't necessarily be forced to make with a digital one. Additionally I find the dark room process fascinating, from developing the film to producing unique exposures. Developing film is a relaxing process for me, as it's methodical with exact times and measurements, with the grande finale being your film warm from the dryer. That first look at your film is always the most exciting, seeing which photos turned out, some expected and some a surprise. Something about not being able to check them until all 36 are taken and developed allows me to focus on a new photo, instead of perfecting one shot, because after all isn't art all about the quirky imperfections unique to it's creator? Lastly, my favorite part of film photography is the darkroom process. The idea of manually manipulating light and chemicals in order to produce one unique print is so intriguing to me. Not a single one of my prints will ever be exactly the same, even if I try to replicate the exact process, one speck of dust or minuscule difference in the chemicals will always stand between completely identical duplicates. The uniqueness of film photography makes any one photograph feel more monumental, and I love that feeling.

This print involved dodging and burning in the darkroom, and because this process is susceptible to human error, this print won't ever be exactly replicated.