film, film, film

I've been shooting exclusively in digital since Calvin was born. In six years I haven't picked up our film cameras once. But having watching Maria, and then Hannah play so beautifully with film, I've been thinking about our old camera - packed away in the attic. Our trip North last weekend seemed the perfect opportunity to visit it again - no crafting came with us into the woods, but our trusty old film camera did, and I was so excited to play with it.

It took a bit to get used to the whole 'one shot' deal again. I think that was a good thing. With digital it's so easy to just shoot - gobs of photos - and end up with the best shot. But with precious expensive film, well, a whole different story. I found myself really framing shots, paying attention more, slowing down, and thinking about what I was shooting more than with digital.

There's nothing like the anticipation of picking up a roll of developed film. Ah, so fun. And a bit of magic, really....versus our instant "let me see it!" that we're used to on the digital LCD screens. My 35mm lightmeter is completely shot, but I think we managed okay. I shot in 200 speed, and was expecting (hoping) for a bit more grain, even. Still, I'm pleased with the results. (They scanned a bit darker than they actually are).

These pictures make me very happy. In a quiet sort of way, which I can't really explain. I suppose I don't need to.

I think it's caused me to give a little more thought to how I shoot digital- maybe just to slow it down a bit. And while I have no intention (or budget!) to shoot lots of film, I do think it won't be packed back into the attic. The next time we head into the woods, it will be coming with us. There's something organic about shooting film that feels like a pleasant match to me with time spent in the quiet, slow, and calm of nature.

I've posted a few more of my favorites over on Flickr. You can find them in the Film photoset.

Comments

[Sarah]

Lovely! I, on the other hand, have just received a digital camera, and so I am trying to make the switch from film to digital!

[Melissa]

Very nice. My mom just bought my dad his first digital camera because he sooo wasted film with taking pictures of everything around him. I'm excited to see how he does with the digital, hoping he starts taking better pictures as well.

[m]

The last film roll we developed was my belly shots roll from Atticus's pregnancy. The camera is still sitting on top of a bookshelf. Maybe it's time to experiment a bit?

p.s. I especially love the corn husking photo.

[heidi]

ooo...the babe with the bird book is my fave shot. probably partly because i own that field guide and lerve it...mostly though, because she is one cutie.

xxx,
heidi

[Amy Jo]

I adore the photo of your daughter "reading" the bird book. The intensity with which she is studying the book is wonderful. All the photos illustrate how wonderfully inquisitive your children are.

[Dawn]

I used to only shot film. I went to school for 4 years for photography and developed my own black-n-white, printed it and printed my own color. There is NOTHING like doing your own prints. I was absolutely in love with color printing, I even learned how to make paper negetives and cross process slide film!!! I spent a lot of money doing it all but those days were some of the best times of my life. It was amazing and I miss it. All the photo shots, the critiques oh those were the days. I applaud you for using film and your photos are beautiful.With film one of the biggest I learned is how to rate my film. You ALWAYS should rate it. Film rating is just a standard so you get much better exposure if you rate it yourself. xoxoxo

[Stefani]

It adds to the mystery doesn't it? The not knowing just what you'll get, and the waiting for the film to be developed? Fun. And beautiful shots of a beautiful bunch of babes!

[heather]

no explanation needed. these photos have a sweet, quiet feel to them. what a lovely thing to revisit.

i notice your reading scott nearing, a favorite of mine. how i'd love to get up to their place in maine sometime. wouldn't it be amazing if their story was taught in schools? imagine.

[joy]

love these pictures. you are so right about how we are in such a rush to see the pictures we take. My little Lucy is 7mos old and i'm taking pictures of her all day long. I have learned a lot about taking pictures with my digital. I don't think i'd know how to do it with a "real" camera tho. i was never very good at it.. You have such a great eye for your pictures. i love every one! Thanks for posting.

[jen j-m]

oh, they're all so great! i love the one looking down on the old table with the binoculars. it has a very timeless feel. (they all do, actually.)

[Claire]

The photos are lovely. I just started an intensive film photography class because I wanted to slow myself down and be more thoughtful of my shots. Thanks for sharing yours!

[Bgirl]

I'm not sure how to explain this, but I think you're BRAVE for shooting with film. For some reason, after having the safety of digital, I just can't bring myself to go back. What if I screw up the shot? What if the lighting is bad? I just scare myself to death. So thank you for showing us that it is possible to walk the tightrope without a net!!

[Jessica]

oh, I do love this set. Film is so different, in a slow it down way...esp love the corn husking picture, that one is just perfect. Oh, and A 'reading'! Cutie pie! Haven't shot film in so long, maybe it's because I can't process them on my own anymore and just don't trust anyone else! Besides, that's half the fun! Love that little Nikorrmat you have! Those babies were built to last!

[carol]

love them all! we are in a strange place in time of digital and film use...I have boxes of film and photos and now I have thousands of photos on iPhoto. my poor kids will have so much to sift through when looking for childhood photos!

my husband teaches photography and the students are totally blown away when they are in the darkroom. so glad he still teaches the traditional technique- I know most have experience with the digital, good to get back to the roots!

I think I will get my Pentax K-1000!

[hannah]

yay amanda!! love these film shots. i have two rolls of twelve that i am looking for something special to do with. glad you enjoyed it!

[Jewels]

Hello Amanda :o)
Your film photos are just beautiful (as all of your photos are--especially the moments you capture of your sweet children)! I have been so enjoying your warm, friendly blog; your love for your dear husband, your precious children, and life--overall. I so appreciate your tender, thoughtful, childlike appreciation, for the people and world around you, and the process and lovely products of creating--by hand. I am mama to 10 wonderful children and have (and continue to :o) lived, loved, and enjoyed so many of the very same things that bring you joy and delight. I have a blog that began mainly as day-to-day photojournal, to share with my parents, friends and loved ones near and far, and to serve as a record of our life, as a family,--for my children. Please do stop by if you find the time and inclination, dear Amanda. Please consider yourself warmly invited to share in some of the comings and goings, the beings and doings of our family, and please know, most sincerely, that we have been immensley blessed, by your tender, sensitive, sharing or yours. I don't have much time for the computer, but visiting your blog has become one of the highlights of my day--Thank-you ((Amanda)). What a dear, lovely woman you are.

eyesofwonder.net

Jewels--the long-winded one :o)

[shari]

just beautiful amanda. film is so magical. i think you are right...film suits the great outdoors. xo

[melody]

Such beautiful photos! I've also been thinking lately about getting our old "film" camera out again, too... I miss the whole "luck and chance" part of film... not to mention the expectation of seeing the pics for the first time. I took about 500 digital pictures on our one week vacation and I can't imagine processing them as film. I'm so glad that I have both options... You have such a good eye for photos, whether they're digital or film, they are always gorgeous and thoughtful.

[jennifer]

lovely! we have two trusty film cameras (a pentax fancy schmancy slr for color and an olde canon ae1 for B/W), both of which came on a mini-vacation with us a few months back. you describe perfectly that delightful anticipation of waiting for the film to be developed. only now it's done in an hour!
do you remember having to send away your film and waiting weeks for it to return? or slides?! when you'd go over to neighbors' and friends' to see their slides and photo albums from trips to places unknown. what a wonderful pasttime that has almost disappeared in modern society. sure, youtube is great for sharing en masse worldwide, but connecting with those close - in proximity and heart - that is something special i remember from my childhood and your post has given me a little glimpse back, reminding me to offer our children that same experience. xoxo
enjoy your film!!!

[Amber]

Love those pictures---I'm a big fan of grain. That's why I loved B & W so much.

Your post makes me think about dragging out my old Nikon for a trip around the block...

[jess]

ahh the nice stillness of film. i am a big fan of lowtech photography, especially with kids. give pinhole a try sometime!

[lk]

oooh, I know exactly what is fascinationg Miss A., as we have this book at the river house. Those birdie silhouettes are so perfect. What sweet images you have made.
I love film.

[tricia]

these are gorgeous. i've never been much of a photographer and i don't think much about the asthetic differences between digital and film. this was a fun read, and a beatiful tableau!

[Ashley]

Your post (and photos!) made me nostalgic for my old, beloved Pentax. What priceless images you have made!!

[raya]

I love these! I went to photo school and learned how to shoot on a big 4x5 view camera...but quickly after my first year the school started moving to digital. I really miss it and have a few film cameras that I bring out once in awhile, but I often forget. Looking at Mav's photos and yours, they have a definite nostalgic feel. There's just nothing like film : )

[stephanie s]

beautiful.

[Ella]

what a difference! i really love these shots. i shot some film this week after a long while of shooting digital and found myself looking at the back of the camera constantly in search of my immediate image.
These are very special.

[charlotte]

a little bit freaky...I posted this morning about playing with my old digital camera...using it to experiment and being surprised by the images since I can't see what's in the LCD. and then I stop by here to visit with you and the babes......and look at this, lovely camera play! just lovely. I like the husking corn shot, the woodsy dirt showing on his skin. xoC

[vickie]

really lovely photos Amanda, enjoyed them so much. Oh it makes me want to go into the woods!!! would love to hear more about how you prep for a camping trip with 3 kids. Food, tips....whatever! WE're a bit camping shy.

Best,

Vickie

[erin]

amanda, they are gorgeous! i especially love the one of adelaide with the book and the corn shucking. lovely!

[Grace]

gorgeous and fun and very inspiring!

[Qalballah]

Ooh the pictures look so 1970s LOL - like, how I remember my childhood because all the photos have that grainy look :D

We lose a lot with digital cameras don't we. We have greater resolution and less art.

Wonderful. Thankyou for sharing.

xx

[Joy]

what beauty! You had wonderful light, obviously. These are just "oh..." and no you don't have to explain- I can completely understand! What a treasure these are.

[melanie]

these are gorgeous photos. i love having a film camera on hand, but i am a digital junky

[meg]

these photos are just wonderful. that one of your little lass reading is just so perfect. they're all just great, toes and all... film seems to capture a feeling and a mood better than digital sometimes. thanks for sharing!

[Amy]

After a fiasco of a photo session at Sears (from which we got NO decent photos), we bought a bunch of film and are planning to pull out the old Rebel for our own photo session this weekend. I figure if we go through a few rolls to find a handful of decent photos to make prints of we are much better off than having some pimply mall employee take pictures and having to drive an hour each way to do it! It's nice to step back and not get so carried away by the "new" ways of doing things. I'm looking forward to playing with film again.

[Veronica TM]

the photos are wonderful and how great that shooting film helps you to be more aware and more present.

[Alix]

glowing photos - live giving photos - thanks

[erin]

these photos look so REAL, if that makes any sense.

[tamara]

really great pictures :)

[jen]

awesome photos! i have been lurking for a long time now, but i have to just tell you that you are an inspiration to me and i am sure to many others! i definitely think you are right, we need to slow down and enjoy what is going on around us and the moments we decide to capture on film :)

[martha]

there is really nothing like it. Beautiful photographs.

[Brooke]

your photos are just as beautiful as ever...

I wanted to ask you when your book is coming out? not sure if I missed it.
I tagged you for a meme of 8 fact about you, you are so gracious to share yourself and your beautiful family.

[joleen]

ohmygosh, amanda, do i ever LOVE these!

[donab]

These are lovely. I especially like the feet in water...

Do you think your practice with digial has made you a better film photographer?

[SOULEMAMA]

Brooke - the book will be out on March 11th, 2008! Still a ways to wait, I know! (Says the most impatient author ever!). I'll have more details on the blog soon - pre-orders will start this fall. Thanks for your interest!

donab - ooh...good question! And most definitely, YES! If for nothing more than the amount of practice it's given me, then yes. But the benefit of shooting with digital (especially an SLR) is that I can SEE what the results are instantly, so I can mess and play around with the settings until I get it just right. So going back to film, I had a better sense of what settings I should use for certain situations. Both equally fun, I do think!

[Sharon]

Those pictures have such a different feel from your other ones! They are wonderful--it seems like the camera you have gives them a wonderful depth and "old" feel to them. I don't know if I'm describing that very well. But you should keep that camera on hand for those opportune moments when an old feel look is called for.

[julie]

Beautiful shots of your day out..and i really know what you mean about shooting digital which i have also been doing since my eldest was born :)

[katie]

lovely photos of your beautiful family. i have the exact same Nikkormat camera - i love using film sometimes...

[Christina]

I like the darkness of the photos. I think the corn picture is my favorite!
Lovely...simply lovely.