My plan of action while I'm here is to challenge myself in my photography. I plan to use primarily film. The limited frames in a role and the expense of the process will force me to focus on my composition and only shoot the shots that really count. Many people think I'm crazy since film is so slow and costly. Honestly I find slowing down to shoot film refreshing, and the tangible nature of film, and the chemicals that process them, romantic. Film is real, not some electrons floating around in cyberspace, it is something I can hold in my hands and think "I created that". Working with film is sometimes a huge pain but mostly a pleasure rather than the taken for granted convenience of the digital camera. Taking a photo has become so easy and accessible that it has lost it's magic. You can take a photo on your phone and within seconds share it with the world or send it to a digital photo frame on the wall. There isn't enough magic left in the world and consequently people are becoming more ungrateful, impatient, and unimpressed with the little things. I can see the magic in film and I want to use it while it is still here to enjoy. Of course we all know someday film will die. Unfortunately it is sooner than I would like. Kodak has ceased production of many of their professional slide films. I don't care what you say but the loss of their beautiful vibrant colors can't be matched by any digital camera yet, without heavy editing. And editing isn't pure now is it? :P Also we recently had the death of all Polaroid instant films. Luckily we don't have to say goodbye yet to those fun cameras since Fujifilm is still making peel-a-part instant film and the company Imposable Project has risen up producing experimental integral instant film for the 600 cameras, SX-70 cameras, and spectra cameras. But Imposable Project only makes a limited number of film and their production is only based on the consumption of people still desiring to shoot Polaroid cameras; a declining market. And sadly I heard roomer that Fujifilm plans to end production of all peel-a-part film and professional slide films. I read on Bellamy Hunt's website, Fujifilm plans to drop all Velvia 50 and 100F films for 4x5 cameras, medium format cameras, and 35mm cameras.
http://japancamerahunter.com/2012/07/why-does-fujifilm-hate-its-customers/ I know soon the film I love to use will be gone and of course I will be forced to use digital exclusively for color photography. But at least I won't have any regrets of not giving it a try while it was still around. I urge readers to give it a try also, just for the fun of it. Lomography has fun toy cameras you should check out.
Photography Plan
The photography project I have in mind is to shoot a series of Japanese traditional and pop icons including; mountains, bamboo, homes, temples, shrines, festivals, cities, food, clothing, toys, and anything else I can think of. If I shoot enough great photos I might compile them into a book. It sounds like a lot but I think I can handle say a 40 page book project. The biggest problem I face, I face now. I need to find several people willing to model specific clothing (they should be easy on the eyes), to keep down the cost i need to find people who already own those iconic clothes, I need to mark out locations for shooting, work out the time of day that would produce the best light for the image, find traditional homes that I can photograph thoroughly, manage buss and train tickets, manage the weather, and whatever problems will surely arise.
For many of the photos I wish to take, involves traveling. Traveling in Japan isn't difficult but I've never done it alone before. May freak some people out but sounds like a lot of fun to me. Wish me luck. Talk to you later in my next post. Please subscribe.
