I've been going through some of my pre-digital images recently as part of a couple of projects I'm involved in. Whilst most of my business is now generated through commissioned work or sales of digital images shot over the past three or four years, I also have a huge back catalogue of film shots from the previous decade. And much of it is still generating income.
What's interesting about going through these older images is how different they are from my current output. Although I've made no conscious changes to my approach or style, I can see several significant ways in which my film images differ from my digital work.
There are subtle differences in framing, composition and what, for want of a better turn of phrase, I'll call 'adventurousness'. Digital's instant feedback loop has undoubtedly enabled me to nudge boundaries a little. Whether it's getting closer to the action, dropping shutter speeds lower or shooting with wider apertures in lower available light, many of my older film images look positively staid next to what I'm shooting now.
Remote flash and film: been there, done that. South Wales circa 2003
But I'm also fascinated by the technical differences. Shots that I would have regarded as razor sharp five years ago now look, to my 12Mp eyes, distinctly soft. And Fuji Provia's once uncannily accurate colour rendering now looks cool and unbalanced with blue-tinged greens.
It's all relative, of course. There are still dozens - no, hundreds - of rectangles of celluloid of which I'm proud. But the ability to shoot an action shot and instantly check whether (for example) the rider's eyes and the bike's head tube badge are both sharp (no, really - i do that) has undoubtedly changed the way I work. I'd like to think the change is for the better, but for an unbiased view you'd have to ask some of my long-standing clients. Many of them shared the agony of waiting for the film to come back from the lab to find out what we'd really captured...
I can see myself on your lightbox, is there a prize? :-)
Posted by: MikeD | June 09, 2009 at 12:58 PM
Wow. Well spotted.
I think you're there twice. I could do a prize for appearing in the most pics, but then that'd go to Karl (who's in three)...
;-P
Posted by: Seb Rogers | June 09, 2009 at 01:05 PM
I'd love to do your course again but this time with my Bronica. I can soup my Neopan400 in the kitchen while your all downloading memory cards.
Posted by: Kev M | June 10, 2009 at 07:56 PM
it seems like there are so many things involved in just a single shot, i didn't know it was that complicated.
Posted by: cycling bikes | June 14, 2009 at 07:23 AM