Exactly 20 years ago I gave up film. Kick starting my pro photography career. What's changed?
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- Опубліковано 18 тра 2024
- On a trip to Colorado in 2004 I decided to leave my film camera at home. It coincided with the start of my working as a photographer. Looking at some of those photos for inspiration and seeing where my photography has gone. Which of those items of kit I took with me, do I still use?
There are photos I'm still not sure why I took them and places where I would now shoot more...
The short article I wrote on my return
www.northlight-images.co.uk/a...
Several more of my travel blogs written over the next few years
www.northlight-images.co.uk/k...
For a full categorised index of all my videos, see:
www.northlight-images.co.uk/k...
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This was really lovely to listen to; great experiences!
Thanks - glad it was of interest!
Fantastic images and wonderful memories you’ve shared with us Keith.
Thanks for that!
One aspect of starting printing (6 months now) is going back to my old photos. Turns out the photos was not done but been on kind of "time travel" to when the silly guy who took them got a printer. Most pleasant memory lane experience! This was sweet great video, thx!
Thanks!
I really like your UA-cam Channel. When I look at my old digital photos from about 15 years ago, I appreciate the composition but cringe at my techniques and post-processing. I regret processing the images in a way that can't be changed now since I no longer have the raw files.
Thanks glad it's of interest.
I remember back in 2005, someone seriously telling me that high quality JPEG files were good enough for archive purposes and that they were 'saving on disk costs'. Perhaps not ...
I beat you to the digital camera world with the purchase of a Nikon Coolpix 950 in 1999. At only 2 Mpix and jpg output, I was still shooting and scanning slide film for anything serious, but I loved the 950 so much. I upgraded to the Coolpix 4500 three years later and then took the leap into dSLRs with the Canon Digital Rebel 300D. By then, film was dead for me, other than scanning archival photos. I often look back on my photos from those early digital years and as you mention, reprocessing with the new photo software is both easier and more rewarding!
Yes, broadly similar here
The 1Ds was for my work as a professional. First digital experimenting goes back to an Olympus C1400XL in 1998 ;-)
It still works - Time I think to take it out for a spin...
Thanks for another great video, Keith. It was enjoyable to see digital photos taken during your US trip 20 years ago and how excellent they are. Digital camera technology has changed a lot since then, and the quality of your first digital photos speak highly of your skill as a photographer.
Thanks - glad it was of interest!
This particular trip was partly about me wondering if I could master the camera for 'work' use.
The number of photos you took in 2004 may have been influenced by the number of memory cards you had and the number of images each memory card could hold. A major change since 2004 is the reduction in cost and increase in size of memory cards for digital cameras. My recollection is in 2004 the memory cards I used had sizes which ended in "MB", and the number of images a card could hold was equal to a couple of rolls of film. Today I use 256 GB cards which hold over 5000 raw + JPEG images at a cost less than 0.01 USD per photo. Similarly the size of readily available hard drive has increased by a factor of 10 or more and the cost per unit storage has dropped by a similar factor.
Thanks I had forgotten that!
The raw files are ~11MB and I had 512MB cards IIRC.
I remember just how long it took on some occasions burning CDs of the files from my laptop. I posted CDs back to the UK every so often...
Interesting video - thanks. I also switched from an OM2, in my case to a Nikon D1. Digital fascinated me and still does... I don't miss film for a minute. Sounds like a good party going on in the background :)
Thanks
No idea about the sound though - I hear nothing?
Good video to see you having a nostalgic look at your past shots.
Thanks - suited me after a week of feeling rather poorly ;-)
The WTF criticism of some shots was yesterday, and remains unrecorded!
... But it did get me thinking about some more experimental stuff again, once I'm out and about.
A lovely walk down memory lane, and thanks for sharing. I liked all your shots, especially with their stories, and it is unfortunate that anyone feels compelled to apologize for a pretty picture that is not deemed a compositional “masterpiece.” I grow bored of so many over-processed images that employ overused compositional techniques so that there is a “subject,” no matter how unlikely: original maybe the first dozen times. BTW, I couldn’t agree more about the benefits of thinking in terms of printing: I was a latecomer to printing and that has brought more inspiration and pleasure. You are also right that current software makes it possible to print old pictures from cameras with fewer pixels, higher noise, and lower dynamic range so that they look as good as from my latest camera.
Thanks - glad it was of interest!
I’ve still got my Nikon D70 that only has 6Mpixels, great to get so many more photos compared to film but still restricted a bit by the size of the cards at the time and hard disk capacity on the PC. Find my current 36 Mpixel camera plenty big enough.
Yes, I forgot to mention the CDs I used for backing up stuff, and the expense of what at the time were 'big' CF cards
Great to see those old photos! I can't say I miss film. I used to work right by Garden of the Gods (just down the road, take a left). I volunteered at the visitor center there for a year (if I remember correctly the name is a beer garden reference not a divine one). Have you been to the Pacific Northwest? I lived there for some time (near Seattle) and it's quite different but just as awesome. I'm sure you know there are a lot of really interesting places in the US (for instance, I am living in the higher desert in AZ fairly near Sedona). Quite beautiful (if you haven't been there or aren't familiar with it, look up Sedona - it similar to Garden of the Gods but oh so, so much bigger and more impressive (it's called the Schnebly Hill Formation? and Sedona is within it.)
Thanks
Yes, I did quite a few visits, the later ones have photodiaries/blogs written at the time. Includes 3 visits to the North West [I didn't do one when I was in NM in 2005]
See www.northlight-images.co.uk/keiths-photo-travels/
@@KeithCooper Thank you for the link! I'm pretty sure I breezed by your site at least once but I certainly didn't see your travels. Looking at your photos brings back a few memories...I lived on Bainbridge and commuted downtown for a long time. I trotted down occasionally to the Public Market for lunch and the ferries were my friend. :)
Did you get a chance to visit mount Ranier or the Columbia Gorge (and Multnoma falls - just crossing doesn't really count) [I think some folks make a career out photographing of those two places!]? Your pictures of the beaches are awesome. I'm kind of partial to the coast 'around' canon beach - which is too touristy for my taste - more towards Rockaway, Garibaldi (get clam chowder there!). If you like fishing and don't get seasick, salmon charters are a memorable thing. If you can't tell, I loved the NW (I was born and raised in the desert...got out as soon as I could; but here I am again). :)
Thanks - glad it was of some interest!
The travel articles are based on the travel blog posts I made whilst there, so only a fraction of the pics and places.
We have a 10 foot long panoramic of the coast towards Cannon Beach at the top of our stairs, on the grounds of Karen and myself visiting it on our honeymoon in 2010.
We will be back...
Over 20 years ago I owned my first A3 printer was the Epson stylus pro 5000 I now have the P5000 I dug out some old prints & still look good, I remember I called Epson and the engineers would talk to you all day long if you owned such a printer the conversation went a little like this from Epson "yes we have many I am surrounded by them here what would you like to know great printer etc." a year or so later when I asked about storing the printer or something similar the conversation was as follows " Oh those dreadful things a right pain we do not recommend one to be honest" made me laugh, If I was to call Epson today I would be lucky to talk to the T boy..That being said love my p5000 sorry for going off topic.
Yes - that's a P5000 in the right hand bottom corner in many videos.
It does take rather more effort to get engineers these days ;-)
In 2000, I bought my first DSLR (Canon D30) & Olympus P-400 printer, which was when I decided to give up film after 22 years and got rid of my color darkroom. While the Art of photography continues but the Science got reset and almost everyone was at the same level, bounded by the path of development at the infancy stage of digital.
Although we didn't have to waste time & money on film, Polaroid & darkroom supply, but computer hardware (e.g., DIY dual processors desktop, rack of 10,000 RPM SCSI drives & backup tape drive) & software, photo printers & supply and gadgets. Luckily, most were already on hand and multi-purposes devices. Although some might find moving from the industrial to computing age wasn't easy.
Despite this, digital technology is getting old, and I'm anticipating a new revolution that can duplicate the experience of watching B&W photos develop in the darkroom the first time. 🙂
Thanks - you might be anticipating a revolution, but what technologies are driving it?
Digital imaging came as no big surprise because I'd been involved in technology research for years. It was one of those areas where I had years of experience that many other photographers didn't have, or refused to accept as relevant ;-) It was one of the reasons I thought it worth giving pro photography a go at that time...
@@KeithCooper I already earned my IT degree and started working in IT before I bought my first camera over 45 years ago. Now, I hope I can play with 3D hologram before I kick the bucket. 🙂
I like your landscapes almost as much as your architectural work, but I have to chuckle a bit when you say you took 2000 photos in a month. I do almost exclusively bird photography, so it's common for me to take that many in a day. Twenty frames per second can really pile up!
Yes, I did shoot a bit under the influence of [non existent] processing costs
As always beautiful video Keith , but I’m sorry film is coming back. All this perfection, sharpness, extreme details , super cameras with the best software in the world, are all distraction from photography. Probably You, as a professional, is the best and quickest output that you guarantee to your clients, but as a Lover of photography you have to admit, that film (especially BW) is another story. Another Love, another planet. Have a blessed Sunday see you on the next one
Thanks - appreciated!
It'll come as no surprise though that I fundamentally disagree - anytime I see the words 'perfection' and 'digital' in this context, I revert to my statement in the video of 'if you think digital is too easy, you are not trying hard enough'. Yes, working professionally, time counts, but even for my personal work, where I can take as much time as I like, film has no place any more. No - there is nothing I 'have to admit' ...well, in this area at least ;-)
Sure, people are discovering film. Don't get me wrong on this - I'd absolutely recommend it - the joy of seeing for the first time, a print appearing in a tray in a darkroom, is a fundamental experience of photography not to be missed.
Yes - there will become an increasing market [but small] for non-AI 'film authenticity', but artistic expression does not require a 19th century process for any degree of authority. Indeed, I'm minded to suggest it's no more 'coming back' in many respects than programming with punched cards or using Linotype machines for printing...
Might be, but people that love photography are in sort of need of authenticity. Digital seems hasn’t anymore. Maybe film is the one. I don’t have the right answer for the whole topic, but sure isn’t dead at all. Rollei is coming out with a new 35, Ricoh too… uhm seems they are gambling in some what, but they aren’t far from what real passionate wants.
OK, but I'm going to add 'Authenticity' as another one of those words that is best confined to marketing copy, since it can mean absolutely whatever you want it to mean ;-)
The camera companies are scrabbling for any niche at the moment, if there's sign of some profit in it. This goes for the bigger ones too - Fujifilm making a big thing of the 'film modes' on one of its latest releases for example - all the fun of film, without the wait... ;-) :-)
I don’t know, maybe Adobe and major cameras companies wouldn’t be agree of following the new way to add to every pictures Content Credential for protecting professionals works. But I think once AI will be more powerful than today(in a couple of years maybe less as resolution) there will be a nice digital circus. My humble opinion. Film in that case will take advantage in amateurs and photographer lovers. Professional will always be protected by Content Credential.
I know what you're saying, but for me, my photography is every bit as 'real' whether digital or film - film is just a whole load of extra work and hassle I can do without.
The credential software approach is for all sorts of reasons - it has zero relevance for any of my own professional work. But... rest assured, if I find a business advantage from it , I'd have no problem in its use. I'll happily even call my prints 'Giclee' if it helps sell them to a particular market :-)
It's no coincidence that if you're a writer for one of the few remaining photography magazines, you've been contactually obliged to write a 'resurgence of film' article a couple of times a year for the last decade or so...
Congratulazioni per i tuoi tutorial! Volevo qualche informazione, stampo le mie foto con una Epson Sc P 900, e stampo il bianco e nero con il driver della stampante ABW con la modalità colore RGB, avevo un dubbio faccio bene così, o è meglio se prima stampare la foto converto in metodo scala di grigi? Può essere utile anche creare profili ICC per la stampa in bianco e nero? Grazie!
Sorry - English only here...
How were you able to make such a great large print from a crop of the 11MP Canon file? I have 10MP Leica M8 files I would like to print large. Must be a specific workflow? Thanks so very much..
I have a specific video about it and several related articles covering the principles.
In many ways it is not about a specific workflow, it's about looking at an image and understanding how different tools may or may not be of use. It absolutely isn't something I could ever produce as a step by step guide for just that reason.
For me, it requires a real appreciation of how image detail becomes visible detail in a print - so sharpening, resizing, and many other aspects - these are the prints where I hone my edit/printing skills ;-)
See here for an example...
www.northlight-images.co.uk/big-prints-from-old-images/
and ua-cam.com/video/Mj8krOvxhBw/v-deo.html
@@KeithCooper thanks. For the help!
Loved my OM-2. Still have it. The meter stopped working. And life happened, etc.
Yes - Think it may be time for a clear-out though.
Just don't ask for the 24/2.8 and 50/1.2 lenses
@@KeithCooper I adapted all of my Zuiko lenses and acquired several more when I got the X-T2. Of the ones I have I might keep the 50/3.5 macro, but probably won't sell the rest. Amateurs can afford to be sentimental about such objects.
@@davidbridenstine6358 yes - the 24/2.8 is what I shoot these videos with [on an RP]
You should make another US trip. Maybe Hawaii?
Yes - but I've still plenty of areas of the big bit to see ;-)
You are speaking from the point of a professional photographer. I have a different perspective on that. 20 years ago I was in my early teens and the only digital camera I could afford with my pocket money was a cheap compact digital camera. If I look at the pictures from back then, I think: „I should have taken them with the film camera.“ The quality of the images, urgs, worse than with a single use camera from the 90s… With modern software they got useable but the quality was nowhere near what I could get from film. It was only in the early 2010s that consumer cameras got to the level of consumer film. And nowadays, your iPhone blows away every film camera. Granted, film has a different feel to it but it is objectively worse.
That's fair enough - I was 44 then, and had just 'decided' to do photography for a living. I'd decided to give it two years to see if I could make a go of it - it took 18 months to become adequately profitable - I never did go back to management consultancy and wearing suits ;-)
I was quite aware of just how unusual the [11MP full frame] 1Ds was to be carrying around for such photos - I got stopped and asked about it quite a bit by people I met on the way [inc. a lot of film users 'curious' about digital] Included a long chat, beside a lake in Wyoming, with an 'old guy' [likely my current age] using a 4x5 view camera, where I learned quite a lot about lens movements, and we discussed our 'ideal' digital camera :-)
@@KeithCooper 4x5 photography 😅. That would, in terms of resolution (black and white) be much higher than any modern camera. Just recently, I got a Canon 5D Mark II practically for free (I was more interested in the lens than the camera but it came as a bundle) and that camera is indeed, with low ISO, for most of the images on par with modern mirrorless cameras. Crank up the ISO or track fast moving subjects and you are lost but for landscapes, I was blown away by the quality you could get. But this was out of my price range for a very looonnggg time :)
Yes the larger formats have some utility - but this was partly the reason I got into multiple shot high resolution prints [Gigapan]. it's also something I'll be looking at later this year when I get to play with a 64" width printer
A gigapixel image prints at 60" x 60" at about 450ppi - should be enough for people to get really close ;-) At 300ppi you 'only' need just over 300MP
A 100MP image from my GFX100S at 60"x80" is 'only' ~150ppi It's a pity the Fuji sensor shift multishot process is so poor from a usability POV
Time for some experimenting over the summer ;-)
Keith, I never keep old equipment, I sell it while it has a price. Worn photographic equipment has no collectible value. She is only dear to you.
I started with a camera on a 3.5-inch floppy disk, 1.4 megabytes, for 5 photos. Сarried a pack of floppy disks. I completely stopped taking photographs on film with a 3 megapixel *.tiff camera.
Panoramas from Photoshop at 10-12 megapixels seemed like masterpieces of digital photography.
By the time I finish with things, the price has fallen through the floor - they are business purchases, so the price has long been lost in tax savings... ;-)
Film gear prices crashed in the 2000s and early 2010s, but film cameras are all appreciating in value. You could have bought an OM-2 for $20 in 2010, but now they go for around $150-$200. Give it a few more years and they may become more expensive as the camera supply begins to dwindle.
This is also beginning to happen to early digital cameras as well. The Nikon D700 or the Fujifilm X-Pro1 for instance, they’re all going up in price. You could buy them sub $300, but now they’re starting to go up in price again.
People make irrational choices when nostalgia is part of the equation, and scalpers will waste no time in taking their money.