Film vs. Digital
Okay, I admit, I haven’t had this argument in a very long time. And I don’t want to have it. Really, I just don’t care anymore. It has been almost two years since I ran a roll of film through a camera and, as discussed in this post by National Geographic’s Director of Photography David Griffin, I shot film because of the camera (my beloved Leica M6) and not because of the medium.
(What? You haven’t heard me wax poetic about the beauty of the Leica? *sigh* I so miss mine, but the digital version just isn’t there yet. Maybe the next generation will hook me in again.)
Rob Haggert pointed to this entry from his blog, A Photo Editor, and also noted the closing graf, which I shall echo:
At National Geographic we do not require photographers to shoot one way of another–we support both approaches. Ultimately, we care more about what is being photographed and less about how.
Sage advice.
My question is always – will it make me a better journalist? Will using film make me a better journalist? Will owning a $5,000 camera make me a better journalist? The answer is usually no. I have still not forgotten what you told me – master the use of the camera, then forget about it.