Embrace the present, work towards the future

I have been warming up slowly to digital photography.  I guess I resisted change because I was comfortable shooting film. I have binders full of negatives and boxes full of prints to show for my work in the wet darkroom.

Lately though I am starting to embrace digital cameras as a part of my workflow. It hasn't been easy. For years I was a photojournalist working for newspapers on a daily basis. When we started shooting with digital cameras in 2000, I used my Nikon digital cameras for taking news photos, and still used my 4x5 camera and 35mm film cameras for taking my "fine art" work. This was a self imposed mental block I guess. And it has stuck with me for a long time.

I decided that this year would be the year to change my thinking, and give digital a try. I took my digital SLR out with me on two different photography walks so far this year. I can say that I am pleased with the results. I coupled my D-SLR with one of my favorite lenses, my 30+ year old Nikon 80mm f2 manual focus lens. This lens has taken many many photographs for me over the years, and is one of my favorite lenses.

I also shoot with a couple of auto focus zooms, and a two other fixed focus lenses. To be honest I love fixed focus lenses. They make you work completely differently than using a zoom lens. Instead of racking the lens in and out, you physically have to move around to get the best vantage point, and you pay more attention to your surroundings and the subject matter. At least I do.

This image was taken with my Canon pocket camera. I actually shot this image at the same time as I was photographing with my film cameras, and liked it better! There is gorgeous detail in the blacks as well as nice unblown highlights. I was actually amazed by this image, and it is what got me thinking that I could shoot with digital more often.

 These three images were taken on two different nature walks. I love shooting on overcast days, because it allows me to shoot the lenses wide open with very little depth of field. All images were captured in RAW format and then converted to black and white in Photoshop.

 I had the whole digital vs. film idea hung up in my head for a long time, but honestly all cameras are just dark boxes that capture light through a hole made in one end of the box. So who really cares about what was used to make the image, for me it is all about how the image effects me in the end that matters. 

steve