Evaluation of Film and Digital

(this might be too late but i thought i would be cheeky and try anyway)


So through this project i got the chance to use both media along side each other and it really give me the chance to compare them. Over all through out my photography courses i have always favoured film, and this project hasn't changed that preference, if anything its only made it stronger and given me more tools in which to produce film based prints.

Learning to use the 5x4 camera has been a real experience and i have ran into more than one problem with it. However this is what i love about photography and it really makes you appreciate a good print when you have it in the end because you know what effort, time and also money has gone into producing the final image. What i also prefer is the grain and the detail that is captured with this type of film shot. Its is really detailed and when teamed with the warm tone paper it really did create some beautiful shots.

I think that the detail and grain is whats lacing in a digital image for me. Even though it is a lot cleaner and sharper it just doesn't have the rich look and quality that a film image has. I don't know if its me not giving digital a chance but i just think that its too easy to cheat. In my eyes this is what makes it not as special as film.

With digital i can take a 100 pictures in about 5 mins and then i have a range to choose and can still make it better. With 5x4 i have 1 shot to get what i want perfect and then i have limited editing in the dark room. Its more raw and has more value because its harder to re-capture. I think that digital is just too easy in my eyes it doesn't push me to want to make amazing images, it doesn't drive my passion. It makes me do mediocre images that can be "sorted out" later and i think that this is the sole reason I'm not happy with my still life and i really feel proud of my landscapes. I can see were effort has been put in.