AboutJohn and Chris Expertise We are both professional photographers, with over 15 years experience. We can answer questions about photography, as well as questions about cameras from the 60s to 90s. (extensive 35mm, quite a bit of other formats.) Please, no darkroom questions.
Expert: John and Chris Date: 9/6/2006 Subject: film vs. digital
Question I have been practicing photography for many years and im only 17! But in my opinion film photography is much better than digital. I believe that any idiot can take a digital camera and take a picture and it doesnt have to be worth any quality when you take it, because you can fix any problem with it on a computer. I think that film actually takes skill becuase you cant fix any problem that you have. you have to be able to know what you are doing to make it right. Do you agree?
Answer Jessica,
No. And I'm sorry, but that is a very narrow minded and un-informed opinion. When photography was first used as an art, painters and sculptors said pretty much the same thing you just said. Also, early photographers didn't use film. They used metal or glass plates and they made them themselves. And when film finally did come along..... THEY SAID PRETTY MUCH THE SAME THING YOU JUST DID. As a matter of fact, I remember years ago that photographers who used SLIDE film said pretty much the same thing about photographers who used negative film. The arguement was that when you took a slide, you've made the original for color and exposure and that was it. When you shoot a negative, you then go in the darkroom and fool with color and exposure and do dodging and burning to make the picture better than it really was. Hmmmm? Sound familiar?
Look, photography didn't really change that much when digital came along. People have been using the darkroom to fix and fake photographs since the American Civil war. Painting, spotting and altering both negatives and prints. Then there is cropping and playing with exposure and color with the enlarger. The only true difference in my work flow is that instead of a smelly, dangerous and wet darkroom, I now work on a computer. And it still takes talent, skill and creativity to do it. Just because a guy goes out and gets a camera and a copy of Photoshop isn't going to make him good at using them. People actually take college courses in digital darkroom. I've spent 8 years learning to use a digital darkroom.... and I spent more with a wet darkroom. And I'm proud of my skills in both. BUT I'D NEVER GO BACK TO THE WET!
And another thing, you can't just fix ANY problem you have. Sure, I can do some amazing things. Telephone pole in the way? Take it out. (Of course, you could do that with film as well, just not as easily) But you can't fix a picture that has problems that should have been overcome with initial skill with the camera. Lets take something as basic as exposure. (this is one that ignorant people usually site) Say you take a picture with your film camera and due to lack of skill you don't let in enough light. Your picture is under-exposed and when you try to print, it is too dark or too grainy. Well guess what. THE SAME THING HAPPENS WITH DIGITAL! Garbage in, Garbage out. And I don't care if you've got a film or digital camera, if you don't have any natural talent and understand exposure and composition, you're not going to make a nice image.
I've been taking pictures for 26 years. And I'm all digital now. I see no reason to ever go back to film. I understand why some people don't switch. They are comfortable with the tools they know or they simply can't afford to buy a digital camera that will give the quality of their film camera. That's fine. There is nothing wrong with film. But when I hear people say things like you
have, quote: "I believe that any idiot can take a digital camera and take a picture and it doesnt have to be worth any quality when you take it, because you can fix any problem with it on a computer." I have to assume that they are either somehow threatened by the new technology or just simply ignorant. Now, there is no crime in being ignorant because it can be corrected with an open mind. But if you feel threatened by the new tools, it's because you are either afraid that you can't learn to use them, or you simply don't want to start over.
And do me a favor, don't use terms like "any idiot" if you ever write me again. I find it offensive to speak like that to someone you don't know.
