on the end of an era
I sold my cameras on Saturday. My digital cameras. My beloved, been-everywhere-with-me Olympus E520 and my newer mirrorless Nikon S-1. Yes. That Nikon. The one I sold to a friend and then bought back. (It was very good for shooting street in New Orleans.)
I also included in the package my two tripods (which I only ever used for self portraits) and two recent film camera acquisitions. One was almost the same as another I had and the second one was too quirky and temperamental for me. (And I’m used to dealing with Ms.Holga’s moods!)
I did keep my deck of cards-sized Kodak digital point and shoot. Just because.
It seems like a period in my life has ended. But I rarely used these anymore. The added storage space is welcome, too. A young man in my neighbourhood bought everything. He’s a fellow photographer and artist and realised he needed more than what his iPhone could provide for client work. And he’s excited about the huge learning curve ahead of him.
My Oly served me well. It’s the tool that I used to become comfortable in front of a camera and it saw many variations of yours truly over the years. At one point I was doing at least one shoot a day. And you know, this was while working full time and having something resembling a romantic life. I guess I was a bit obsessed. Just a tad.
But I also discovered the joy of still life photography where I learned much about composition and placement. I also discovered my slightly unbalanced love of pomegranates.
I also fell even more in love with flowers. In all their phases. And I tried to learn their names. To be honest, photographers that post photos of flowers without this information annoy me no end. But I understand some are more concerned with technique and esthetics and could care less about names. I like to think both are possible.
My little Nikon made me comfortable shooting strangers as it was quite small. It was such fun to take to the quarter and capture the people of New Orleans going about their everyday lives. And I learned I love this type of photography, too.
But my photography evolves, as it should, and I get the most satisfaction from using film. I like the almost meditative state I fall into while shooting deep in a nature sanctuary or an old cemetery. I love shooting the same scene with two or three different cameras and film formats. I love the patience I acquire and I like the anticipation. I like the unpredictability, even when I think I’ve done everything right. Because accidents do happen. Camera straps break, you do forget to change the film speed setting, cameras drop, birds attack. (I’m talking to you, Mrs. Canada Goose and Mr. Red-Winged Blackbird.)
So I begin this new season from a slightly different perspective and with a decidedly lighter camera bag.
Happy September, y’all.
I also included in the package my two tripods (which I only ever used for self portraits) and two recent film camera acquisitions. One was almost the same as another I had and the second one was too quirky and temperamental for me. (And I’m used to dealing with Ms.Holga’s moods!)
I did keep my deck of cards-sized Kodak digital point and shoot. Just because.
It seems like a period in my life has ended. But I rarely used these anymore. The added storage space is welcome, too. A young man in my neighbourhood bought everything. He’s a fellow photographer and artist and realised he needed more than what his iPhone could provide for client work. And he’s excited about the huge learning curve ahead of him.
My Oly served me well. It’s the tool that I used to become comfortable in front of a camera and it saw many variations of yours truly over the years. At one point I was doing at least one shoot a day. And you know, this was while working full time and having something resembling a romantic life. I guess I was a bit obsessed. Just a tad.
But I also discovered the joy of still life photography where I learned much about composition and placement. I also discovered my slightly unbalanced love of pomegranates.
I also fell even more in love with flowers. In all their phases. And I tried to learn their names. To be honest, photographers that post photos of flowers without this information annoy me no end. But I understand some are more concerned with technique and esthetics and could care less about names. I like to think both are possible.
My little Nikon made me comfortable shooting strangers as it was quite small. It was such fun to take to the quarter and capture the people of New Orleans going about their everyday lives. And I learned I love this type of photography, too.
But my photography evolves, as it should, and I get the most satisfaction from using film. I like the almost meditative state I fall into while shooting deep in a nature sanctuary or an old cemetery. I love shooting the same scene with two or three different cameras and film formats. I love the patience I acquire and I like the anticipation. I like the unpredictability, even when I think I’ve done everything right. Because accidents do happen. Camera straps break, you do forget to change the film speed setting, cameras drop, birds attack. (I’m talking to you, Mrs. Canada Goose and Mr. Red-Winged Blackbird.)
So I begin this new season from a slightly different perspective and with a decidedly lighter camera bag.
Happy September, y’all.
 |
| self portrait ©Trish Korous | 2013 |
Comments
Post a Comment