A Gorgeous Autumn in Delaware: Digital and Film Photos
I’m fortunate to live alongside Brandywine Park in Wilmington, Delaware. The park winds for a mile along the Brandywine River, which sports several rapids in that section.
This autumn the reds and golds have lingered longer than usual, owing I think to warmer weather. The shots in this post give you an idea of the splendor of this season, which is my favorite. You can access larger versions of the photos at Flickr by clicking on the smaller ones here.
The square ones were taken with an old Rolleiflex TLR, and the others, with a small point-and-shoot Leica D-Lux4, my carry-everywhere camera. Check out my TLR and D-Lux4 sets at Flickr to see other shots taken with these cameras.
I use a flatbed scanner, the Epson V500, to turn my film negatives into digital files. If I want to print from a negative I have a local lab, Colourworks, do that.
Why do I still shoot film, when digital is so much more convenient, and less costly? Well, in part I like the grain in film. Also, to me it seems that film shots have more subtlety, a more gradual transitions of tones, especially evident with black and white films.
Although there are times when I want to shoot fast, and find digital handier in those situations, sometimes I prefer a slower, meditative photography. Occasionally I like shooting the way the the old timers did: taking a hand meter reading, considering various F stop and shutter speed settings, and focusing manually. I even like being surprised when my negatives come back from the lab. With digital photography there is no waiting. In an instant you can see what you shot. No excitement of anticipation! So, I find that both media have their advantages and disadvantages, both technical and psychological.
Do I love digital? You bet! Shots are free. And there’s Immediate turn around for reportage. Also, no scanning required! But I like shooting film, too.
