My Path Back to Film Photography!

Patch From TAP & DYE, Bandana and Booklets Pete’s Pirate Life

If you know me, then you know that I have returned to shooting film. I shot film from 1970 something until 2004. During that time I learned not only how to make images but to develop and print them. I’ve used everything from a small home lab to large commercial equipment. I love the smell of photo chemistry and working in a darkroom. Over the last year I have rediscovered my love of this way of shooting and the process that brings images to life. Don’t get me wrong, i’m not giving up digital.

Going forward I will be doing what I call hybrid shooting. I will always have both film and digital with me when i’m out and about. I’ve actually been shooting this way for a little over a year. This was a tough decision for my online presence. The digital algorithm isn’t kind to people that mix things up. It likes a proper niche. Well i’ve never fit into any specific niche, so why try now!

I’m also not going to limit myself as to genre of photography, street, portraits, landscapes etc…. I will shoot where my whim takes me. I will be sharing some, of all of these types of photography, on both film and digital. The idea is to enjoy myself and share this experience with you, the reader or viewer, depending on the platform you decide to follow, as I have several. This blog will continue and in addition i’m going to start creating content for my YouTube channel. It’s been dormant for almost a year. I will also continue to share my black and white work on my Instagram. I may add a color account as well but that is TBD.

So if you’ve been enjoying this blog and want to know more about my process, why I shoot and what i’m shooting with, then stick around. So much more to come!

Until Tomorrow,

John

The Beginning of Something Wonderful!

I’ve always loved writing. It is a very cathartic exercise. Putting down thoughts where you can see them. It always came naturally to me, that is when it was something I wanted to write about. I want to take that love further and make it something daily. I believe when you write, you are practicing several things. Cohesive thought being the first. Creating a cohesive thought takes energy and effort. Anyone can put words on paper or a screen, it’s when they make sense and convey a message that make it interesting. The second being expressing who you are. Everyone has a unique experience to share. Every perspective shaped by different events, people, places and even their inherent nature. The third as a chronicle, something to look back at or for others to remember you by. So much isn’t shared and passed on. So many things we want to say, but don’t.

I hope to accomplish the above by sharing my thoughts daily. Through this blog I will try to convey how my life experiences impact my art/photoraphy. Some days may include an image or series of images. Some days just a thought. No matter what I share, know that it is me, the true me. We all have something to share and I don’t want to look back and say what if, why didn’t I?

So I will finish this blog with an image. An image I took in Bodie, CA. I keep going back to this image. I made it my wallpaper for my display so that I can see it every day. It sings to me because it represents a time and place that brought me joy. I can relive this feeling every time I see this image. There are several elements to this image that I love. It’s black and white, no color to distract me from what is in the image. It was shot on film. I shot film for close to 30 years. The last being the location. I lived in Mammoth Lakes for several years. Bodie is approximately an hour north of Mammoth. The textures of the wood, the metal roof and the telephone pole all remind me of my time in that part of the world. This image may not be your favorite but know that with perspective you can undersand just how much it means to me. Art is subjective. Each individual has to determine if something is art for them. So what is art for you?

Bodie, CA Leica M6, TriX

Until Tomorrow!

John