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Film v. Digital | Coffee Talk

December 22, 2011

Film v. Digital. Hmmmm, in some ways I am surprised that this becomes a heated debate amongst photographers. I am being a little silly when I say ‘heated’, because it really just becomes a meeting of the minds discussion over this very topic and some have stronger opinions than others. The other day I posted a beautiful black & white photo from National Geographic on my business and personal Facebook pages and I was surprised to see how the comments quickly turned to the “dark room” discussion. There are people still very passionate about film and believe that digital does not hold a candle to it. Many film enthusiasts will say there is a big difference in the highlights as there is no gradual overload to white and that film mimics our eyes better than digital. But art, much like an opinion, cannot be right or wrong. It is all a matter of opinion. This also brings me to another topic that is often brought up between photographers and those that just like photography: It must be the camera that makes for good photos right? That deserves and emphatic “HECK NO!”. It is the artist and not the medium that defines quality. If you don’t know your camera, lighting, composition, etc., you will not get great images whether it is film, digital, cheap or wicked expensive. Trying to debate which one is better is like comparing traditional studio photography to modern photo journalistic photography…or better yet, like comparing apples and oranges. They both serve a purpose and in the end it really depends on what you are trying to accomplish. From there, we can then debate 35mm digital to medium format film. And from there we can then debate medium format digital to medium format film. I had a beautiful Pentax 645N and eventually sold it since I rarely used it. Now I am bummed to have gotten rid of it because it would have looked awesome on my shelf. haha. Being a bit of a computer geek, I sort of like having a digital darkroom..ie: Photoshop and Lightroom. I also love the convenience of digital and the endless possibilities of it all. The bottom line is, learn your camera, understand lighting, learn the basics first, be able to work with people, know composition, and don’t use Photoshop to try and make up for a badly exposed image. Once all that has been worked on…break the rules and have fun!! Speaking of fun and being that Christmas is just a few days away, I thought I would share something fun I saw on Photojojo. Gingerbread cameras!!

Here is the link to the article on how to make your own. Now as for which one is better..the sugar version versus the metal and plastic cameras?? haha.

So…what do you think?

Merry Christmas everyone! Thank you for stopping by.

~lisa

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I'm Lisa! Brand, commercial & portrait photographer based in Greenville, SC. Take a moment and browse the blog as well as my portfolio.  
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