For most people the “dark” side of photography is the TECHNICAL stuff. If you have a “point-and-shoot” camera – you might be perfectly happy … but most “serious” photographers never had such a camera – most of us started before they existed!
Do you remember the days of the 35 mm SLR camera? If you do, then you are OLD! Do you remember the days of the VIEW CAMERA – the thing with the black cloth you put over your head and see the image of what you are going to capture on a ground glass plate the size of a piece of writing paper? Then you are REALLY OLD!
Not really …. I got my 8 x 10 view camera in 2003. I had been using a 4 x 5 since 1975 and was using a 35 mm SLR before that – but I am NOT REALLY OLD, in fact I am not even OLD! We are all just as old as we feel, and I feel quite YOUNG actually. BUT – I do love to use photographic equipment that does what I want! I actually HAVE a point-and-shoot. In fact, I even once framed an image I captured with my CELL PHONE CAMERA.
But my ART – that which I do to express my world view – cannot be captured and presented well with any other than a pretty serious camera and lens.
I happen to LOVE technology – many people don’t. I was a chemical technician at the age of 16, and had my own lab at home at the age of 8 – OK – I think I INVENTED the term, if not the concept “nerd” – shoot me later. But I think I always loved the TOYS we got to play with in the lab – neat little bottles, sometimes huge ones, and the chemicals were a great excuse to use the glassware. For me, some of the appeal is that photography is a great excuse to play with great camera equipment. My 8 x 10 inch view camera was made in Switzerland, and is as fine as a “Swiss Watch”. I lusted after this camera system in 1979 – but back then it cost $15,000! In 2003 I got one off Ebay for $3500! These days it would be even cheaper because the FILM is really hard to get – I have some socked away – but if I want to DO the same thing – even just CLOSE to the same thing these days with a digital system, it would cost $35000! AND – it would NOT allow me to have the image control that a view camera will.
SO – I NEED image control. It may be the ONLY thing in life that I CAN control! If I could only control MY image I guess things would even be better – but to control the presentation of what I SEE in life is as good as it gets – IF it allows me to present to my viewer something intriguing, enticing and entrancing!