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A cold has slowed progress a bit but I have some film waiting for a dunk in the Kodak D-76.

Well, I for one eagerly await your results!

I’ve certainly made a lot of bad photographs — with film and digitally. The digital camera is a powerful tool, one I would not ever abandon. For blogging it’s perfect. Working with film and silver prints is a different experience with different goals. These are unique to me and have little to do with conventional “improvements”. Maybe it’s like the difference between an acoustic and electric guitar.

Whatever I end up doing I’ll share them here. It’s always good to get opinions and critique.

Ilford Pan F — I never had the patience for the slow film. Decades ago I used Kodak Panatomic-X at ASA 25 processed in Microdol. I realized what I was seeking with the film was a large format experience and hence the view camera.

The Nikon P7800 looks like a great little camera. Good price too.

I’ve used 35mm film scanners but was never interested enough to work out the process. If I shoot film I want to make silver prints. Later this evening I’m going to mix up all the chemicals to hopefully process and print tomorrow. D-76, Dektol, and some sort of Sprint Fixer. Have a couple boxes of old paper in the darkroom. Hopefully they’ll still render an image…

Convenience isn’t an issue for use. Just different and calls on some patience. Film is easy — B&H Photo supplied the current lot and there are many suppliers who can deliver overnight. No more 120 film in town though that I know of. All the camera stores have closed. The campus bookstore may still carry film though — I’ll have to check.

That camera was once expensive but now just a fraction of the cost of a good digital camera or even my iPhone. Using it has nothing to do with cost, weight or results. For me shooting and processing film was a ritual that had it’s own rewards — much like the experience the Vespa provides over a Ducati. Different strokes and all. And rational evaluation has little sway in the decision making…

I was never happy with commercially printed black and white either. If I wasn’t printing I wasn’t shooting.

There’s no romance for me in the darkroom Frank. Honestly, I wish I was content working with digital. Unfortunately, while being supremely functional, the process leaves me empty. I can make good photos in the digital environment but they supply little spiritual nourishment. Or something. So I’ll see if a return to film fills a void or whether something in me is just gone or broken.

Always good to experiment right?