Digital vs Film - My First Assignment...

With every aspiration there is a goal you want to reach. Within that goal there are mini achievements that get you closer to that goal.  My first goal is completing my first ever Photo shoot.

Portraiture. Monochrome Portraiture, infact.

There is something about black and white photography that I just adore. It could possibly be the delicious tones of deep greys and blacks in contrast with the soft greys and whites. I think enhances the beauty of Photography and really goes back in time to when it all began.

It was around the '70s when photographing with rolls of film came into the world. People would buy their film, go on a holiday, take pictures of their familiar etcetera . Being born towards the end of the 20th Century, I was in the midst of change, the process and development of Digital Cameras. Film wasn't used as often but it was the Photographers back in the day would use to make a living and how they learned to use a camera. There is Mathmatics and Science to Photography and being one of the most artistic and creative people known to mankind I knew this would be a bit of a struggle understanding these terms that are computerized Mathematically within the Automatic setting of a Digital Camera. Being a University student now on a Photography Degree it is about time I leave behind the Auto mode and really take some real photos with some real knowledge and real technique.

I was given my first assignment last week to use two rolls of film and a Pentax K1000 (a vintage 35mm camera). That is the model they have at University but for me I wanted to take this seriously and purchase my own. Which is exactly what I did. Then choose my subject. It is always a good tip to use a friend or person you know well to create an easy-going environment to practice directing skills and building confidence for going into the Photography Industry.

Being quite new to film cameras, I took my Digital SLR on the shoot and programmed in the Aperture and Shutters Speed beforehand to test if I had achieved a balanced exposure. Using my Pentax K1000 was an interesting experience and comparison to the Digital World. I really had to think about the composition, the lighting, the focus and everything that goes into making a good picture. Well this was the exercise; to learn these key techniques. It just goes to show how easy it to is to point a camera at an object or a subject and then to shoot. I really understand the idea of "point and shoot" that is actually all it is and I know how obvious that sounds.

I think I have always been a bit scared about using the manual setting on my Digital SLR incase the picture would come out completely overexposed, blurry or just down right hideous and it effected my Photographers Confidence. I really needed to use film to get away from the temptation of using the amateur technique. One of the most frustrating barriers to pass was the lack of a preview screen. You can tell I wasn't brought up 40+ years ago. You don't realize how much you rely on a screen on the back of your camera to confirm the picture that you have taken is fantastic. If not? You then can throw it away and try again and again. It's not same with film. You can take as many pictures of the same composition many times but the film runs out eventually, actually very quickly. You need to get it right first time and the only time you can see it  is when you are printing and developing in the dark room.

Now, I haven't done that yet. I have never used a Dark Room in my entire life, though I have been in one. There is that fear that I have messed up, but I can't know that for sure with every photo. I have a feeling of some good ones and some bad but this is only my first task out of my three years studying Photography. I have plenty of time to succeed if it all goes wrong.

From my digital pre-film photo shoot pictures (right hand side) I'm quite proud of the compositions and Monochrome tones that are present. I suppose that is the great thing about Digital; you can view the photos straight away.

Photographs taken by: Zoë Bull
Special thanks to George Gillbard  for taking part in the shoot. 


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