FILM IS NOT DEAD

#filmisnotdead

Today in our digital world, we can create everything, or have artificial intelligence create a magnificent image for us. Take a banal photo, go to Lightroom and you can create a superb « instagrammable » image. It’s impossible to fail (or at least almost impossible). Of course, you need to know your digital tools for this. There really are no limits to your creativity.

So I wanted to go back to a simpler process where I can find the grain of the photos of my childhood, where shooting is important, where you can’t really know if your image is successful (or even if the photo was actually taken at all). Where the choice of your film is essential for the rendering.

I could have dusted down and used an old average quality device with equally medium lenses which I had (my means were limited when I bought them) . But no! I treated myself, and bought a brand new Leica M6 (we only live once!). I already have very good lenses for my M10-P so why not live this photographic experience to the end?

I’ve been using my Leica M6 for 5 months and enjoying these moments. Until now I’ve shot in black and white with different films of different brands (Kodak Tri X 400, Ilford HP5, ). I’ll also test the colour with legendary films such as the Portra 400.

And then comes the wait to receive the email from the lab with the link to download the photos in your mailbox. You discover the result and remember how this or that photo was taken. During the development of the first film, I felt relieved to see that I had managed to take photos and with a very good result.

I find that beyond the process, photos (taken on film) seem, with their imperfections, to have a soul , an authenticity unspoilt by any artificial intelligence.

Let me reassure you, I’m not going to abandon digital photography. It’s just a new means of expression (or old…) for my personal experience.

3 Leica and One lense

Why Leica?