If you got to this page, it’s probably because you like photography as much as I do.
I know… You can’t really do much about it.
I started taking pictures when I was 7 years old.. It was the moment of my first communion and for that occasion my parents bought me my first camera. It was a very simple Kodak instamatic but I loved it..
I still remember the dry clack when you pushed the releasebutton of the shutter.. MG.. I had my first photographic orgasms with this great machine!
It worked with film cassettes and just like the super 8 cassettes of my super 8 camera which I acquired 4 years later I just loved the smell when you took one out of the vacuum sealed package. Not to forget the flashbulbs you could put on top..
Those were really amazing..
Four seperate bulbs which turned as you transported the film by the big filmtransporthandle on the right… each time firing a new flashbulb..
You could still hear the crackling sound of the dying bulb after it ignited and it remained pretty hot for some time..
Their was even some smell and since you only got four, you’d better consider well before using it..
In those days, one had to think before pushing the button.. an experience I had till the day I sold my last Pentax 6X7 camera when the digital area began. The big ‘clack’ when taking a picture was like the confirmation of the ultimate decision at the right moment in time. Not only the image and the moment in time froze, so did the whole area and the group of people in it..
Everybody knew a picture was taken.
I'm very happy to have learned photography the old way..
having tasted the claustrofobic darkness of the darkroom while seeing the magic of the appearing image on a chemical soaked photographic paper.. I saw it thousands of times and everytime it gave me that little bit of magic.. And that's what it was... Magical..
That magic started to disappear with my first color development machine.. Everything happened hidden for the human eye and even the smell of the chemicals was too disgusting for the open air..
You spend time in the darkroom but the magic turned into a boring period of just waiting till the dried image came out of the machine
No possibility to darken a specific part of the image by blowing your hot breath onto the surface of the paper nor by agitating one specific area of the image with some extra chemicals..
I sometimes still long for the view of a floating picture in developer or fixating fluid...
The digital age has changed a lot in the life of a photographer. Making pictures became much easier but true craftmanship has almost dissappeared..
The only thing remaining is the right framing of the image and a sound knowledge of computer programs to alter, correct and publish your images on the web
Lately I find myself more glued to my computer rather than in the field taking pictures..
but fortunately this evolution also has some advantages.. While before only few photographers succeeded in getting their pictures published.. these days, getting seen by others has become a piece of cake.. A website of your own and sites like flickr make it possible for everyone to show their pieces of art to the world..
Bye bye Darkroom.. welcome Lightroom..
