Asahi Pentax

I went into this project expecting to struggle with the transition, I have never photographed on raw film before. The difference between digital and film seemed alien at first. To my surprise however, I transitioned across the gap with ease. I found that I quite enjoyed the old school manner of setting up the perfect shot. I started with a roll of practice film to polish the technique, and headed to the beach for good exposure. I felt more intimate with my subject whether it was a stack of docked boats or waves rolling past my feet. It is as if you must see the shot you want to take before you even set it up. You cannot simply snap your picture and be off, you must sit and dissect your environment. Feeling the sun beating on my back I learned how to correct the light and reverse it when the sun disappeared. I learned most importantly that with a little patience, the perfect shot will come to you. Light will find ways to manipulate itself naturally, it was my job to capture it at that perfect moment. The biggest difficulty I found with film came when I had to load and unload the film stock. I missed lining the celluloid on the tracks up properly so when it came time to rewind my film the celluloid ripped. Digital cameras will forever have quicker and easier loading mechanisms being that the SD card pops in and out with no fear of tearing. However, like with all technology SD cards have the ability to become corrupted with no prompt or reason. Film, as long as it stays out of exposure, will stay reliable. What you snapped is what you get. The pictures I take have the same feel as all my old pictures of me growing up, It is the best way to capture that aesthetic.