Wow an article on photography old style. Been there done that. I started out with a Pentax Spotmatic 35mm, did the darkroom schtick, joined the National Photographic association, was enthused by a guy called Bud Watson who would paddle in a canoe up north, take pics on a 5x7 camera then sell them to corporate boardrooms for an enormous amount of money. Granted he did his own development, prints and even mounted the huge images, some 20ft long in a concave frame. Inspiring. So then I go into large format photography using 8x10... long story. Many years later I started a tech mag PhotoSource, then an art mag, Canadian Photographer. First issue Polaroid 20x24 and 5'x7' cameras and Andy Wharhol polaroid images, considered art by many. What a trip...
I have a friend who does big format, etc all digital now.
I checked out of the darkroom scene in my 20s but it was a rush of great memories when I opened up that old box of prints. You really had to put in the work in back then for the product.
My friend Jay took photography, but I didn't. He was the only one in our little crew who did, whereas I gravitated heavily toward visual art classes. That might seem kind of odd since composition is so important in photography, but I just wasn't interested in all the technical stuff, I think. It seemed more like a trade than an art to my 15 year old ass.
"Taking a picture was quite the process 45 years ago, and mastering that process was part of the seduction."
Indeed. All of the work you put into enlarging a photo, just to see how it looked bigger? People do that now by touching a screen and making the space between their index finger and thumb bigger. We didn't used to know how to do magic, but now we do.
Looking back, the most meaningful activities in my life took a ton of time to do. I wonder how much baby we are throwing out with the bathwater here.
It’s hard to tease apart the process of those activities and who we were. Was talking with another photo enthusiast friend and he asked if I’d consider getting back into the darkroom. I don’t think so. It was wonderful then and I carry some of it with me but I’d rather look ahead and see how much I can bend midjourney to my will.
Good thing cuz we’ve got not choice! This piece was really fun to write because once my memory was triggered and I found my old box of photos it all came back to me in a lot of detail. Like those Apple Fritters. Man I can *see* how greasy (and yummy) they were. I like when something like this happens and I write it down and then I feel like these experiences served me twice and I can move on knowing they are memorialized in some way. Knowhwatimean?
Oh yes. I am trying to tap into my own synesthetic tendencies by listening to particular songs I heard back then, and getting into that weird 17 year old's emotional state is possible w/that connection. I'm not really synesthetic, but sounds really do trigger specifics for me.
I might consider eating something I haven't had since then too.
Smells are big for me. Now that I think about it; maybe it’s donuts. I have a lot of seminal donut memories. Huh now I have to completely rethink my piece for this week!
Still one of the most exciting, stimulating and whole-brain creativity absorbing(is that a thing?) for me was when I took photography in high school. The whole experience, from all of the darkroom foibles(I loved messing with 35mm film stock) to figuring out how to have "a good eye" and finally seeing the finished, developed prints was sheer magic to me! I created this! If you know, you know. If not...
I used my Dad's old Agfa that he brought back from Germany in the late 50's. I also remember trying to convince a girl named Jeannie to let me take some "model" photos of her. She didn't take the bait. She knew me too well. Ah, youth and the darkroom; if only.
Wow an article on photography old style. Been there done that. I started out with a Pentax Spotmatic 35mm, did the darkroom schtick, joined the National Photographic association, was enthused by a guy called Bud Watson who would paddle in a canoe up north, take pics on a 5x7 camera then sell them to corporate boardrooms for an enormous amount of money. Granted he did his own development, prints and even mounted the huge images, some 20ft long in a concave frame. Inspiring. So then I go into large format photography using 8x10... long story. Many years later I started a tech mag PhotoSource, then an art mag, Canadian Photographer. First issue Polaroid 20x24 and 5'x7' cameras and Andy Wharhol polaroid images, considered art by many. What a trip...
DANG! You could write some stories :)
I have a friend who does big format, etc all digital now.
I checked out of the darkroom scene in my 20s but it was a rush of great memories when I opened up that old box of prints. You really had to put in the work in back then for the product.
My friend Jay took photography, but I didn't. He was the only one in our little crew who did, whereas I gravitated heavily toward visual art classes. That might seem kind of odd since composition is so important in photography, but I just wasn't interested in all the technical stuff, I think. It seemed more like a trade than an art to my 15 year old ass.
"Taking a picture was quite the process 45 years ago, and mastering that process was part of the seduction."
Indeed. All of the work you put into enlarging a photo, just to see how it looked bigger? People do that now by touching a screen and making the space between their index finger and thumb bigger. We didn't used to know how to do magic, but now we do.
Looking back, the most meaningful activities in my life took a ton of time to do. I wonder how much baby we are throwing out with the bathwater here.
It’s hard to tease apart the process of those activities and who we were. Was talking with another photo enthusiast friend and he asked if I’d consider getting back into the darkroom. I don’t think so. It was wonderful then and I carry some of it with me but I’d rather look ahead and see how much I can bend midjourney to my will.
I'm in the same boat. I love that we did all those things and spent all that time, but I also love how much more we can do today.
Good thing cuz we’ve got not choice! This piece was really fun to write because once my memory was triggered and I found my old box of photos it all came back to me in a lot of detail. Like those Apple Fritters. Man I can *see* how greasy (and yummy) they were. I like when something like this happens and I write it down and then I feel like these experiences served me twice and I can move on knowing they are memorialized in some way. Knowhwatimean?
Oh yes. I am trying to tap into my own synesthetic tendencies by listening to particular songs I heard back then, and getting into that weird 17 year old's emotional state is possible w/that connection. I'm not really synesthetic, but sounds really do trigger specifics for me.
I might consider eating something I haven't had since then too.
Smells are big for me. Now that I think about it; maybe it’s donuts. I have a lot of seminal donut memories. Huh now I have to completely rethink my piece for this week!
My high school job (senior year only, thank you very much) was at a pizza place, so I bet I could do this through the lens of pizza.
Nice story
Cool you took some photography courses, and learned how to develop film!
tx Mike, hope you're good and thanks! This is the first post I've written that's more of a story and less about tech.
Still one of the most exciting, stimulating and whole-brain creativity absorbing(is that a thing?) for me was when I took photography in high school. The whole experience, from all of the darkroom foibles(I loved messing with 35mm film stock) to figuring out how to have "a good eye" and finally seeing the finished, developed prints was sheer magic to me! I created this! If you know, you know. If not...
I used my Dad's old Agfa that he brought back from Germany in the late 50's. I also remember trying to convince a girl named Jeannie to let me take some "model" photos of her. She didn't take the bait. She knew me too well. Ah, youth and the darkroom; if only.
lol that last part!