Evaluating Photography Techniques: Film vs. Digital

Introduction

• Photographer evaluates process and gear over the past year and a half
• Focus on time spent deciding what to use versus actual usage

Challenges with Film Photography

• Preference: Enjoys shooting film but notes challenges
• Cost: High expense of film and developing
• Hit Rate: Low percentage of usable images from film
• Consistency: Digital manipulation possible but limited with film
• Travel Issues: TSA damage to film
• Health: Developing chemicals cause headaches
• Time Consumption: Extensive process of developing, scanning, and editing film
• Focus Problems: Difficulty in achieving perfect focus with older film cameras
• Confidence & Speed: Digital allows faster shooting and higher confidence in focus

Benefits of Digital Photography

• Speed: Faster shooting without asking models to hold poses
• Efficiency: Allows seeing and capturing expressions quickly
• Focus Aids: Modern digital features like focus peaking increase confidence
• Quality Control: Higher success rate in getting the desired images

Experimenting with Film Effects in Digital

• Compared various film stocks and cameras using 18% gray wall test
• Developed digital techniques to emulate film look
• Key realization: Digital can mimic film characteristics effectively

Examples & Techniques

• Example images: Nearly indistinguishable differences between digital and film
• Focus on creating emotion and noise similar to film in digital images
• Demonstrated applying film grain to digital images to add desired effects
• Grain Application: Use of scanned film grains over digital images
• Blending & Adjustments: Techniques for blending film grain without altering base exposure
• Customization: Ability to adjust grain sharpness in digital

Conclusion

• Film photography's emotional appeal versus the practicality of digital
• Digital emulation of film aesthetics without the associated hassles
• Personal preference for digital due to time efficiency and focus accuracy
• Emphasized artistic control and commercial efficiency as primary factors in preference

Additional Resources

• Upcoming related tutorials on digital photography techniques