Mama don't take my chromosomes away*

*As someone claims to have misheard Paul Simon's lyrics in his song "Kodachrome." 

The Death of Digital                          The Future of Film

For some shooters, it's that personal…using language borrowed from the gun lobby, one will say, "I'll give up my (insert favorite film here) when someone pries my cold dead fingers from around it." Actually, I prefer "When Ektachrome is outlawed, only outlaws will have Ektachrome." But I think you get the idea. Not every photographer has jumped onto the digital bandwagon as readily as I have.

I labored happily in old-school black and white photography for over 30 years. I loved the process of developing my film, filing the negatives (well, not really), putting one in the enlarger, making test prints and two hours later coming up with a print that did what I wanted it to do. Then it was washed, dried, mounted, spotted, matted and hopefully sold to an appreciative client. I loved all of it. I just couldn't keep doing it.

Having worked in the graphic arts industry scanning film into digital separations, I had a front row seat to see the progress that digital photography was making vs. professional film photography. For the longest time, it was no contest, but gradually, we'd see digitally generated images that were getting better and better. 

In 2004, I found myself out of the printing business and self-(un)employed as a photographer and graphic designer. My studio partner loaned me his Canon D60 one day and I was blown away by the results. Soon thereafter, I bought a 10D and paid for it with the first job I used it for. Furthermore, as a graphic designer, I appreciated the fact that I wasn't going to have to scan any film (or pay to have it done). Image quality? Even using a $150,000 drum scanner like I'd used previously, a 35mm slide would be hard pressed to match the image quality from that now-obsolete camera.

This created a dilemma for my personal photography. It seemed like I had three options.

1. Continue to use black & white film, even though I no longer had a darkroom.
   
2. Make black & white images from my digital equipment.
   
3. Make a clean and colorful break.
   

The first wasn't an option. It may be one someday, but I rather doubt it. I've had so much success scanning my old black and white negatives and printing them digitally, that I'm satisfied that I don't think I'll ever go back to the darkroom.

The second bothers me. It just doesn't feel right. So except for certain commercial applications, I won't be doing this. Often I look for ways to incorporate my old monochrome style into my chosen new medium, but I've always considered photography to be at its best when done in a straightforward way, and simply ripping the color out of an image doesn't seem straightforward to me at all.

Number three was the sharp left turn to the path I now travel. Actually, at the time of the switch, I was itching to do more color work anyway. After three years, I have few regrets. Well occasionally, I'll look at one of my old prints, or more likely, a friend's new silver print and feel a wistful tug. But generally, I just try to move forward and do the best I can with what's in hand.

Having said that, I'd like to clear something up. For my brothers and sisters who still use film and enjoy doing so, you have my best wishes. I don't consider you a Luddite, or technophobe or backwards in any way. I have no need to convert you to my way of doing things, or even convince you that my way is better. 

The year 2008 will be one of learning how to handle disagreements.