Yesterday’s post (Film vs. Digital for the Analog Junkie/ Traveling Photographer) got me thinking a little bit about my background and a few discussions I have had with some newer photographers at my workshops. I sometimes find it strange when I talk to photographers who have learned in this digital age and have never shot with film. Some people don’t really even know how film works, and it just amazes me because of how fast the switch to digital happened. I know it will be more and more common each for people to learn 100% in the digital workflow since digital has really taken the leap as the primary source of shooting for 99% of professionals out there. I don’t even know many camera stores that carry that many film cameras any longer.

So today just a quick question to get to know you all and what your experience with film is. If you can answer the one question below that would be awesome:

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Debating the Merits of Film vs. Digital for the Analog Junkie/ Traveling Photographer

A guest post by Crystal Street author of Storytelling from an Independent Traveler.

Are you an analog junkie at heart?

If you answer yes to any of the follow questions, then you have analog roots. And for a traveling photographer, this connection to the nostalgic self can produce hours of mind-numbing debate.

• Do you have stacks of binders filled with negative sleeves that are spilling off your shelves and oozing contact sheets onto the floor?

• Does your wardrobe contain a drawer full of clothes splattered with dark yellow fixer stains?

• When you enter a building with an actual wet darkroom and you catch a whiff of fixer, does your nose go straight into the air to inhale the chemical goodness like a hound-dog tracking the sent of a rabbit on the loose?

• Do you remember the first time you saw an image appear on a white sheet of paper in a tray of developer and thinking, “damn, that might be the coolest thing I’ve ever seen”? And knowing at that moment that you were hooked- addicted to this dark cave, its aromatic chemicals and shadows of red light.

• Do you sit in the parking lot of your local photo lab and pull out each individual roll of freshly processed film, hold it up to the sun and try to interpret the negatives and determine if what you actually captured on film represents the image burned into your memory?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you have also engaged in the debate of film versus digital as your means of capturing an image. And, if you also are blessed with the affliction of insatiable curiosity for foreign lands, you’ve probably pulled your hair out at one point trying to decide what medium to take along for the journey.

I’m going to look at the philosophical reasons for choosing film over digital- or vice versa and then dive into a few practicalities.

The Art of the Negative

If you are still reading this, then the odds are strong that you have shot a roll of film at some point in time. And hopefully, you’ve also worked with that film in the darkroom to create your prints. Capturing a moment from the camera, processing the negative and creating a print in a wet darkroom encompasses the entire process of picture making- in the traditional sense of the craft. Throughout this process, you are directly connected to your work- to your creation. You visualize the image prior to shooting, you capture the moment in a sequential order of 36 frames, you bring that image to life on a transparent strip of film and you then create a print using light, chemicals and vision. At no point does the image physically leave your person (unless you have a lab help a little with the processing).

In shooting film, you have 36 frames in a roll to translate your interpretation of the physical world into an image, or a series of images, that supports your vision. You must be deliberate- you have a finite number of shots to tell your story. You must visualize, plan, wait and act instinctively once the elements present themselves before your lens. You truly become part of the moment you are documenting and at no time can you stop and check your work. The image exists only in your mind for days, or sometimes weeks, until that image is processed.

And when the roll is processed and you are sitting with your contact sheet or light table and loupe, you are editing a sequence of images, a chronological documentation of time. You see the moment unfold and all the supporting elements leading up to the pinnacle moment are included in your edit. You see the whole picture, the entire story. You relive the moment as it unfolded and can better choose the proper images to convey the actual event or story being told.

In Contrast- the Digital File

With digital, the image itself exists as an individual file. We often trash the images which fail to live up to our expectations and pull images out of sequential order in the process of shooting or later in post production. One of my biggest challenges in making the conversion to digital (dragged kicking and screaming by what my clients needed 6 years ago) was the belief that the actual image doesn’t exist, it’s merely digital data on a computer chip. I know, there are valid contradictions to this theory, but this is my perception of digital.

But for someone that is used to capturing the image on a transparent surface within the camera- the capturing of digital images took a long time to trust and embrace. What I’ve found over the years of shooting digital, is that my tendency is to check the image in camera constantly while shooting (also called “chimping” by some photographers).

Yes, this has advantages. I can ensure that my shots are exposed and composed properly, which is particularly valuable when shooting for commercial clients. But, for my own artistic purposes, this removes me from the moment I’m documenting by instantly setting me in the past while I “chimp” and miss the symphony of moments before me.

Thus, the Eternal Debate

Travel, for many independent nomads, is an artistic and spiritual adventure. We travel not because we need a vacation or to escape reality, but because we are drawn to the unknown through curiosity and the idea of new people and experiences. Travel allows us to tap into the creative soul, that inner being that crawls out from its hiding place once all the regular mundane moments of daily life are left behind and we enter a new world.

So, when heading to such creative heights, the obvious choice for certain analog travelers is to take film along for the ride. Right?

Enter the Technical Dilemmas.

As an independent traveler, the weight of the baggage is the most important element of your choice of gear. And no, you CAN NOT check your camera or computer equipment. Period. It will get stolen. End of discussion.

If photography is more than just a hobby for you, the debate between equipment is torturous. You must feed the internal analog artist while still satisfying the professional side which pays the bills with digital images. Add multimedia production into the mix and you’re talking about 40-50 pounds of gear. Sigh.

Not to mention the logistical aspects of working with film on the road; preventing theft and thus losing all your unprocessed images, keeping the film canisters free of debris and away from excessive heat, keeping your film organized and rationing your film when supplies run low. Or worse running out of film and having to buy film from the local photo shop in the developing world- where the film is older than the child in the remote village that you’re trying to capture in an image. Truly, traveling with film in this day and age is an act of love! Love for the film and love of the process. All obstacles aside, I cherish my film images from remote lands, more so than most of my digital images.

So, here are a few questions to ask yourself when you are debating the merits of lugging film AND digital on your next adventure.

• Are you expected to work with your camera equipment on the road? If yes, digital must be your emphasis.

• Will you need full Adobe Suites capabilities while traveling or will a net-book with Lightroom suffice?

• Can you shoot entirely on film for this trip and ensure that your exposed film will make it home safely?

• Will there be access to major cities that might have film and processing options to help alleviate some of the burden of carry all of that exposed film around as you travel?

• Can you use a hybrid point and shoot camera- a Canon G11 or Lumix GF1 for all your digital work and simply use a hard drive storage device and focus on 35 mm photography? This will allow you to leave the computer at home and add more film.

• Or should you take the full digital studio and merely take the Holga or a Diana to satisfy your analog needs while traveling?

No right answer exists for this debate, but knowing the purpose of your travel images and their final destination can help you choose the right format for your artistic endeavors. Both have their strengths and weaknesses, so knowing your artistic preferences and any professional obligations while traveling will also help you decide which format to embrace.

Regardless of your choice, the most important aspect of this entire debate is that you remain true to your methods of capturing an image and that you actually have a camera- any camera- to preserve your adventures and interactions to share with the world.

Crystal publishes a blog about storytelling, living simple, entrepreneurship and travel at Storytelling from an Independent Traveler. She is a documentary photographer, multimedia producer and writer and you can find her on Twitter or learn more about her work here.

Here are some of Crystals images for you to enjoy:

My dinner hosts in Madaba, Jordan play with their mother’s camera trying to imitate the crazy American photographer joining them for dinner. This shot was taken with my Canon 1V with a 28/ 1.8 USM lens- my standard film photo kit. I also worked with a digital set up as I was working on a documentary project in Palestine for a month on this journey.

A villager on the island of Sangihe, Indonesia plays the drum during an ancient ritual. This was taken with my Canon 1V, 28 mm 1.8 USM. I was hired as a multimedia assistant for a project for Junior Achievement and took only film as my means of visual documentation.

Maoist commanders pose for a picture in a remote village in Nepal during a demonstration. I took both film and digital on this journey as I was working on a grant funded project and an internship with Nepal Human Rights News Website. I had to purchase film in Nepal and the colors had shifted due to the age of the film or the processing in country- or both. I was on the road for 2 months, in India and Nepal and used up my film halfway through the trip. This was my first overseas journey with both mediums.

A group of worshipers gathers outside of the Holy Church of the Sepulchre in Jerusalem. This shot was taken with a Holga and I love the antique effect this $20 dollar camera gave the shot.

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Today we are celebrating our 200th post! I actually really can’t believe it, in less than a year 200 different tutorials, new articles, contests, photo marketing pieces have been posted on this site. First off thanks to all our awesome readers, without your support and encouragement I wouldn’t keep putting in all of the effort I do with this site. It really has taken on a life of it’s own so far and I look forward to better and better things to come! Today I am going to do something different and highlight some different articles we have posted, for those of you new here you have probably missed most of these but even for the people here since day 1 it will be a good refresher. So a little trip down memory lane…

Our first post – I started this site out as a way to share some common questions people ask me and wanted to share a recent photo and talk a little about how the photo came to be from the creative angle and technical. Our first post was a sunset shot with off camera light. At first I wanted to have a shot of the week here and explain the technical details but as things grew that became more of a monthly feature. For those of you that liked that though I will be bringing it back very shortly so stay tuned!
Off Camera Light and Sunset

A post I enjoyed writing the most – This is hard for me to only choose one post, there is a lot of enjoyment I get from sharing my passion with others. And I always look forward to sitting down at my computer and writing about something I love. One post that comes to mind and mainly because I think it’s an important topic for artists is a post on pricing

Pricing your photography

A post which had a great discussion – This is a easy one, a piece I wrote about Pro photographers vs. Weekend warriors. This was a fun discussion, lots of great comments and some still trickle in.
Are you a Pro Photographer?

A post on someone else’s blog that you wish you’d written – I don’t get the time to read many other blogs any more, my schedule is just packed and if I do rarely have any free time I spend it hanging with my family. But there is a post from awhile back that always sticks in my mind. I don’t really wish I wrote it but it’s awesome and deserves to be viewed for anyone that missed it. I have always loved the lighting work of Zack Arias and he had a very though provoking post last year, you just have to check it out for yourself…
Dope, Soap and Hope

Most helpful post – Here are a few posts that get good traffic and feedback are:

Free Lightroom Presets
Using brushes in Lightroom
iPad review for photography

Most popular post – What started out as just surfing the net one night looking for some really amazing long exposure images turned into a collection of photos that people really loved. Even though this was posted last year the traffic on this one post stands out from the rest.
10 Great examples of long exposure photography

A post that you wish more people had read – I love shooting at night and always get some creative shots with off camera light at nighttime during a wedding. There are always tons of questions people have about setting up lighting off camera so I have written a few articles about this. This one didn’t get much traffic but I still like the article, so its alright
Night photography at weddings

Thanks again everyone for your comments, input and feedback along the way. I am looking forward to contributing many more great articles and information about an art that we all love and hope that we can all continue to inspire each other!

– Mark

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Drumroll please….. The winner of our last photo contest for the best family portrait is, “So happy together” by Virginia Page Photography! Congrats Virginia! You are the winner of a 30 page 10×10 Hard Cover photo book from Black River Imaging!

There were a ton of great shots, you can check out all of the images here: Your Best Family Portrait Photo Contest. And since there were so many great shots I wanted to pick out and share my favorite (and give some reasons why I think it’s deserving) and some other honorable mentions.

When judging an image there are so many things I look for but some of the top things are; composition, lighting, expression and creativity. Here are a few other great images that were entered in the contest that I wanted to acknowledge. My top pick is from Kelli Bramble with Sprout Photography http://sprout-photo.com/blog. Although there are a few things with the composition I would like to change overall I think this is a great moment captured and for a family portrait really shows something about the portrait. I am always big on adding personal elements from my clients into the shoot, I have always believed that a great portrait isn’t just a reflection of what the person looks like but also tells a story about this time in their life. That is where this image really does well, it tells a great story about this young family. I also love the colors (look at the color of the flower in her hair and how close that is to the background). I kept going back to this shot and think it’s a great moment captured. And my small critique on composition is that I would like to see just a sliver more of the dads face. Not his entire face but just a small sliver more to see a little bit of his expression. Move the camera to the right a little and maybe a little bit higher so the arm of the guitar isn’t in the way of the baby as much and I think that would help. Great image Kelli, I also have a gift certificate for you from Black River Imaging.

The perfect moment. This one comes from blue-skyphotography.com. With the expression of the dog, the baby and the little girl this is one of those moments that you can never create if you try. But if you are ready when it happens, these moments can make the best photos. Just priceless. I like the tone of the image, its very muted so you focus more on the expressions than the overall color of the scene. In this type of an environment there can be a lot of distractions so making the image black and white or a muted tone like this can help you to keep the focus on the subjects rather than some of the busyness of the environment. The cropping also works well to cut out some of the unnecessary background distractions.

I had to add this one here just for the fun and creative factor. This image was from Shannon L. Diaz – www.GDPhotographyCT.com It got a great laugh out of me when I first saw it and is a wonderfully creative collage of a family. Although the lighting is flat on them it actually very much mimics the lighting on the shot from the TV show.

Thanks to everyone who entered, look out for another contest coming up soon!

This post is sponsored by Collages.net

Voting has started for our latest contest. This time we asked you to show us your best family portrait and we got some great submissions. Now is the time to vote for your favorite image, you can only vote for 1 shot so choose wisely. Also I ask that everyone goes through all of the images and takes a minute to think about why you are choosing that particular image. You can actually learn a lot by slowing down and thinking about what you really like about the shot. Does the composition really draw you in and engage you? Is the lighting spectacular and adds to the feel of the shot? You can learn so much by analyzing other peoples work.

Also to help you get an insight to what the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) uses when judging print competitions here are the 12 elements that the Photographic Exhibitions Committee (PEC) of the PPA provides as guidelines to print-competition entrants. Based on fundamental precepts for judging a photograph or other piece of fine art, these guidelines are meant simply to give entrants a basic understanding of what constitutes a good image.

It’s all about the art and vision not the tools

In yesterdays post I somewhat jokingly compared the canon 5d to the iPhone 4 camera. I say somewhat jokingly because when it really comes down to it the tools that we use to get a shot really isn’t the most important part about creating the image. I know a lot of our articles about shooting technique might cover a good amount of technical detail about the gear and process to get the final image but I have always believed that VISION is the most important part of getting the shot. Going to art school the main focus was about the concept and most projects I think I put in 80% of the time into the concept and then only 20% into the execution. You first have to have the creative vision before thinking about your gear and without vision gear is really useless. Many times at weddings I see guests with better cameras than I have, but there is a reason why my clients hired me instead of their friends… They hire me because of my artistic vision. The vision that each and every one of us bring to a shoot is totally unique. Just like we have unique fingerprints we also have a unique eye and bring our own experiences to a shoot.

If you have been thinking thoughts lately like “I really need to get that new markII to help my photography” or “wow that 1.4 lens would really help me get better portraits”, I challenge you to stop thinking about the gear for awhile and focus on your vision. Before your next shoot visualize the shoot and every minute detail, sketch it out on a sketchbook first and focus on your creative ideas before worrying about any gear.

And if you still think gear is totally important check out this video. I would say that this video is far better than anything i could create with professional equipment, models, makeup,etc… And it was shot and edited on an iPhone! Amazing and huge kudos to the creator!

“Apple of My Eye” – an iPhone 4 film – UPDATE: Behind the scenes footage included from Michael Koerbel on Vimeo.

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OK, I know the title of this post sounds a little crazy. How can a camera phone come anywhere near the amazing Canon 5D DSLR? I was doing a lot of testing of the iPhone 4 camera over the weekend and comparing it against the last model of the iPhone. It is a very solid upgrade in quality of the camera and it got me thinking, with the improving technology of point and shoot cameras how far behind are they really when compared to a DSLR. When will wedding photographers move from DSLR cameras to point and shoots? As technology continues to shape Photography I am sure we will see some very different Professional cameras coming out over the next 10 years. Here is a look at the iPhone 4 and how it holds up against a Canon 5d. The first image is the 5d and second is the iPhone 4, click on the images to see the full view (the Canon shot though has been sized down to the size of the iPhone 4 file)

Also view a comparison of the iPhone 4 camera vs the iPhone 3Gs here: iPhone camera comparison

Also here are some cropped details views of the images:
5d crop

iPhone 4 crop

Not bad huh? Although I was somewhat joking that we will see iPhone 4’s as the camera of choice for pros, I do see change happening with technology at the forefront of this change. Just as medium format has turned into somewhat of a novelty item over the past 20 years I think DSLR cameras will also be replaced one day. What do you see the pro camera of the future looking like? Drop us a comment below.

Also a full review of the iPhone 4 camera with photos comparing it to the 3Gs coming up soon.

This post is brought to you by AppEzzy – iPhone and iPad apps for photographers

Based on our last poll it looks like the largest majority of our readers (although by a small percent) photograph Family Portraits. So with all of you amazing family portrait artists out there lets see your best shot! The winner will get a 30 page 10×10 Hard Cover photo book from Black River Imaging! These press printed books are a great way to showcase your images and with their ordering software you can design your own book or use their pre-made layouts. A perfect gift to create a family portrait for one of your clients (or use it for yourself).

To enter just upload your image below (max size 600×400) by Friday July 2nd. Make sure to enter your website address or name in the Caption so we know who you are!
NOTE: Once you click submit the image does need to be approved and may take a few hours, just click the submit button once we will get your entry online soon.

After the 2nd we will leave all of the images in the gallery for one more week to give everyone time to cast your vote, you have until Friday July 9th at 5:00pm PST to vote on your favorite image. The winner will get a 30 page 10×10 Hard Cover photo book from Black River Imaging. You also get bragging rights as having the best family portrait on Digital Photo Buzz, so get your best image out and lets see it!

This is sponsored by Black River Imaging. They offer many great products for professional photographers from Contemporary wedding albums, guest books and press printed products. For more information on everything they can create for you check out their website at: http://www.blackriverimaging.com/

Contest Terms:
Anyone can enter 1 image.

For every photo you enter, you must:
own the copyright. the photo can not have won or been runner-up in a previous competition on Digitalphotobuzz.com
You are allowed to enter photos you uploaded to DigitalPhotoBuzz.com before, even if they haven’t been featured.
By entering your photo, you’re also giving DigitalPhotoBuzz.com a non-transferable, non-revocable right to feature it on our website. You will still own the copyright, and full credit will be given to you for the photo.

This week instead of our normal Digital Photo Buzz contest we are teaming up with National Geographic and Energizer batteries, who are hosting an amazing contest to be able to win a trip to Greece! They also are throwing in a Canon Selphy printer to one Digital Photo Buzz reader. To enter their contest check out all of the details here: National Geographic Ultimate Photo Contest . And to enter to win the Canon Selphy printer it’s even easier just leave us a comment at the bottom of the page and one random reader will win!

The 3rd Annual Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest is happening now! Send in your best photos-in categories like Animals/Wildlife, Travel, and Weather-for a chance to win a National Geographic Expeditions trip for two to Greece and a feature in an upcoming issue of National Geographic magazine.

Prizes supplied are by Energizer and National Geographic.

You can also win this Canon printer by leaving a comment below. (Canon Selphy ES30 Compact Photo Printer (White) )Just let us know one thing you love about National Geographic and one random comment will win.

There little printers are actually very handy. I have had one similar to it that I use a lot to quickly print out a 4×6 postcard and sent it to a client after a shoot as a thank you. At weddings I have also used these to print out a few quick images to give to the bride and groom as thank you gifts. They are portable, quick and print a decent print.

Looking for a good way to start off your monday morning? How about some free actions! Check out a list of some great free actions that I have collected.

Actions can be a great way to save time in Photoshop. While I always end up still doing some additional changes to each image, having an action can get you pretty close to what you want for the end result and help to save you time. Also if you are looking for some Lightroom presets check out this list here: Free Lightroom Presets. Here are some actions we have found that will give your photos an artistic look to them all for free, click on the image to go to the download site.

Vintage Action

Image Punch

One-Click WOW

Lomography

Cool and Classic

Sarah Action

Actions21

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