I shot these this week, on both film and digital. These are from the digital captures.
The 4x5 transparencies look amazing, like little jewels. But what a pain-in-the-ass. I've haven't shot film much, only dabbled really, and this is the first time I've shot 4x5. It is: expensive, time-consuming, stressful. No wonder everyone is a photographer, post-digital.
I shot this one on film as well as digital to answer this little gremlin in my head. When I shoot stuff, this little gremlin always whispers "This'd look better on film.", so I put it to the test. I borrowed a view camera, Hunter donated some 4x5 film, I picked up some Fuji instant film, and got to work.
Digital went first, so I could noodle around without burning $3.50 a sheet for the Fujiroids. Once I got the digital, I switched to film. So aggravating, double-checking and triple-checking everything (focus, composition, shutter, f-stop, swings and tilts, strobes, dust, pulse-rate, biorhythms, etc), but the image on the ground glass is a little bit magical. And the polaroid, too.
And then the dropoff at the lab - and the nagging feeling that I'd forgotten something, for the rest of the day. But then, picking up the film and looking at the slides, little gems, and then the loupe, the startling detail and clarity...The gremlin is right.
