Lately I've been using my Olympus OM-PC film camera for family outings and when I take my older son out for adventures. The camera is half the size of my Canon 7D digital and I'm just really enjoying it. For some reason the old Olympus seems to never expose the photos incorrectly. With my Canon, the only way I know the photo will be correctly exposed is if I am shooting with all manual control. One thing I need to get better at with the Olympus is the focusing - it is manual focus and that is a challenge when taking photos of people!
Another huge benefit of using film for family photos is that you get the images in multiple forms when processed - print, disk and of course, negatives. Good thing to keep in mind as you always want to have back-ups of your photos...
I'm also really liking the colour tones and look of the film photos. When I picked up my last batch from London Drugs for processing the lady there said "These are really good. Are you a professional?" That got me thinking - If I can get good photos from my film camera, is it possible to use it for some of my work and not just for play?
I know my digital camera blows away the film camera in terms of absolute resolution and sharpness but to be honest, I quite regularly have to soften my digital images to get them the way I like. Sometimes you don't want the most detail possible and the mood of the photo is more important.
A benefit I am realizing from using the film camera, which is passing over to how I use my digital, is to really think out the photo before pressing the trigger. With film, every photo costs money. With digital it is not so and as a result one can take a whole pile of photos to only come away with a few "keepers". Going through all those digital photos and editing them takes time. And when you're busy and you have a family, time is a very valuable commodity!
So I am needing some input here. Does one care if the photos are taken with a film or digital camera? Does the look of film appeal to anyone? I need to know before I spend too much time mulling this over in my mind!
Just something to point out - none of these photos had any touch-ups or post processing. Just straight from the camera so you can see what film photos really look like.
Please send me your comments and thoughts on this topic. Thanks!
Your photos are incredible! i love the film!
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