Getting my Feet Wet (Literally)

(click on the image to enlarge)

"Untitled" (Milwaukee River/ 06-17-2012) 

© Flavio Martín Morante_2012

I still remember the first black and white picture I took back on 1998. I wrote already about it long ago on how I compared that to a first real love, a moment I won't forget. I remember the date, the moment and even I can tell how cold it was that day. Ironically I cannot remember when I did take my first digital picture. Go figure. Anyway, yesterday I actually took my first picture using large format film negative (until now I was doing step by step on paper negatives and positives but not film), using Ilford FP4 125, and it feels like one of those days that will stick with me. The river was cold but nice, peaceful, in silence, and that's what drags me to it because at this time in life or age, that's all I am asking for. I did not do many photographs (actually only 6 pictures during the whole morning), and I know that I will have to wait few weeks before I can really put myself to process the film, but it will be a nice wait.

I been reading a lot about tray processing, something Ansel Adams was all for it, and considering the high price and low quality of developing tanks (and I need 3), tray processing will be. Still, with so much going on these next 2 weeks, I will wait until I slow down before going into dark hours.

Recently talking with Dawn about all this years with a camera, and I have to say that after around 6 years doing digital, I can really tell the difference (personal) on the whole process and how I do approach it. Do not get me wrong, I do not have anything against digital pictures, all the color prints I have been selling are digitally captured and I love some of them a lot. Still, since I started to work on the whole "pinhole thing" a different feeling falls over me every time I load a film holder into "the box". Maybe is the notion that I do not have a complete control of things, which scares but fulfills too, and maybe admitting that goes beyond photography and that is what it makes me feel more alive. Maybe is that I am not looking at the screen right after each picture, but I am looking a the whole picture in front of me so I can decide if is good or not, and then I make the capture. It can be something intangible or just my imagination, but in any case it feels good, and I guess that is the good thing about it.

(click on the image to enlarge)

"Untitled" (Milwaukee River/ 06-17-2012) 

© Flavio Martín Morante_2012