Is the obsession with analogue gearing an obstacle to art?

[Jim Noel]

There is very little that can be done digitally that wasn't done first analog. A couple of exceptions are highly undesirable as far as I am concerned: Over sharpening and over saturation of color.

[Kiwi7475]

There is very little that can be done digitally that wasn't done first analog. A couple of exceptions are highly undesirable as far as I am concerned: Over sharpening and over saturation of color.

I wouldn’t say very little. Extreme macro photography (requiring eg focus stacking, etc) and sport journalism (requiring very fast shutter speeds) are just two examples, but there’s many other.

I get your point and I agree for the most but there are certainly many domains where digital is better suited. There’s plenty where that’s not the case but we shouldn’t exaggerate.

[Tin Can]

My biggest first thrill was seeing paper become magic

I still love it, under safelight, gentle waters

slowly image appears

as if from a puddle at night

[otto.f]

Every obsession is an obstacle to 'art', if you mean creativity by that. But analogue is analogue and digital is digital and never the twin should meet. If I choose for analogue I visualize a silver-print on fiber based paper. I do sometimes scan a negative to discover what went right and wrong, but in principle not to bring it to a public. To show my analogue work on screens I prefer a scan of a baryta print above a scanned negative.
The digital workflow OP describes is just a different way of creativity. But in both workflows it is not very benificial to be fixated on the result only, one has to enjoy the 'making of' too, so that unexpected things can come up during the process. Whether that is in post, or during the take is not that relevant.

[Daniel Casper Lohenstein]

Shoot with whatever you want and let the images speak for themselves. No one other than another photographer cares about your process.

Yes!

[GoodOldNorm]

Making time to do photography is my biggest obstical, I have far too many hobbies and interests on top of daily life.
I do enjoy making negatives and prints, for me it's a lovely way to create my own unique little bit of something.

[jnantz]

It seems to me time and time again worrying about what other people are doing instead of the photographer doing what they want is always and obstacle, maybe the biggest obstacle to making art.
(added later) and the obsession with "perfection" when perfection doesn't exist.

[linhofbiker]

Many many years ago after setting up the 4x5 and creating the shot that was exactly what I wanted seeing it on the ground glass. Then having to put in a film holder with E6 film and waiting for the end result to be available I thought about an alternative: why can't the image on the ground glass be turned into a digital image directly. I had a scanner that had a bar that travelled across the image, so why can't this technology be improved upon. Something built into the camera back that creates a digital image directly from what is seen on the ground glass. Now this is for color where the image is a "record" of the view. Not B/W where the photographer has complete license to produce an image to his/her liking of a representation of the scene, either thru exposure and/or print manipulation. In the ideal world the color image could also be used for the "creative" B/W image desired by the photographer. I think this was my thinking in the last century. Today I have an old Sony A99II that sort of does what I want, but I miss the big ground glass image and the ability to control the plane of focus and the part of the image circle that represents the image I am seeking.

[Serge S]

Art comes from working within restrictions.

So true! Art is selectivity - and their are multiple ways to do that

[Serge S]

Love this
I also don't care for the term "analog photography"

What is "analog photography''? Sounds like a demeaning expression coined by some minimum wage geeks in a consumer electronics store. Every time someone runs into me with a big camera and tripod set up, and asks me if I still do film photography, I simply reply, "Is there any other kind?" They sheepishly respond, "Well, uh, digital" ... Then I reply back, "Never heard of it". They get it, as they slink off with a smartphone in hand.