Film photography, a good business in the future ?

[OldCrow]

But Kodak's most recent paper factories were in Brazil (Fox News, 2005, Kodak to Stop Making Black-and-White Paper). How does the U.S. EPA regulate Brazil? Sure seems like economic forces and Kodak's "digital company" strategy at work.

There are world wide environmental protection agencies that have a hand in the protection of the natural resources in every country. The EPA also sets prices and standards on the important and exporting of materials they deemed unsafe into and out of countries.

Its not just the US involved here.

[Michael E]

Are you trying to say that digital contains the same scope of skills needed to obtain an outstanding image as film does? Would you claim that any of the younger "photographers" that work in digital have the same overall understanding of the elemental workings of the photographic medium?

From my perspective: Yes. And yes. To take an outstanding digital image, you need just as much technical and artistic skill as with film. You need to know about composition, perspective, light, depth of field, whatever. You need to know about tonal range, contrast, curves, tweaks, dodging, burning, color casts and color saturation. You need to know about shortcuts and why to avoid them. In many ways digital technoly gives a lot more control over the process.

If you compare film and digital, please stay in the same ball park. Compare a digital p+s to a 35mm p+s, compare a Canon EOS 5D to a EOS 3, or a Nikon D700 to a Nikon F100.

I happen to know quite a few real photographers who are young enough to have missed film completely, and who I respect very much for their skill and their understanding of the medium photography. I love shooting film as much as anybody here, but being able to take an image on a sheet of film instead of a sensor is no value in itself. People used to take just as many crappy photos when they still wasted film to do it.

Your analysis of Kirk's customers was correct: People book a photographer for his skills, his experience, his vision, his results. They don't care about his camera. Digital capture is just a way to skip the scanning process (which is a pain in the back). In my business I don't sell prints, I sell publishing rights. Digital technology has so many advantages in everyday life.

This thread is not about the superiority of film or digital. It is about the possibility of making money by offering a niche product. It's about finding customers who are willing to pay (extra) for a photographer who uses film. There are enough photographers who can offer this - how many clients care?

Michael

[Jack Dahlgren]

The advantage which digital has is simply that it is easier on account of less skills needed to produce a quality image. The technology is creating a world of "photographers" that have no understanding of how to compose a well framed shot. There is almost no understanding of how lenses function, and DOF any longer.

I fail to see how changing the material on which the image is captured makes an impact on the understanding of how to compose a well framed shot. Painters work with composition all the time, and they don't use film. Is there something special about having a piece of silicon near you that is somewhat like kryptonite on your ability to compose?

I'd argue the converse - the ability to immediately review the composition - how well the three dimensional view translated to a two dimensional image - has enabled photographers to get better at composition faster.

[Greg Lockrey]

I fail to see how changing the material on which the image is captured makes an impact on the understanding of how to compose a well framed shot. Painters work with composition all the time, and they don't use film. Is there something special about having a piece of silicon near you that is somewhat like kryptonite on your ability to compose?

I'd argue the converse - the ability to immediately review the composition - how well the three dimensional view translated to a two dimensional image - has enabled photographers to get better at composition faster.

Dittoes.... I shot 4x5 for over 40 years and know the limitations of all mediums. What is tolerated in color with film would never be in digital. Those who think shooting digital is easier haven't a clue to the process or to it's potential. When a critic of digital says "it's easier" what they are really saying is "it's better".