Saying Goodbye To Film

There has been a great deal of discussion about the demise of film for taking photographic images. The reality is that digital photography reigns. Film cameras have been on the decline for some time. The film for these cameras is slowly facing an inevitable death. It has been suggested that we will no longer have the availability of film for still cameras in about ten years.

I have to admit that being an amateur photographer I rarely reach for my film cameras today. This is mostly due to the fact the digital is more convenient and it does an adquate job of capturing the image. Today, I have a couple of digital cameras that will perform almost any task that I have a need for. Years ago, as a photo hobbyist, I attempted to reproduce the kind of work created by the great American and European photographers of the 20th century. Today, I am no longer inspired to create great works of art. I am proud of my digital images. They are quick, convenient and easily manipulated.

I think one the saddest parts about filmless photography is that most of the images taken today are not printed on paper. With the rise of use of cell phone pictures most pictures are captured for just short term viewing and in many instances deleted.

I will always enjoy viewing the work of the great photographers that have mastered gelatin silver prints like Robert Frank, Edward Steichen, Walker Evans and Edward Weston. I may still have some Kodachrome hidden away in my closet. Perhaps it’s time to say goodbye to a good old friend.


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