I got into photography in the 1980s. I was poor. Whatever money I had, I put into hardware, rather than film, paper, lab time, etc. This is typical me: I like guns more than shooting; I like cars more than driving.
I bought ridiculous things, such as a $900 Nikon 80-200 f/2.8 zoom. I captured one pretty great shot, thanks to this lens (it's hanging above the chair in which I'm writing this post), but no more. I'm not sure that one shot was worth $900.
My development as a photographer was stunted by a lack of funds, which translates to a lack of gumption. The Great Artiste would have shot and developed and shot and printed regardless of financial constraints. Film is as cheap as credit.
I've been thinking a lot lately about buying a Nikon F3, the nonpareil of 1980s cameras. They've finally come down in price to the point where they are semi-affordable (maybe $250 for an F3HP with the legendary MD-4 motor drive). What I've realized, after shooting a lot recently with my little Canon pocket camera, is that the digital revolution delivers what my imagination was dreaming of in the 1980s with the F3/MD-4 combo. The idea of the six-frames-per-second MD-4 coupled to the F3, is that the photographer would have the freedom to shoot 36 frames of anything and capture, at best, that one beautiful moment.
That's not how it worked out... except, kinda it is.
Now I see a scene that holds promise and start shooting, and shoot until I get the image I want. Here's an example that played out in our side yard this evening. I really like the final image, but would never have gotten there without the freedom afforded by digital.
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| This might get interesting... |
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| I like how the light illuminates the spray, but this is not a good picture. |
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| There's potential here..... Maybe. |
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| Kinda boring. |
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| Closer... |
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| Nah... |
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| Wait a minute!! |
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| Eureka!!! |
