OLD PRACTICE x NEW AESTHETICS

Cluttered with papers, pencils, odd objects and books, two rolls of 35mm film roll out from under a pile of coloured paper and Catalyst magazines. I’m reminded of two things. 1.) Return and thank my co-worker for lending me all three seasons of Game of Thrones during semester break, and 2.) Get the roll of film in my camera developed that’s been accumulating over the last few months.

When people see or hear that I shoot with film from time to time they either become way too excited or raise an eyebrow. Generally, it’s those who are interested in photography that show their unwavering interest in the expensive ritual. I started shooting film when I was about 10-years-old on a Canon Sure Shot 80 Tele point and shoot, to which I’m still using often (as the glass is high quality). Recently though I started back up again and I temporarily adopted a Pentax ME Super. If you have shot with a manual film camera, you will understand it’s no digital walk through the park; you have to consider practically everything and it’s painfully thrilling.

Funnily enough, Adrian has recently posted about the release of a new Super 8 camera, touching briefly on nostalgia and aficionado within new/old media convergence. This convergence is what I adore, especially within art, sound and video productions. There’s a lot of sensitivity around these practices; reliability, liberality, practicality and of course, aesthetics. It goes back to the quality and quantity affliction that I mused about earlier this evening; where mass quantity of quality productions will always be the poignant lovechild of a happy medium. Regardless of your aesthetic choices or personal opinions, digital and analog will always have their strengths and weaknesses, they just have to be celebrated more on a collaborative level.

 

 

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