Perseverance is usually key in photography

Perseverance can be key in photography.

When technology gives us such great tools to quickly make images, it can be difficult to challenge ourselves. I will be the first to admit that digital cameras improve learning by providing instant feedback, but rather than really understanding what happened during exposure, the general move is to make minor adjustments in the moment, and then move on. This kind of action prevents photographers from becoming more deliberate designers and makers of our images.

In my photography program we are going back to square one; learning the techniques of old. Despite all the advances, photography is the same art - understanding light and how sensitive materials record it as an image. I am using a 4x5 view camera right now. The thing is gigantic and slow. There is no internal meter, especially not a through the lens system. Let's not even talk about auto focus. My classmates and I even had to invest a bit more money in getting a hand-held light meter (Sekonic) for use, specifically for this (but also for studio work later). Also, the viewfinder is a sheet of ground glass on which the image is projected upside-down and is viewed under a  black tarp. All these obstacles.. Since we've gotten lazy.

So this comes to my point - Why would anyone use this camera? (besides the stupendous quality in detail of the photographs produced AND the fact that you look totally B.A.)

Here are a few upsides from my endeavors that might make you think about how you take photos:

Upside-down, an image becomes abstracted from that of an everyday scene. I find I can begin to focus on design elements and make the scene really striking.

It's hardly spray-and-pray tactics, when you realize that the cost of shooting just one sheet-film negative is about $1.50. And you can only have so many film holders loaded, and on your person.

When you have to really understand the metering process, you gain so much control and insight into how cameras work.

I can't expect everyone one to have access to these types of materials (that's why I enrolled in the program; to make my photography that much extra) but I think everyone who is dedicated to this craft can take something away from understanding how limitations in technology make you flex your real photographic muscle.. your brain.

All this being said, we are in fact human. It's humbling to take photos with this monstrosity, lug it around for a day, only to find that you messed up by having the film loaded improperly, or even grabbing the wrong film holder (the one you shot on turned out to be empty). These may not be mistakes that have a hard or complicated solution - They're hit or miss - pass or fail. Something as simple as organization and care can be the difference between "yay images," or a big headache. But boy, when things are this hard, you really have an appreciation for the small things in technology, and how you can really push these electronic cameras and control them completely.

In the end learning is like water travelling on a slope - You keep going and going despite setbacks and sporadic results, until eventually you have carved a path in the hillside.