Don't be afraid to try something old...

187/365 and SPT: Don't be afraid to try something old...
Originally uploaded by Way Ahead Photography

My shiny Spotmatic film SLR arrived the other day in the First Class post.

It is a wonderful machine, built in 1964, and entirely mechanical in operation, it almost feels alive in your hands, unlike its cold, lifeless digital counterparts.

When you wind the film and press the shutter, the feeling is akin to that of using a bolt action, "Old West" rifle... you feel... MANLY!

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a Luddite, I was in IT for 15 years! And I love my EOS, and it's earnt me a good wage so far, and I couldn't practically justify always shooting film, for all the portraiture and commercial work I do. People want digital images these days, not 10x8s...

But sometimes in the ever-advancing quest for speed, performance and perfection, we lose sight of things that are beautiful, meaningful and profound.

There is something very magical about shooting on a camera where you can't see straightaway if you got the shot or not, or fire off six shots a second. You start focussing less on the camera, and more on what's going on in front of it - you start to FEEL and PREDICT the shots rather than just think them...

Or as a wise man once put it:

"To take photographs means to recognize–simultaneously and within a fraction of a second–both the fact itself and the rigorous organization of visually perceived forms that give it meaning. It is putting one’s head, one’s eye, and one’s heart on the same axis."

Somehow it seems easier to achieve this with an old SLR... funny that!

This shot taken in the style of my fave 60s tog, who didn't just "try" cameras like this for fun - he didn't have any choice!

Strings To The Bow

I'm a freelance photographer. So by my reckoning I need to be doing "a bit of everything". Which suits me just fine - my character is such that my wife believes strongly that I have ADHD...

This last week I've been flexing my "fashion shoot" muscles. I advertised for some models, pointing out my style, which I think is quite individual, and has been brought about by the rock photography I do so much of.

The response was very pleasing - 30 applications to work with me. So far I've worked with a couple of lovely models - really nice people as well as having a great look. And I had a blast.

One thing I'm learning fast is that ability can only get so you far. Personality is really important if you want to stand out from the crowd. The models I am choosing to work with are the ones who are funny, friendly, and pleasant people. Looks aren't everything, even in photography and fashion!

One of my heroes, David Bailey, was known for his huge charm and personality, backed up by a tremendous talent behind the camera. He was, I imagine, amazing to work with - which is why people flocked to use him.

In this game, I really believe nice guys can win....!!!