Over the next few years I learned how to get my film out of its canister and into the developing reel while sitting in a pitch-black cubicle. The smell of developer became acceptable and I experienced great joy watching my photo magically appear under the glow of red lights. I would spend hours in the darkroom composing and exposing my negatives, watching the timer as the paper swam in a warm bath of developer, then the stop bath followed by the rinse.
After University I continued to take pictures, investing thousands of dollars in developing fees. It was always a surprise to get back those envelopes thick with 4×6 prints from a roll of 36 exposures. There was always a lot of snaps, but everyone and while there was magic. A photo that just perfectly captured a moment, a feeling, the look on someone’s face.
The digital era broke in like a thief, stealing thousands of dollars from my bank account. But it just fueled my joy of taking pictures. I haven’t done the math, but I’m pretty sure I was able to recoup the cost of that Nikon 5700 within the first year of owning it.
That camera almost lasted the entire year we traveled. Had I not taken it out on a windy sand-blown beach in New Zealand and jammed the lens with sand I’m pretty sure it would still be sitting on a shelf ready to take some pictures.
At the end of the day its not about the camera, or the technology. It never has been, no matter what the marketing tells us. The camera is about mystery, emotion and magic. The magic moment captured in a fraction of second(s) that only exists in our memory and on the film or digital media.
Here’s to the magic!
Peter