Mixing Analog With Digital
I was born in the 1960s, a time when the internet, a 24-hour news cycle, and digital music were mere concepts. Growing up, I was surrounded by newspapers, vinyl records, and cassettes, and libraries were my go-to places for information. The news broadcasted only a few times a day, ending at 11:30 p.m., and there were only nine channels on television.
In middle school, I learned to type, and I continued using a typewriter for all my papers in high school and the early part of my college years. I kept a daily paper diary, where I recorded my childhood angst and emotions. While I acknowledge the convenience and accessibility of the modern digital world, I also miss the simplicity of my early life. The feel of pen on paper, the tranquility of reading a hard copy newspaper, working with a film camera and the quiet that followed the end of the television broadcast, when only a snowy screen remained, forcing me to turn it off, are all things I cherish. Out of all of those, journaling and film photography are two things I will never give up again.
I fell into the rabbit hole of Travelers Notebooks. I did a quick search on YouTube on journaling and discovered an entire world of content. I’ve always had small notebooks, Field Notes, Moleskine etc. but never formalized how I would use them. I’ve settled on a Moleskine Daily Planner and a Travelers Passport notebook. The Moleskine Planner is used to record my day, what I accomplished, how I was feeling. As I get older my mortality is more on my mind. I think of what I want to leave behind. Memories are the most important but I also want something my kids can read to understand my thoughts, cares and worries. The Travelers Passport Notebook I use for recording my settings of my film camera, my creative ideas or just a fun sketch. I take it everywhere and write in it often. I know how I use these will morph over time but putting pen to paper seems right. I know it feels right.
Film photography is my other analog passion. This has always been my passion, starting in the 70’s, with a little break in the early 2000’s and then continuing on after 2015. I also enjoy the tactile experience of handling a roll of film, winding the camera after each shot, and the simplicity of adjusting only a few settings: ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. The joy of developing a roll of film, sorting through the images to find the best ones, and the fact that I can still do this, thanks to the resurgence of analog technology. This has allowed me to incorporate these experiences back into my life. . I watch film photographers on YouTube, of all ages. Loving that this joy has continued on through the generations.
So when someone asks me why I still shoot film, I share that it is for the love of it and the place it holds in my past. I tell them that there is joy in the continued practice of something that I learned many decades ago. The act of picking up a film camera, winding each frame and the sound of the shutter click brings me joy!