I Can See it For You Wholesale

I like film. In fact, I love film. And lately, I shoot more film than digital. But it seems like a lot of folks are investing film with an absurd mystical machismo, as though by shooting film you can reclaim your freaking manhood, or something.

It’s not a vision quest, it’s not a magic wand. It’s just a tool. Just use it.

Here’s an example — not even a prime offender, just something that popped up in my google reader:

THE ZEN OF FILM vs. DIGITAL GRATIFICATION « doug menuez 2.0: go fast, don’t crash

BTW: I’m not opposed to mysticism in photography; I’m a Minor White fan, after all. But the mysticism belongs to the relationship between the photographer and the subject and the viewer — not the damn gear.

I have three quick responses to Miguel Garcia-Guzman’s post on Blake Fitch and a quick trip to her site:

1. Fitch’s site is one of the worst examples of bloated flash interface I’ve ever encountered.
2. Garcia-Guzman describes Fitch’s work as “Simple but interesting images full of life that look spontaneous and fresh. Images that convey the significance of casual moments.” I disagree. They look to me like images from a clothing catalog. As though Fitch’s first name were not “Blake” but “Abercrombie &”
3. Fitch says: “My focus has been on my youngest sister and cousin. I hope to have captured the simple moments in her search for her own identity as it becomes publicly displayed.” This gives me some of my internet acquaintances would refer to as douchechills. What a horrible thing to want to do to someone.

I’m sure I’m missing the point. I will try to return to this at a later date and attempt a deeper understanding.

Blake Fitch | [EV +/-] Exposure Compensation.

Note:

This is the start of a series of rapid-fire reflections on posts in the photo-blogo-sphere-o-thing. These are not necessarily reasoned responses, they certainly aren’t carefully edited, and they definitely aren’t based on full knowledge of the subject. Thus: “Snap Judgment.” I nonetheless want to do this as a way to force myself to read and think about posts that I’m otherwise all too likely to star in google reader and then forget all about.

Please feel free to correct erroneous assumptions on I may make. And know that I don’t intend to offend.