Film as made me become a better photographer, in 1 week - because I have a vested interest. Each click is $1.25 in the end. I become more deliberate, intensive, and reflective of everything I shoot.

I’m using the Nikon F100 and a D 24-120mm lens. It can outshoot me, yet it can’t run itself - that’s the rub.

This was Ilford’s Delta 3200 shot at 1600 - and going from what I read up on this film stock, many say it’s really a 1600 speed - and from seeing the various examples online I took the cue and decided to stay at 1600. For some reason I can’t take Kodak’s Tri-X seriously. Maybe because I shot so much of it in High-School and it never did me any favors. But that’s a personal problem I guess.

Why Film ?

That’s the Jedi Mind Trick - Shooting film makes me feel like the skill is one of perishability - you either know what you are doing to get the shot or it vanishes to the shoulda, coulda, woulda.

The worst thing about film - I can’t confirm the result after the shutter fires.

The best thing about film - I don’t know yet, other than the boost to the psyche in thinking I’m somehow unique in the photographic space - which is nothing but trouble.

Film becomes a design constraint - give a designer all the choices in the world, and good luck getting a result - but give a designer limitations and you have a better chance at getting something great. Can the same be true in the photographic world - I don’t know ? ASA, and film stock are the limiters / aka the design constraints.

Where does this go ?

It keeps going until I get bored or I reach the law of diminishing returns for my efforts. And that may be a while - as I have a Yashica Mat 124 2-1/4” x 2-1/4’ in the mail for me to dig my teeth into.

Believe you me - this is going to be good.