Although photography has been around since the early 1800's, it wasn't until nearly 200 years later that photography as we know it started to take off and rapidly grew into what it is today. It's undeniable that photography has changed more in the past 25 years than it had in any time period before. This sudden and rapid evolution can be attributed to one aspect, technology and it doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

Think about the first time you took a picture of something...

If, like myself, you are a member of the millennial generation, chances are your first photograph was recorded onto a strip of 35mm film that had to be developed at the local drugstore before you could see the picture, share it with your friends and family and eventually store it away with the 23 other prints from that roll in a drawer somewhere or if you were really good, maybe you organized them in an album.

Fast forward to today and technology makes that process sound archaic. With the invention of digital sensors, memory cards and LCD displays, most everybody has a camera within feet of them at any given time. Add to that the internet and a picture can be taken, processed and shared with the world in a matter of seconds.

...The art of photography is changing.

I don't want to sound like I am against digital photography or that I think it wrong to buy a digital camera versus a film camera because that is not the case at all. In fact, I haven't use a roll of film in close to 10 years for any of my work. It is definitely more convenient to be able to load up a couple memory cards and a couple of batteries and be fine to take 2000 or more pictures on a single trip into Glacier National Park. But because of that, the cost of taking a picture is now essentially zero and this is where the art of photography is changing. 

When I was shooting with film, I was limited to 24-ish shutter clicks before either I was done with the shoot or if I had more rolls of film, I would need to switch rolls. Since rolls of film aren't re-usable and each roll had a fixed cost, each time the shutter opened required more thought, preparation and setting checking to make sure that it wasn't wasted. Compare that to now and when I show up somewhere I take a couple of pictures just to make sure all my settings are how I want.

But that is just the beginning of the differences. The closest most of us get to developing our work is by clicking the "Develop" icon in Lightroom CC. No more darkrooms, chemicals, timers or enlargers. That was the old art behind photography. The ability to expose just right and use filters and techniques for different effects to create the photograph that was originally imagined. The same things that now take less than 30 minutes in most cases used to take hours or even days of trial, error, correction and trial again to get just right.

It was this process that I believe helped to develop my appreciation for the art of photography. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to learn in a darkroom the different aspects of photography before going digital. Sometimes I will still take out my film SLR and shoot a roll of film to keep myself humble and you should too. You can easily pick up the chemicals and accessories to develop right in your bathroom at home.

Take away some of the conveniences of digital...

Just because you have a digital camera doesn't mean you can't feel some of the pressures of film photography. Just take away some of the conveniences of digital photography. It is probably easier than you might think. If you don't have access to a film camera, here are a few ideas to hold you to some of the constraints of film photography:

1. Limit the number of times you push the shutter-  ou don't have to limit yourself to 24 shots to get this effect. Many of us don't carry around a light meter or color cards anymore because our cameras have screens to see how the sensor is picking up light. But if you are the kind of person who takes 1000 pictures in a day, limit yourself to 250 or 100 and see how it changes your thought process before clicking the shutter.
2. Cover up the LCD Screen- There was no such thing as checking out the picture you just took before the invention of digital sensors. To the effect of film, don't look at the picture while on the camera. Although some cameras have the ability to shut off the picture preview, covering the back of the camera can do the same trick.
3. Get out of "Auto" Mode- Using auto mode uses a lot of technology in the camera to pick the right settings for what the camera believes is in the photograph. Although some film cameras were getting advanced before digital took off, many weren't as advanced as todays Auto modes. Switching to "Aperture Priority" or "Shutter Priority" will challenge you a little bit more. If you're feeling like you have this all figured out, switch to "Manual" to control all aspects of the photograph. If you're unsure about exposure, use the light meter built into the camera to help you out.
4. Lock your ISO- ISO is the sensitivity of your sensor to light. This can over expose or under expose your picture if you aren't paying attention to it. One convenience of digital photography is the ability to flip a dial and change the sensitivity to fit the situation, but with film this wasn't possible. Lock your ISO before starting to take pictures and you'll have to compensate with either the shutter speed or aperture to get just the right exposure.
5. Print Your Photos- Many photo centers have kiosks where you can take your memory card, place it in the computer and send the pictures straight to the printer on site. Do this before making any changes to see how you did shooting without the conveniences of digital.

Going Forward

Adapting to new technologies is something we have to do in just about every industry and photography is no exception. However, forgetting where photography was is not. If we don't teach the techniques and requirements of film photography alongside digital, the next generation won't know anything about film. If you haven't shot film before, I challenge you to try it. Grab some black and white film and get a used camera from someone selling online. Go out and shoot and see how it all turns out. Although you may be surprised about the challenges, I guarantee that you'll appreciate the art of photography.