I was reading through an interview with Clyde Butcher earlier and this quote stood out…
“Just a quick word about the new digital age & I have always believed that the art of photography is a technical art form. With every generation new technology comes into the field & better lenses, better paper, better cameras, etc & Now we have this new technology in the field of photography and it is not better or worse than traditional photography. It is just different.”
This is a very interesting perspective from someone whose career is built around shooting solely on large format film cameras.
I get very annoyed with the perception that film is somehow superior to digital. Yes, film does have its merits. Film is capable of obtaining much finer detail and higher resolution than even the best available digital cameras. However, unless you are enlarging to a massive size this amount of resolution is really just going to waste.
Digital, on the other hand, has its merits as well. Besides the obvious benefits of instant feedback there are some other major advantages over shooting film. To me one of the biggest advantages is the exposure adjustment capabilities of digital. With a “raw” file you can obtain an amazing amount of contrast and dynamic range, especially with multiple bracketed shots.
Before digital SLR cameras were affordable I used to shoot film. In fact, I still have my film camera. Will I be dusting it off anytime soon? Not likely.
The truth about the different technologies of photography is they are all just a means to an end. If your final product looks amazing does it really matter the technological route that was taken to achieve it?
As Clyde said, “…it is not better or worse… It is just different.”
