By Wendy Wei Digital cameras seem to be all the fad these days - with the media hype up of new releases such as the Sony A9 mirrorless full frame camera and the Canon 5D Mark IV. I admit I'm not completely innocent myself - often getting caught up browsing the web for hours looking for the next thousand dollar lens to add to my collection. Although there is no denial that owning a shiny new gadget with a price tag of a few good pay checks will certainly help you get a leg up technically by a adding a few megapixels, higher shutter speed and light sensitivity (also known as ISO), I still proudly stand behind the statement that it's not about the camera, but about the photographer behind it. Just like how owning a paintbrush doesn't make you Van Gogh, there is more to photography than just the tool that is used. A camera is just another vehicle for the person operating it to capture whatever beauty it is that they see in front of them however they feel is relevant. Often forgotten is the fact that some of the best photographers in the world shoot with some of the most odd cameras. Ren Hang for example, shot on the Minolta X-700. World renowned fashion photographer Annie Leibovitz' favourite camera was the Fujifilm X100. A few months ago, I was able to get my hands on the Yashica Electro 35 rangefinder. Although my 6D will always have my hear, here are some reasons why I think everyone should still shoot with a 35mm film camera if they can: 1. It builds up your fundamental skills Getting started with a digital camera can be intimidating with so many buttons and settings to choose from. Oftentimes those who start off digital cheat their way into the craft and never really end up building the basic composition and lighting techniques in the first place with the help of Auto mode. Stripping away the fancy features on my aperture Yashica allowed me to really focus on creating an imagine rather than just pressing a button. 2. It makes you think After the initial investment of a digital camera, there is basically no other costs associated to get you started taking photos. Because of this, it is easy to get into the habit of just pushing a shutter and hoping for the best without really thinking of your shot. Hey, it's not costing you anything right? You can always delete it after! With only 24 exposures per roll, each roll costing about $6 not to mention developing costs, film can get really expensive really fast. The up side of this is that being aware of the cost forces you to really think and carefully compose each and every shot to make sure nothing goest to waste. 3. The anticipation of waiting to see your shots Without an auto preview feature, it takes an average of 2-3 weeks for me to finish off a roll of film (given that it's not for a project and just casual use). By the time I manage to submit my finished roll to the camera store and have them develop it, I usually don't see the photos I took until a month later. I can't explain the excitement that comes with finally picking up your prints from the store and rushing to the nearest coffee shop to open it up. The more I shoot with my 35mm, the more I learn to appreciate the art and timelessness of the camera and the works I can create with it. Here are some samples of my latest roll of film: Let's get in touch!Instagram: @wendyhwei (personal)
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