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- Shapes and Abstractions: #10 Scaffolding

photographs - abstractions

Scaffolding. 40mm @ f/5.6 – Tri-X Pan, ISO 320

This Image Is Available For Purchase At RedBubble.

I was a shameless gear head for a very long time. I shot nothing but digital, carried lots of lenses, flash equipment, battery packs, etc, etc.

I started to get bored with my work after awhile. I really didn’t feel anything toward the photographs I was making. The whole process had become an excercise in technical ability, nothing more.

By chance I came across an old Leica M4-P and decided to give it a shot. I borrowed a 40mm lens from a friend, for which there are no bright lines in a Leica rangefinder. I hit the street for an afternoon. The fourth frame on the roll was this photograph of scaffolding in late afternoon light.

It was the first roll of film, and the first good photograph I had made in probably 6 years. Within a month I had traded all my digital gear for rangefinders and went back to film. Everything felt right again. It was the best thing I ever did for my work.

I don’t think everyone should go out, sell their gear and shoot film. I do believe that we should all shoot what we feel comfortable with. The camera is a tool. I had to learn that the expensive way.

Posted April 27th, 2007

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