'I started on film to understand photography; my professor wouldn't let us touch digital unless we understood what aperture meant, to wind the dial with our own hands. I found my late 60's Minolta in an antique shop for $20 in 2018. The light meter does not work. At all. I don't think there's a chance of fixing her. Instead of mesmerizing what settings worked in which light, or using an app on my phone, I'm nearly blind, feeling which way to turn the dials by muscle memory. Most of the photos are unfortunate, but by some miracle I've never had a blank roll with this camera- the lucky bastard in me. The most crystal clear, magnificently vibrant photos, have been from guess work with my handy wee Minolta. After several years, fixing her would be breaking her.
I commandeered my Ricoh from a family member that was just going to toss her. While not a Leica, the Ricoh's of the 80's really packed a punch for having decent glass, and being quite reliable. Sears used to be the gold standard of 'sturdy' for anything they made. Although, as an 80's analog camera, she's just technologically sophisticated enough to be a problem. She needs batteries, and the batteries are essential for the magnet to hold down the central mirror. Meaning if batteries ever go away, my dear sweet Ricoh is a goner. All art has a shelf-life though.
I would liked to think that I started with film before Gen Z swooped in and declared themselves the Indiana Jones of lost art forms. I feel a slight unease taking my cameras out in public. Another young 20-something with an old camera posting photos of random things on Instagram. The craze, the longer wait times for development, and the soaring prices for film almost made me consider a switch to digital. Almost. As wondrous as digital is, it made me too reliant on immediate results. Film forces me to slow down. It forces me to be two or three weeks late when posting on Instagram. Adventures last so much longer when you have to wait a while to see the proof.
*NOTE: it's called a sketchbook for a reason, process versus finished product and all that...
Continue below for a curated presentation of the sketchbook. OR Follow the link if you're here for the chaos.