Overheard a young photographer say film is 'easy mode' and it got me thinking

I was at a camera swap in Portland last Saturday and this kid maybe 20 years old tells his friend that shooting film is easy mode because you just let the camera figure everything out. I had to bite my tongue. I remember learning on a fully manual Pentax K1000. No light meter, no auto wind, nada. You had to guess the exposure and hope your math was right. I guess with modern film cameras that do have auto modes it might seem simpler. But I still think there is something to learning the hard way. Has anyone else noticed younger folks treating film like a shortcut instead of a craft?

2 comments

2 Comments

mark7311mo ago

Yeah that kid's in for a rude awakening when he drops $50 on three rolls of Portra.

simonmoore1mo ago

I wonder if that kid has ever paid to develop a roll of Portra 400 lately, one lab bill will change your mind real quick about film being easy. The cost per shot alone makes you slow down and think about every single frame before you press the button. I'd argue that digital is easier because you can take 500 pictures and just delete the bad ones without paying for the privilege.