I have a question about your photos. I'm fairly new to photography and I recently got a ae-1 program and I'm curious as to how you get the digital at such a good quality? I know some places do it for a fee but they sometimes have restrictions on their resolutions etc. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! -Jose
congrats on your ae-1 program. I remember when I picked that camera up and I must say, it's definitely the camera i recommend to everyone who is just starting in 35mm film photography. as far as getting your film scanned, i let The Dark Room handle all of my film developing and scans. They give you resolution options; standard $11 (good for 3x5 prints and most of web-use), enhanced $15 (good for prints up to 11x14) and super $20 (good for large format printing). I honestly just stick with standard scans since most of my use for my film photos are for my blog and small prints. the good thing is that if i ever do decide that i want higher resolution scans or to print large format, i have the developed film in hand to do so. I have uploaded 2 photos to show you the difference between standard v. enhanced but the choice in film also has a lot to do with the quality.
(how often do you travel/explore?)
every chance i get! i've learned throughout the years that planning to travel always has some lag to it and sometimes, it's procrastinated and doesn't even happen. so all that talk about doing this and doing that, going here and going there, you end up not doing anything and not going anywhere because some people just don't follow through. for me, i try to get out as much as possible. i made it a habit. if i go one week without going out and explore, i feel like i'm about to explode. when people think of travel, they automatically think of hopping on a plane and soaring through the clouds. ot even. you can hop on your bike and ride a couple miles and find a spot to explore, and that to me is still considered traveling. i always hear people complain about not having anywhere to go and shoot in their city or whatever, but thats bullshit. you can live in a farm out in the middle of nowhere and i am sure you can still capture some amazing things out there. it's really not that hard. get a couple of friends, pitch in a couple bucks for gas, and take an aimless drive out somewhere and make frequent stops where you think you can find something interesting to photograph and document. there really is no excuse. as of late, i have been going out almost every week. as should you.
keep the questions coming y'all.
(what camera equipment do you use?)
99% of all my shots are taken with a canon 5DM2 paired with a canon 24L. so this is probably the most common question i've gotten in my inbox from the curious minds. and i think it's the go to question people tend to ask when they see a good photo but that doesn't mean if you go out and buy the same exact camera with the same exact lens that you will be able to take the same exact shot. i mean, in literal terms, yes you can. but the whole point is that it's never the equipment you use. this is so cliche to say this but it doesn't matter what camera or lens you use. i can honestly go out and buy an entry level dslr and rock a cheap manual wide angle lens that i picked up at the flea market and still be able to knock out a photo shown below. to be a good photographer doesn't mean to have the most expensive shit. you have to have an eye for it. a taste in composition and visual expression and interpretation. a photo is supposed to mean something to the person that took the photo. it should be able to evoke mood.
a photographer is simply a writer,
a camera is simply a pen,
a photograph is simply a story.
if you see things in this perspective, you are one step closer into being a better creative. i see a lot of these beginners going out and copping $3000 cameras with a $2000 glass but they put out some mediocre photos. i mean if you got that much money laying around then hell yea, but it just goes to show that just cause you have expensive ass gear, it don't mean that you can put out some killer shots. photography is a skill set that's learned through experience. countless hours of experimenting different techniques. i am no pro and will never consider myself as a professional photographer. i take photos cause i like doing this shit. so for everyone who has asked me advice on what camera to pick up.. just pick up whatever camera is in your budget and master the fuck out of it until you come to the point where you realize you need to upgrade to a better camera. don't force yourself to not have enough money to feed yourself because you wanted to get a baller ass camera... keep yourself fed. start from a comfortable standing and work your way up. best of luck to you all.
keep the questions coming y'all.
