Film Cameras

    After the interview, I could breath again and we visited some of the parliament buildings nearby before nearly missing our train. Marion had an old film camera of her families which we used to take photos with. We asked a few people to take photos of us with it and it was rather amusing to see their reactions to the old style camera. Everyone automatically looked down at the screen to see the photo which, of course, they couldn't. 

   I have all of a sudden been inspired by old style cameras. I remember when our family had film cameras, and how each photo was taken carefully considering weather it was worth using up shots, and how exciting it was when the developed photos came back from the chemist and we would see how they had turned out. Then came along digital cameras which are so much better in so many ways. More convenient, faster, and you can take a hundred photos of one thing, delete them all, then take a hundred more within an hour.

    But lately I have become sick of the speed of modern day life. There is so much information and images flying around and bombarding from every side that I just want to press pause and put the world into slow motion just to get a chance to look around me and see things in my own time. That's why I value sketches so much, because it takes time, it takes skill and the artist has really looked at the subject, considered it and interpreted it. A film camera has a little bit more of this feeling about it than a digital one. While I was looking through the view finder at Marion and the parliament buildings beyond I had a feeling that I was capturing a memory, as I would in a sketch. It felt like it had more worth than a digital image. There is more thought and time put into one film photograph, and no instant gratification to see the image. I don't know quite why I like it so much, but those good old film cameras have got me hooked and whenever I go traveling I shall have one at my side!