Quitting photography

[Krzys]

I just got back from New Zealand last week and made some contact sheets of the 8 rolls I shot while traveling. My enlarger then proceeded to blow its bulb and two other replacements. My dad is an electrician so it should be a simple fix but he is in Gove for the next few weeks and I am out of bulbs. I have no freakin idea what is wrong but I assume too much power is going to the bulb.

I liked backpacking so much that I am working (farms, fruit picking) my way up the coast of Queensland..seeing friends in Darwin and then flying back over to New Zealand (I am a citizen after all) to work...starting next week in Caboolture. The prints will have to wait.

Here are (terrible) scans of the interesting photos on my New Zealand contact sheets.

Ugly eh?...dirty contact printer...the negatives are lovely.

So the Leica wont be coming with me this time..perhaps I will pick up a Ricoh GR digital II for happy snapping friends. God are the monochrome results from that thing ugly...I am too used to tonally rich negatives and reasonable dynamic range. For now I will focus on writing and drawing.

If anyone in Australia wants my remaining film stocks (12 Tri-x & 5 Efke 100) for a silly cheap price then do ask. 🙂

 

[Keith]

What's wrong with just shooting the film and developing it when you can?

 

[Krzys]

I rarely travel with electronic devices or anything of value so it was just too weird and stressful traveling with an expensive camera and film to keep safe. I know I'll have a lot more fun not worrying about such things.

I've been here. Don't quit. Just put the camera down and take a break. Don't force it. Eventually it will come back to you. Maybe not tomorrow, the next week, or month. But, eventually you will come back to it.

I want to photograph a lot of things..but I know its smarter not to give myself a backlog which I wont have the time for.

 

[jonmanjiro]

so.... this is a way to list an ad at rff without having to pay for it?

 

[Krzys]

Not entirely. If you think I'm a crook then I'll remove it.

 

[FrozenInTime]

Is there a 110/220v selector on the transformer that's accidentally been flicked ?

It would be a great shame not to print those negs.

 

[Krzys]

Is there a 110/220v selector on the transformer that's accidentally been flicked ?

It would be a great shame not to print those negs.

Everything is performing correctly except those two wires which lead into the bulb. I'd check them with a meter of sorts (I have no idea what it is called) but its up in Gove. The transformer just has an On/Off and fuse. Just annoyed because I ruined two bulbs taken out of a friend's enlargers.

 

[rbiemer]

Based on what you've written here and what you've shown us, I don't see any reason to quit photography.
Except that it seems like photography is not much fun for you right now. Which is absolutely reason enough, I think.
But perhaps a "time out" rather than "I'm done."
Rob

 

[Krzys]

To me photography has always been an excuse for not focusing on drawing. From what I've read I think HCB though the same thing. I still love photography. I will probably come back in a year with an M6 and 35cron...until then I know I'll benefit from a break while traveling. I just want to print everything before I go and there is no time or working enlarger. Blah!

Just so everybody knows, this thread was mainly to share my contact sheet photos than to bitch. 😀 Rodinal & Tri-x is tasty.

 

[btgc]

Based on what you've written here and what you've shown us, I don't see any reason to quit photography.

exactly. Statement about digital Ricoh translaets rather "I'm adding compact digital" or like that. That contradicts with "I quit photography".

 

[Krzys]

Its just for snappy photos of myself and friends. If I tried to do anything serious with it then I would puke and buy a Nikon F off ebay. Photography to me is the art of shooting film and making prints...that is what I am giving up.

 

[Rick Waldroup]

Its just for snappy photos of myself and friends. If I tried to do anything serious with it then I would puke and buy a Nikon F off ebay. Photography to me is the art of shooting film and making prints...that is what I am giving up.

Oh, please, quit the digital bashing and go read a book or something.

 

[FrozenInTime]

I rarely travel with electronic devices or anything of value so it was just too weird and stressful traveling with an expensive camera and film to keep safe. I know I'll have a lot more fun not worrying about such things.

It's certainly one of those headaches when traveling.
Last year I was backpacking around South Island and noticed something that I not seen on previous trips.
There were so many fellow travelers now carrying laptops as well as digital cameras and ipods.
So many bulky expensive things to look after 24 hours a day.

I had a M6, three lenses and a GRD-II. It was inconvenient always having to carry a bag - even when cooking dinner of having a shower etc.
No backpackers ( hostels ) seem have any lockers and you can't trust others sharing the rooms to lock the doors or not to take things ( not that that's happened ).

It's not much better when traveling for work. Many hotels don't have lock boxes in the rooms.
The safe trays in the reception are not normally big enough to hold a laptop let alone a bag of cameras and lenses.

I can see why just carrying the pocket sized Ricoh would be liberating.
But keep the Leica for those other times nearer to home.

 

[al1966]

What about an old 1970's fixed lens rangefinder that is cheep and c41 black and white film stock. You could get the lab to scan at the same time, although the films may not satisfy the way that traditional black and white films do but it will be better than digital.

 

[Brian Legge]

Well, I have a plethora of cheaper fixed lens rangefinders... easy to carry them around without being too paranoid. I'll trade a pair for the Leica. 😉

 

[btgc]

What about an old 1970's fixed lens rangefinder that is cheep and c41 black and white film stock.

Agreed, just improve recipe by choosing scale focus model - even better from perspective of easiness - no temptation to use RF. When I travel, I take small scale focuser for B/W and little AF P&S for occasional color shots.

 

[Krzys]

FrozenInTime, I totally agree.

al1966, for me that is a big step down for a result that I am not passionate about or really interested in. I may as well just continue with the Leica and home darkroom if I go to that effort.

 

[Dave Jenkins]

Cartier-Bresson was one of the all-time great photographers, but a very mediocre painter.

 

[Krzys]

Haha 🙂 But which did he find most fun.

 

[Soothsayerman]

Thats why I have both

Thats why I have both

That's why I have both digital and film cameras. When I get frustrated with one, I put it down and take up the other. 😉