Slowing down

[simonankor]

I went out on the town for a few drinks tonight with a couple of my closest friends. As we sat in the corner of a noisy club, drinking our mojitos, one of my friends asked me about why I'm so keen on cycling.

After a fair amount of discussion we came to the conclusion that life runs too fast, at least typical city life does. Sometimes we come to realise this and as a result we consciously and intentionally slow down and start rejecting "convenience technology". Now, I'm not going to give up my usual mod cons, but things like a car... well, for the most part I can live without it.

This approach turns out to be very refreshing in a lot of ways - I've started seeing the world differently since I gave up driving for most of the time. A couple of my friends and I are looking at doing long cycling tours just 'cause we can.

How is this relevant? I used the cycling thing as a method of explaining why I keep using old cameras... Why I refuse zooms, auto-exposure, autofocus and the like these days. Why my DSLR sits on a dusty shelf and my all-manual rangefinders are always out with me.

Sorry 'bout the long ramble, it's the mojito talking :angel:

Anyone else got any thoughts on this? Anyone else sick of running to keep up with the rats?

 

[nikon_sam]

I like the old slow technique of cycling and photography. But I must also say that I do own a fairly decent bicycle and a Nikon F4e. When it comes to shooting with the Nikon, I see that camera more as a tool and workhorse rather than an implement for art. Don't get me wrong...You can and I do get great shots with it, that's not where I'm going.
I find that the older Nikon F2, Yashica Mat 124 TLR and an old Olympus 35-S Rangefinder that I have, are viewed and used differently by me. I see them as a way for creating art.
People will come up to me and ask if I've gone Digital yet...I say "No!! Not yet"...knowing that someday I may own one.
Then I show them one of the older cameras that I have and explain why I use it. Showing them photos from one of them also goes a long way in explaining why new and faster technology isn't always best.
I have had opportunities to see original Ansel Adam's B&W prints propably taken back in the early 40's and 50's, they still and will always look fantastic. Were these photos taken with the Cutting Edge of Technology of Today?...No!
With the older cameras, you the photographer have to do all the thinking...with the auto everything camera you'll most likely let the camera do it for you.
I like slowing down, thinking and seeing when I shoot...you can see the difference in the final print.

No "mojito" talking here...just my heart...