What old ideas would you like to see reintroduced in the photography world ?

John Bragg

John Bragg

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So what do you think was a great idea from the past that has no modern equivalent and should be rolled out again ? How about a truely interchangeable lens mount like the Tamron Adaptall 2 ? This time round with autofocus options and electronic coupling ? Any other brain waves ?
 
People standing still and staring expressionlessly at the camera without moving for 2 minutes. That way I might finally get a sharp photo.
 
The idea that a photograph is a valuable thing. That concept has largely vanished in the modern western world. Only in historical clips of film or old images taken in the streets do people stand still and observe, trusting the good intentions of the photographer. In modern times, only cultures that aren't dominated by internet, smartphones and computers exhibit the human condition as it used to be.

Images nowadays are either taken in a very hapsnap manner (posed, V sign fingers, duck faces, you name it) or greeted with a large amount of mistrust concerning intentions of the photographer.
 
A slide projector - and then getting the neighbours around to show them your safari slides! Ok, maybe not the neighbours, but growing up in the 70’s, I loved drawing the curtains and seeing a slide show!
 
Spluff said:
A slide projector - and then getting the neighbours around to show them your safari slides! Ok, maybe not the neighbours, but growing up in the 70’s, I loved drawing the curtains and seeing a slide show!
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The whole street could enjoy the slide show in reverse by looking at the white sheet used as a projection screen in the living room front window :D
 
johannielscom said:
The idea that a photograph is a valuable thing.
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Bingo! The idea of quality over output. It used to be said that the difference between professional and amateur photographers was that professionals had large wastebaskets.
New film camera? The problems there are many. In a 35mm SLR for instance, if you ask 100 photographers what essential features it must have and you would get 110 answers.
My own particular hang ups are ‘it must have interchangeable screens and adjustable diopter eyepiece.’ To someone else that may not even be on the list. And adding too many features, the Swiss Army knife approach, is what is ruining digital cameras.
 
Since no one has mentioned it yet. Paper....with the exact characteristics & quality of the Guillemot & Boespflug Cie "Brilliant," Forte Polywarmtone & Fortezo.
 
Polaroid style Positive / Negative film in 4x5” sheets … I don’t care who makes it, but I’m sorry I missed the boat on this one. It would be a perfect solution for me right now.
 
jsrockit said:
Polaroid style Positive / Negative film in 4x5” sheets … I don’t care who makes it, but I’m sorry I missed the boat on this one. It would be a perfect solution for me right now.
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That's a great idea. Especially in B/W Type 55. I still have a brand new holder that sadly has never seen film.
 
Ilford once offered 72-exposure rolls of 35 mm film using thinner film base: That's an neat idea if you got a camera that's gentle on the film.
 
Peter’s slow exposure portrait. Only I’m serious. 16mm posts 9s exposure portraits in the Gallery here. With my Leica II, minimum speed 1/20 or B, I took some shots of my wife and son lasting 4s. The engagement in making such a photograph and their participation in needing to be still produced something very different. It adds something hard to specify but it is noticeable, and more to someone who didn’t know how it was made.
 
I forgot to agree (whole-heartedly) with Johan above.

Most of us here fall into the philosophy that each photograph is a deliberate and valuable thing (simultaneously verb and noun); Or some semblance of that concept (I'm aware that we may bracket, or make multiple images to ensure desired exposure and/or composition).

This perspective is almost certainly a consequence of using film as our [only] medium for much of our "careers". Apologies to those who are young, this can certainly apply to you as well if film has been your choice.

I know I'm not articulating my point very well, but I also know that most of you feel this "sense" as well.

No going back. I'm in a small and shrinking category but perfectly happy here.
 
Johan and rfaspen, well said! I like to think that the future will look upon us with gratitude for caring about our image-making, and for making those images in a medium that is relatively permanent. Those in the future may not engage with our pictures with the same intent with which we make them, but they will look at them with appreciation that they were made with thought, care, and deliberation. And they might think and care about us in the process. Perfectly happy here, as well!
 
One thing I'd like to see return is the notion that someone using a camera isn't necessarily a terrorist or paedophile or other sort of criminal.
 
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