Honestly, I like the process/journey as much or more than the outcome/destination. I recently read a bit about a photographer from the area where I grew up,
Russell Cothren. He made an interesting assessment of his work that I think resonates with many of us here.
“You look and see a picture. I look and see a memory… As an artist, my muse is about exploring my land and its people,” says Cothren. “My photographs are postcards of the experience.” For me, the process is as much a part of the experience and memory as is the subject.
(1) No bats
(2) Unique quality of pictures
(3) User control
(4) A myriad of alternatives
(5) They're cheap
(6) No plastic
(7) I like shooting cameras that are at least my age
(8) And ahh shucks ~ I just like lookin' at the little rascals!
I think the fact that I’m fifty pretty well explains a lot of it. But from many age groups, I’m seeing more kindred spirits here. When bass boats got bigger and faster with sonar and GPS - I bought a fly rod and went lookin’ for a creek. When multi-cylinder plastic Japanese crotch-rocket motorcycles flooded the streets – I bought a Norton. When rock turned to disco I bought country. When country turned to rock I bought bluegrass.
I refuse to eat with those danged little plastic spoons with teeth and don’t even try to serve me coffee in a Styrofoam anything. I want a heavy mug. I drink Starbucks with friends, but use Folgers at home. I prefer to dine at eateries where waitresses bring real plates to your table; I don’t like standing at a trough waiting for my paper feedbag. I like Coke from a glass bottle, old books and my Bible has a leather cover – not “pleather.” I guess the further down the road I get, the more I want to slow down, look around and enjoy the journey.
Yep, I shoot 35mm RFs because, like I tell my granddaughters, “I’m fifty and like being fifty and acting fifty. Deal with it.”
