Therapeutic Properties
“When I’m photographing with digital I’m thinking about the photographs I’ve made. When I’m photographing with film I’m thinking about the photographs I will make.” Jim Nachtwey said in a conversation with National Geographic’s Director of Photography David Griffin when they were discussing whether or not Mr. Nachtwey would photograph the story Military Medicine in digital or film.
The process of photography has been both my therapy and my disorder. Currently film has brought about rejuvenation in the therapeutic properties of the process. The agility and quickness of digital was revolutionary, but has taken away some visceral connection I once had with photography. One is not better than the other. One is only more applicable for one personality or application over another.
Film and digital have been playing tug of war in the minds of consumers and professionals alike. With the assistance of a market driven economy it’s inevitable that digital will win the war. A Wal-Mart employee told me the other day they are going completely film-free next month. No more film processing done in-house at Wal-Marts throughout the country. This comes as a shock to a small community that lost all of it’s camera stores due to the arrival of Wal-Mart in the first place. In a market of plenty there are few options.