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December 5, 2011

An experiment in pushing film

It's been quite some time since I've shot a roll of film and actually developed it.  I literally have hundreds of undeveloped photos just waiting to surprise me, but in this oh so cheap and easy digital age, the poor things just keep getting put off.

When I first looked at the photos from my latest roll of actual film (and color at that!), I was so disappointed in myself.  I would scold myself, thinking, "What happened!  Some look like I'm not even wearing my glasses!  What is wrong with me?  I use a film camera and suddenly forget how to focus a lens?"  Then I would reason, "Well that tends to happen when you're shooting without a flash, at nighttime, and you're drunk to boot."  
"Well they're too grainy."
"You pushed the film, of course they're grainy! I thought that's what you'd wanted!"
"Well some are too light.  Some are too dark!"
"Pay more attention to your settings before you take the shot instead of just adjusting the picture after you've already taken a shot.  Digital has ruined you."
"Well the colors are weird."
"Again, you pushed the film, they were bound to be a little over saturated.  I think it's nice."
"Oh yeah? What would you know?"
"Have you forgotten that you're talking to yourself again?"
"Kinda."
...and so on and so forth.

Now, 4 months later, my inner dialogue has evolved as such:
"I love these colors!  They're so rich!"
"Yeah, I know, I tried to tell you that before but you wouldn't stop pouting"
"I love the grain!  It makes everything feel so... edgy!"
"Edgy?  What does that even mean?  We don't use that word.  Don't ever use that word."
"I even love the out of focus ones!"
"You cried about them 4 months ago you lunatic"
"I LOVE FILM!"
"You're impossible."
(And, yes, these are my genuine thought patterns.)

Anywho, here are my favorites of the roll, hopefully you enjoy.












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