Digital Cameras were invented. What? What am I talking about? Okay, let me explain. You see, I needed a class to take. I really wanted to take Photography (I should have paid more attention to my dad who is a Professional Photographer and was the State Forensic Photographer, up until he retired. He taught the cops/highway patrol how to shoot pictures and develop them - but no, I get to pay hundreds of dollars for my class when I could have learned for free....nice).
In the beginning I was not going to take this class, but it was only when I went to buy my books - two days before school started - that I saw how big one of my books were - Introduction to English Literature. Seriously, when I signed up for this class I asked Brent what he thought this class would be. What I wanted was a class that I could take online and this class filled that bill, and besides, I had had the teacher for another English class and I liked her. But honestly, the book was huge!!!!! Kind of like some of the medical books one would use if they were going into the medical profession. But no this was an English book and I just did not have time for this book. Besides that, the font appeared to be an eight point font - that is small - or my eyes are already going bad, so bad that I may need the magnifying glasses. I really think it is the first though, small font. Small font and huge book do not make for a good combination.
What did I do? I put the book back, walk up to the computer, log in, go to the register screen and drop my Into. to Literature class. Yay for me!!!! One problem now, I need another class to satisfy that student loan that says I am going full time. Crap. My sister, Holly, who is buying her books as well says maybe I should take Photography with her. Problem there, I cannot take any of the night classes because I already have one night class - not that that is a problem, the photography class was filled, and I really do not want to be gone all week morning to night. So I am looking for a class to take, preferably one that I can take online. But the thing that was awful about this is now I am paying for two classes that would not help fulfil my end result - going toward my elementary education.
Well, the Saturday class of Photography has an opening. I guess I will take it. Every Saturday from 9am to 2:30pm. Really, do you think I will be in class the entire day or do you think he would send us out to go shoot photos? Nope, we are in class the ENTIRE day!!!!
So, not entirely knowing what to expect I buy my supplies, because I had now registered for this class. In the bag there is film. FILM. Black and white film. Not only that, there is paper to develop your pictures on. Well, I thought, this might be fun. I have not shot on a film camera for many years, and I have never developed my own photos.
First day of class we are told that we need an SLR 35mm camera. Do I have one of those? No. So my brother loans me his. Thanks Doug! Do I know how to work it? No.
I am not good. My first roll of film was way under exposed because I thought I was smarter than the camera. HA - not quite. Out of a 36 exposure roll, I have about 12 photos on there. My next roll, not too bad, some are over exposed though, some are a little bit blurry, some are, well, lets just say it didn't turn out quite as I expected.
I find myself wanting to look at the back of the camera as well to see what that shot looks like, but it is not there. I have to remind myself that this is a film camera, not digital.
So, today in class we had a lab day. Developing film and photos. I had my negatives developed and so I was just going to print the pictures. I had decided I was going to use a photo of Madi sitting at my harp playing it (the first assignment is hands). So I get the negative set up, focused, and centered. Cut my test strips, lay it out on the enlarger and now I expose one section, slide my gray board and expose another section of the strip and repeat this one more time. Take the test strip to the developer, it sits there for two minutes. After the developer it goes into the stop for one minute. From the stop over to the fixer for four minutes, from fixer to the water bath for two minutes, then place photo in tray, walk out to the light examine the photo, decide what part of the test strip has good exposure - which is too dark/light, and then repeat with another test strip until desired color is achieved. This can go on several times. Many times. Over and over again. Finally print the picture. One edge is too light - paper white. Not what we want. Burn that edge (photography term for exposing that edge to light longer). Repeat the step of developing to water bath again (the final step after examining photo is a water bath for ten minutes). I repeated this step many times today. Four hours to print one photo. So much for leaving early and it being an easy day. Oh, and I forgot to say, I went through at least, AT LEAST, 15 pages of paper on one picture. 15!!!! Crazy!!!! Oh well, I guess that is why I am learning.
So you know what I am going to do on Tuesday? I am bringing my dad with me to the darkroom to help me. I do not think it is cheating - only extra help. I can use all the expertise I can get, and maybe this time I will pay attention to him.
But seriously, this is going to be very expensive, fun, but expensive. It was fun to finally have a photo turn out just right, as well as exciting to see four hours of work finally pay off. But honestly - I think I will do most of my shooting on a digital. Quick and easy.
But I guess being able to take the picture, develop the negative, develop the picture can be very rewarding in the end.
Now to figure out how not to waste so much paper and time on one picture. Any suggestions?
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