How digital/the iPhone stole the joy of photography.

I got my first good camera way back in the ’70s. I’ve talked about it a little bit before. I loved that camera, and when it was stolen, replaced it with another.

These cameras (heck, going back a few years to my teal green Instamatic) all had two things in common: Film and chemistry.

You could pop a roll of film into the back, take 24 or 36 exposures, and then take the film to someone who would develop and print it or, if you were ambitious, you could develop and print your own photographs. Less expensive, but hardly free.

In short, there was a process to getting your photos. It was costly (think $5-$10 to process and print a 24-3exposure color roll) and it was limiting (when I traveled in Europe in the ’80s, a large part of my backpack was occupied by about 30 rolls of black and white film).

Now, combine expensive and limiting. You have 36 shots in your camera, and you know that it’s going to cost you something to develop and print each one. You also know that getting the shot in focus is all on you, as is getting the exposure right. So you’re not going to blow a lot of film without thought.

Cameras were also pretty expensive, at least good ones were. So the whole deal meant that being a photographer was in some ways pretty special.

This is no longer the case. Photography is no longer special because everyone has a phone in their pocket and can take any number of free exposures (hundreds) without worrying about consumables, and they can see the photos that their digital camera/iphone produces instantly.

I’m reminded of something:

We are all now “photographers,” in the sense that we have cameras and can use them. But is anyone a photographer anymore?

I’m not going back to chemical film. I don’t have the space for a darkroom, and I don’t have the money for the chemicals (even if Rodinal was still to be had).

But I miss it. And so many other things…