Film doesn't make an image special

[@jessesenko]

I'm a little bummed I haven't received any shoe cam comments yet. Tough crowd!

[@zakforce2572]

Makes me think of the old joke about putting mirrors on the toes of your shoes

[@petercofrancesco9812]

I'm only interested in women feet pics. Sorry.

[@art_means_artificial]

I hate all those /diots who think they are MEGA ARTIST with film hahahha. NICK KNIGHT! TIM WALKER make images with digital PHASE ONE! thats POWER

[@PeterbFree]

I just understood, very funny 😂

[@dungbeetle.]

Yeah, see, no one wants to admit they know what it's for. But I'm not worried - it's to check for rust spots under vehicles, right?

[@colbyjackmac2840]

duuude...the "is film just a really expensive instagram filter," was a crazy line that's going to keep me up for days

[@sageoblouk6782]

My biggest takeaway from this video

[@whateverrandomnumber]

Funny how film shooters these days only shoot colour and send it to a lab for development. Film is much, MUCH MORE then that. Film is developing it yourself (the creative process only works properly for B&W, I know. For colour, you're just removing fidelity when you deviate from the standard process). It's expanding or contracting the tonality curve. It's choosing a film for it's spectral sensitivity and adjusting it even more through colour filters. It's about knowing what you want with such certainty that you plan for the result with the choice of every component of the process: the film, the chemistry, the agitation technique, and so on. Colour film shooters are not film shooters. They are just hipsters wasting money on really expensive Instagram filters and have no opinion on what film shooting is about.

[@LeoMkII]

Did you seriously need sum dude to tell you that? It doesn't make it any less cool though

[@enochristmann1919]

yess this was good

[@theowlfromduolingo7982]

​@@whateverrandomnumber My God, what an arrogant comment

[@HenryDonahueCreative]

I think all of us need to be reminded from time to time that it’s not about the camera, it’s about the photographer. Always appreciative of how thoughtful your content is, Jesse.

[@jessesenko]

Thanks, Henry!

[@art_means_artificial]

@jessesenko I hate all those /diots who think they are MEGA ARTIST with film hahahha. NICK KNIGHT! TIM WALKER make images with digital PHASE ONE! thats POWER

[@caleidoo]

The photographer? No, it's about the image, the result. A photo is not special because someone famous made it. Random people can make great images and famous & praised people can deliver average or less than average images. I don't care who made the photo or what camera he or she used, if it looks great, it looks great. Social media destroyed this logic and self correcting system completely, because people now praise low quality material because they want to be friends with an influencer. Or because a stupid shot of a abandoned gas station was shot on Mamiya rz67. With a 1/4 pro-mist filter of course. Or because many others praise the influencer and they don't want to seem like an idiot - the one that does't get it. They also praise others so they get praised in return. The end result is thousands of people praising average or low quality art. No growth, nothing happens. Everything is amazing. And everyone doing the same thing to try and reach the same goal. Argumentative critique gets you somewhere, blind praise does not. Or don't expect critique and just do your own thing.

[@HenryDonahueCreative]

​@@caleidoo I was looking at it more from the perspective of the photographer's ability mattering more than the camera they use, but I really love your take on it. I agree, we praise mediocre work too much. Don't get me wrong, anyone who gets out there and tries their hand at photography gets a gold star from me, because I love seeing people getting into the art form, but praising mediocre work for being the best thing since sliced bread isn't healthy, and it tends to give people large egos. And I don't know about you, but I prefer an artist who's humble and has "only" decent art over an artist who makes fantastic art but thinks they're better than everyone else. Appreciate your insight!

[@davidbrancaleone3039]

​@@caleidooall true. One point I would like to make is when you choose the word "deliver". Everyone uses that word to: deliver a class, deliver a new law, deliver just about anything. Since we both appreciate Jesse's critical approach in his broadcasts, you might think about "delivery" and maybe agree (or maybe not) that we don't do "delivery". We "do" something better than that, something that distinguises us from people who think the film makes the shot. It takes more and delivery has nothing to do with it, in my opinion.

[@j.k5654]

Film will never make your images special if you are using film for a mediocre image. On the other hand, film has/gives a special look. It’s NOT a special wand 🪄 A pig with lipstick is still a pig.

[@nikoladimitrijevic8172]

But it's my pig and I love it, with lipstick even more so.

[@j.k5654]

@@nikoladimitrijevic8172 And that’s all that matters mate… your love for it.

[@swiftgaming665]

Most humble comment section 😂

[@urwholefamilydied]

you're assuming the "lipstick" is film and therefor makes photos better, even if it's not a great photo. I don't think that's a good analogy. The lipstick might be digital... to be honest, with filters I really don't know if there is a difference between film and digital. So there is no "lipstick".

[@47pricey]

I disagree. I think the difference between film and digital is you can take a photo of any thing with film and it looks interesting whereas with digital the shot itself needs to be interesting. Just my thoughts on it.

[@fanboy7202]

imo, it’s the experience which makes it more fun.

[@jessesenko]

I do love it!

[@chris_sparrows]

I've been told so many times my camera takes good pictures but until we have truly AI sentient cameras, my cameras don't press the shutter button.

[@jessesenko]

Woah Chris, your comment was so good! What kind of keyboard do you use??? :) as always, thanks for watching, Chris!

[@chris_sparrows]

@@jessesenko It's a digital keyboard on my phone, so, you know.

[@mrca2004]

A camera TAKES pictures. On a tripod, with the timer in full auto mine will take a sharp, well exposed image of what is in front of it. But a machine doesn't know what your are trying to express and use it 's tools accordingly any more than you keyboard knows what you want to say and can make literature without you. My keyboards have sat here for 25 years and have yet to produce a novel on their own.

[@chris_sparrows]

@@mrca2004 Fully agree, except it can't set the timer on its own.

[@POVwithRC]

Much the same way guns don't kill people. People do.

[@HayakuHayaku]

I’m dying, Picasso sponsored by squarespace is the best way you could make that point. Such a funny and effective line

[@hand.2]

i think film generally looks better than digital, especially unedited, but not enough to single-handedly make a photo good.

[@DoubleMonoLR]

What a digital photo looks like before editing is going to depend a lot on the settings in the camera. You could setup a custom preset and have a very different image on the camera.

[@wavelengthstudio]

4 mins in - I prefer the film shot! But not because it's on film - I just like the composition and the colours better. The best camera is the one you know, and the one that allows you to get the shot in your mind Everything else is for fun (which is a big part of film for me)

[@peterhovestad4654]

@@wavelengthstudio the best camera is the one you left home. Lol

[@ceci1017]

Same! I think it just works so much better with the framing and the warmth

[@riguyerickson]

And the KZbinrs that actually matter aren’t the ones talking technical details, they’re the ones talking about ideas. Love the videos keep it up 👍🏼

[@jessesenko]

Thanks Riley!

[@stewartanderson6433]

I appreciate how honest this guy is with his audience. He never puts anyone or anything down, but his approach to GAS and other phenomena has been immensely helpful to me as a professional starting out. Thank you, Jesse.

[@willjoseph9004]

i like the warmth

[@jessesenko]

Me too!

[@sonuvasteele2226]

I don't think film is better personally and I shoot mostly film. I like the way it looks and I like the operation of using the camera and the process of developing film at home. It's more of a creative process that I prefer. The photographer makes the images good. Not the camera or whether it's film or digital. I think it depends on what the photographer is comfortable with and there will be an audience for your work if you put it out there.

[@sword-and-shield]

As an artist, film may or may not make your image special. Concerning art, many times its the consumers making the determination of special, with some artist's not even needing that, because they create with what makes them feel special, and let the chips fall where they may with the consumers of the art.

[@mrca2004]

I liked what a fellow professional said... I don't care if they like it so long as they buy it.

[@johnmacaspac410]

I feel film really shines in direct flash, light low scenarios. It just looks nostalgic and magical.

[@jessesenko]

I have some leftover pack film which is just a joy with direct flash in an old Polaroid Land Camera that drags the shutter a bit... total magic.

[@SolidBlueBlocks]

You can also get that look digically

[@johnmacaspac410]

@@SolidBlueBlocks you could probably get close, just not the same.

[@phattyj811]

This is a really powerful message, thank you so much for sharing your views and perspective on creativity! I'm thrilled to have found your channel.

[@DavidBerglund]

Great photographer's see the image they want to make, find the place to stand, lens to use, the composition and wait, sometimes for a long time, for the right moment to take the shot. That's patience that you won't find in a lot of folks. Perhaps especially not among young people. But picking up a manual, fully mechanical film SLR is how you can practice to be in the moment and find that patience. It's a lovely thing and probably healthy. I recently brought a film rangefinder to a family vacation and it helped me be there and then and wait for the shot I had in mind. Yeah, sure I might have screwed up some shots and I accidentally destroyed a roll when I had failed to completely rewind. What was important was having a more wholesome, mindful time when freezing moments from a lovely time with my family

[@godsfilmmaker8863]

That was the best disclaimer on not letting your audience down I could imagine 😂 that’s some legit honesty

[@MrRoosterx]

Just discovered your channel, must say from what I've seen so far really like it. Like your humor and the way you present your videos. Great work :)

[@kraftpunk6654]

Cinematographer Steve Yedlin did an amazing deep dive on this, and this video confirms his thesis, that the look of the final image isn't dictated by the format it was shot on, but how that data was processed or the post pipeline it went through. And that the differences between formats and camera brands are technical, not aesthetic.

[@mrca2004]

BS. See the movie Oppenheimer shot on medium format film. Compare it to fat man and little boy shot on digital. Night an day. MF film looks like you can walk into the image. Sorry, digital "medium format" even for 50 grand for a body is crop medium format. In film 645 is the smalled mf format and digital is 1/2 to 2/3 that. The look of mf is you get closer with a longer lens. Instead of a 135 mm for headshots at 7' with digital, I use a 250 mm with 67. It produces a subtle but different aesthetic. Now the measurebators can't measure it so they deny it exists. Same with lenses that produce high inter tonal contrast. Can't measure that so they say it's a myth. I hope they are my competitors.

[@kraftpunk6654]

​@@mrca2004 Your response doesn't even disprove what i'm saying. I'm talking about the aesthetics of an image like color, contrast and highlight rolloff. You're talking about format sizes, this is different, that is a technical difference, nothing to do with aesthetics of the format. The field of view of an image is ultimately dictated by lens, sensor/format size is only part of it, it has nothing to do with the technology. Medium format digital can literally produce the same field of view.

[@kraftpunk6654]

@@mrca2004 Also, you mentioned about digital "medium format" camera being crop medium format. The Alexa LF (if that's what you're referring to) has a full frame Vista Vision sensor, it's not medium format. It's equivalent to 8 perf 35mm film.

[@TimGreigPhotography]

@@kraftpunk6654 By its nature, medium format has a completely different aesthetic to 35mm, for example.

[@kraftpunk6654]

@@TimGreigPhotography aesthetic in terms of what?

[@erinvandezande]

Jesse- this was awesome and inspiring. Part of me felt like I wouldn’t have a voice in this arena, but hearing you speak of Ideas over technical details gets me excited about my next steps. Loved looking back on your old methods for making an image. Well done!

[@arsalanalim]

I absolutely love the sentiment that film will make you a better photographer. With the right mindset of course! Wonderful video Jesse!

[@Nomolos]

Man argues about how arguing is useless to perpetuate an argument, I feel cheated for watching this in its entirety

[@matthorner35]

Such an interesting topic. What I feel digital has done now, is allow more licence with film as how we regard the format has changed. The actual physical product is now more a part of the experience than it was when film was standard, so whether it's better or not is almost irrelevant - it now has its own academic environment

[@christopherward5065]

There comes a point in photography when it’s possible to realise that the image as you’ve visualised i,t is something that you create and, the tools you use offer you the route to what you visualised in the images you produce. Digital is everything now in large measure, because of its post-production flexibility. So film images can now be digitally flexible. I feel safer now going back to film if it means that I have even more scope to bring any negative to life in the digital realm. Film scans used to be practically useless unless you had a technician operating high-end equipment for you. But now that more of the potential of a negative is available on my desktop - I’m in! Thankyou for reminding us how far we’ve come. I need to shoot film again.

[@roycethompson3386]

I’ve been shooting for 24 years now, professionally and as a teacher now. I shoot digital for work, film for pleasure. They’re just different tools for different jobs for me 👍

[@jessesenko]

Same! Thanks Royce.

[@Grainspoure]

Both are two different mediums as it’s for the photographer to pick which one is best for themselves. I happen to fall in line of shooting film rather than digital as I feel much more creative. As someone who photographed on digital for years and made the switch to film it became much more fun and enjoyed my results much more. Editing is now more enjoyable and faster. Most photographers tend to try and make photos look like film when they can just shoot on film. Plus you can spend $1000 on 2-3 film cameras with lens and film right away whereas digital cameras set ups cost 2 to 3 times more depending on your needs as a photographer. I encourage anyone looking to try film to try it and you will be much happier.

[@ardecanw7112]

I totally agree, I think while film isn't necessarily better, often times constraints make better art, sometimes being forced to do things while not having all the convenience digital provides can make you approach things in a different way.

[@jessesenko]

Choice paralysis, right? It’s that simple approach which keeps you focused and active, not buried in the settings. Thanks for watching!

[@ataboyboyboy8895]

It is like manual car versus auto car. It is not the car, it is the experience, the effort and the learning. Maybe not perfect, but the experience is unparalleled. Just my opinion.

[@reelfilms3329]

Your eye is the first camera you need before you touch the physical camera. After I learned to train it, my images feel like they could be felt and the people around me could feel them. That's all that matters :)

[@aaronedgeart]

Loyal to yourself and change over loyalty to a brand... well said and backed 100%.

[@jakobbsprojects]

My recomendations brought me here and I'm staying! These videos are really my cup of tea. The look, the topics, the gear, the filmmaking, the music, the humor. Spot on! 👌

[@jessesenko]

Thank you! Appreciate it!

[@KailashJoshi-ce9eq]

I feel like the "magic" of film isn't because the picture is superior but because using a film camera makes you focus on the shot more and be more intentional

[@themike97_58]

Your point about the vision of the photographer making the difference is true. I also think that for those of us who develop our own film and the even fewer of us who make our own prints, film is much more rewarding and tricky because of how little editing is done to the image after its captured. It takes more thought when shooting the photo and because its so tricky to get right, a really really good darkroom print just feels so much better because of how involved you were at every step.

[@Kim_Miller]

I'm an old bloke and grew up with film. In 1969 at age 20 I bought my first SLR. It was a Minolta SRT 101. That camera is now long gone and after a lot of cameras I now shoot Sony, but a few days ago I decided to go looking for another SRT 101 for nostalgia's sake. I bought one from Japan and it will be here (Australia) in a few days. And now this video has popped up in my feed, the first time I've seen Jesse's channel. And lo and behold, the girl with the camera at about the 17 minute mark is holding an old film camera. Even with only a few hints I recognise it as a Minolta SRT 101. The pic of her lying down in the sand shows the characteristic flare behind her chin of those old Minolta MC lenses. Suddenly I feel at home.

[@jessesenko]

Amazing! Edith loves that camera. A little sticky in the cold, but a nice, simple camera. I’ll take a closer look for the flare you’re talking about. Thanks for adding some depth and history to that camera for me.

[@AtentieCadMere]

Glad to see you back. I can’t see the hype with film. If you want to be limited by 36 photos… shoot raw and buy a small SD card. I saw someone you know packing a bag of film stock for a photo shoot. So limited, who? Not him. If you just like it, awesome, but can’t sell it as a fix all solution. As a learning tool... You’ll learn a lot, but imagine what you can achieve with painting. My first camera was a Konica Minolta, that I’ll own and will work forever. But there are enough things to make you anxious, waiting a few days to see if you messed up your family vacation photos should not be one of them. Again, glad to see you.

[@jessesenko]

It’s a very expensive analog Instagram filter for some, and those people are missing the point… the process of film. Film is like therapy for me, but I’m pretty pragmatic about how incredible digital photography is. Thanks for watching!

[@jessesenko]

I’m also curious about “who I know” lol

[@AtentieCadMere]

@@jessesenko I just assumed that if you knew Matti, you also were acquainted with McKinnon.

[@AtentieCadMere]

@@jessesenko Like grinding coffee, and making your own camera gear. Thanks for sharing, I'll search for a way to slow down some processes.

[@aagevaksdal]

I am not a photographper, but your thoughts on art get to me. Thanks.

[@RegularVeteran]

I went through my film phase back in 2012 and the same question you pose, "is film just a really expensive instagram filter?" changed my relationship with photography!

[@FallenArtemie]

What I love is that I can kinda tell if an image is shot on film or digital. To me, it's more about the unpredictability of film - I'd never take anything purposefully professional on film because its just for fun for me and unplanned and natural usually. Sometimes maybe good, sometimes maybe shit. Digital is usually more planned, and more with the intent that I will edit this later as I please.

[@noah_films]

Im going to be honest- I wholeheartedly prefer the film photo

[@beshydiane]

Only halfway thru the video but I gotta say, your humor is 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼 Thanks for making me laugh today 😂😂

[@Sloot786]

Leaving the border visible can throw off NLP when converting. It's better to crop out the border and then uncrop after converting.

[@jessesenko]

Thanks! I need to play around with it some more for sure

[@stephaneg]

I really find the film shot much better, but then again it depends so much on post processing... Anyway, it doesn't take anything away from a really good video!

[@5spokemedia]

It's crazy that you mention the Mavica - there's a local car meet that I go to every Tuesday and one of the hosts shoots on a Mavica. One of the coolest cameras I've seen!

[@jessesenko]

Amazing. I would love to see it out in the wild

[@zakforce2572]

Keep making stuff your channel has inspired me to just shoot my own way and your diy nature inspired my current project

[@luissalazar2021]

You inspired me bro I still shooting films today in 2024 and I love it

[@sauzefilms]

I remember back when i started using film back in 2018-2019 some youtuber said: “using film is not a bandaid to make your pics look better.” That made rethink film photography from an elevated artform to just another photography tool, and shot the heck out of it lol.

[@ibrauniverse]

That sunbathing fella is me waiting this channel to take over.

[@etienneamien]

9:15 the lack of color contrast or color separation is the exact problem of CMOS sensors. Also, older CMOS sensors really struggle in mixed daylight and tungsten light making the subject totally red and orange and the environment light blue…very hard to bring back in post processing as it needs local adjustment masks. CCD and Foveon sensors react better in this regards but you don’t to shoot them above 400 ISO. In Daykight or good lighting nothing beats Foveon but for professional work, it’s easier to go with a Z8 or similar camera.

[@ardie3523]

This is great advice and insight. Agree with a lot of what you said and I hope a lot more people can take it to heart as they continue to create and grow. Looking forward to your next one!

[@jessesenko]

Thanks Ardie!

[@Reedjediem]

Good speech Jesse. NLP totally works on Apple silicon though. I‘m also hoping he’ll make a standalone version since Lightroom is the only Adobe software I cannot replace for that reason.

[@jessesenko]

Standalone would be great! Do you run it through Rosetta? I'd rather just do the conversion on my older computer if that's the case!

[@Narsuitus]

I shoot film when I want to give my images that film look.

[@mrca2004]

An image that is just "realistic" and sterile. I use different film stocks and formats to match my vision. It adds to the fun.

[@romani8494]

Just shoot digital and diminish the quality to the film level.

[@EJej-z5g]

​@@romani8494 google "digital hp5 vs analog hp5". Left is digital with "emulation", right is real film. Not bad, eh? Just because some disposable film camera snaps (shot with direct flash) that were printed on 15x10cm then scanned look low-quality doesn't mean film in general equals "low quality".

[@Narsuitus]

@@romani8494 I have not found any digital that I can afford that matches the quality of my medium format and large format images.

[@Narsuitus]

​@philw8741 That is a great question that I cannot answer because I have no idea what people mean when they say "film look." All I know know is that if I shoot the subject with film, it must have that film look.

[@thomastimmann6200]

I'm afraid of the debate: analog or digital whether in photography or music will never end. But I would like to stimulate a new debate: SLR or mirrorless digital cameras.I don't like looking at the world through a monitor.

[@tillgallus]

I prefer the digital shot. The lack of direct sunlight and the cooler colors make it even better. The sun isn't shining and yet he's lying on his lounger sunbathing. It's hilarious.

[@adamkocka-patchik4545]

I often prefer my digital photos over my film photos. But have come to realize this is just how I shoot. If I have something I want to shoot with intention I bring my main digital camera; it supply’s me with assurance that I’ve captured the shot, tons of latitude in post if I discover a look that is fitting later in the process, and I know it inside and out. I’ll often bring a film camera to shoots I do and using the film camera feels like an after thought post shooting an amazing digital photo. It’s really just your own preference and work flow that should inform your medium; not the other way around.

[@tonycollins2983]

I think the thing about film is it makes me slow down. There is something about waiting on the action and framing you want. In turn I think that makes me better at shooting on digital. Also I have that canon rangefinder you have on your foot.

[@jessesenko]

Totally. It’s a reminder to slow down when I’m shooting digital too. And my “shoe cam” is my dad’s old Canonet from the 70s. I’ve never gotten it to work though. Would love to fix it. Thanks for the comment, Tony.

[@hellotmrw]

I thought I was the only one who used the floppy disk digital camera. Man that thing was slow but I loved it so much.

[@jessesenko]

lol. It was so fun. I remember we would hold the frame for 10 secs while it was writing the image to disk because we were worried it was still capturing.

[@mgman6000]

I bought one and I think it was close to $500 I finally dropped it and broke it 😢

[@martimpinheiro9432]

I took a lot of pictures with my dads digital camera and I was proud of them but in the end it was the camera that did all the work with autofocus, managing shutter speed and aperture...it was fun and I got a lot of appreciation for photography but film made me aware of what I was doing and not just pressing a button, its a learning curve yes but I fell in love with photography because of film. This was a great video and you presented information with clarity and humour and for that I subscribed! PS: Nice shoe cam!

[@jessesenko]

Awesome, and yes, learning through film is a lot of fun and really steepens the learning curve in a great way. Thanks for the sub!

[@whateverrandomnumber]

Funny how film shooters these days only shoot colour and send it to a lab for development. Film is much, MUCH MORE then that. Film is developing it yourself (the creative process only works properly for B&W, I know. For colour, you're just removing fidelity when you deviate from the standard process). It's expanding or contracting the tonality curve. It's choosing a film for it's spectral sensitivity and adjusting it even more through colour filters. It's about knowing what you want with such certainty that you plan for the result with the choice of every component of the process: the film, the chemistry, the agitation technique, and so on. Colour film shooters are not film shooters. They are just hipsters wasting money on really expensive Instagram filters and have no opinion on what film shooting is about. And i know he ended up saying shooting film is worth for a host of other reasons, but please... Do yourself a favour and shoot B&W and develop it yourself. Then you'll understand what shooting film is really about.

[@chrismann5070]

It is special for the photographer, otherwise they wouldn’t do it . Digital or film both are good, it’s up to the individual what they like to use.

[@dukecha]

This video has such a refreshing artistic perspective on photography. I love it

[@jessesenko]

Thanks for watching!

[@nickcr3919]

It is not the same.It will never be.When you shoot digital you miss the most important:THE NEGATIVE.

[@azuki2919]

Interesting point. I feel like on what the picture was taken on only has a small part on what makes an image special. What really makes an image special is how you the artist decided to take it. After all I believe photography is just a way of how the person holding the camera sees the world through many aspects of photography we know today.

[@Christo_glenn]

Jesse, loving the quality of what you've been putting out. Don't feel rushed to get new vids out, just keep bringing the quality. All the best to ya mate!

[@jessesenko]

Thank you! Appreciate it! The bigger numbers kinda spook me! I don’t feel so anonymous anymore

[@whoathor]

All this time subscribed and never been let down.

[@jessesenko]

Thanks Thor!

[@bigbizniz]

I definitely prefer the colors of the film shot. Would have been nice to see a new edit of the digital file, just to see how you would have done it after all these years. Also, you look like the long lost brother of Valtteri Bottas, and I can't unsee it.

[@Higgy28]

Next year I’m going to shoot my first wedding as the candid photographer. Cameras I’m using - Canon rebel t6 w/ nifty fifty, and Sony a6300, lens undecided.

[@Good_Cuppa_Joe]

Dude i love this channel so much like im not even exaggerating i involuntarily smiled when i saw this in my recommended

[@jessesenko]

Awesome! Seriously means a lot!

[@ManyDoors777]

There’s a huge difference between digital and film. Color, light roll off, grain structure. These three things alone cannot be accurately replicated in digital. I’ve been shooting film since 1999, and digital since 2006. There’s a pretty huge difference.

[@jessesenko]

I spend way too much time working on the top-right of the curve with digital shots… it’s always a bit precarious. Film absolutely loves the light.

[@thomashilmersen711]

True. It depends a bit on print size, but at relatively small print sizes, digital or analog makes no difference. At larger print sizes, you may be able to spot digital artefacts and of course the natural grain of the film.

[@jessesenko]

100%. And it’s kinda sad my brain processes this in terms of a web or small print portfolio. Things that sell me commercially, and not big prints that show off the work properly. :(

[@thomashilmersen711]

@@jessesenko It is very impressive to see huge prints. I once saw some enormous prints of Koudelka's work in Mexico City. Amazing. It must have been analog, because this was way back in 2001 and his photos were already quite old by then.

[@nickalot]

glad to see Jim hopper sharing his photography with us! 😂

[@jessesenko]

I'm not sure if this an improvement over Ron Swanson

[@andyl4565]

I'm old enough to bridge the film and digital eras and both have their good and bad points. I talk to alot of photographers (especially younger ones) and I find that film is almost a lifestyle choice, much like vinyl.

[@romani8494]

The fact that the old low tier crop camera with a toy lens is basically on par with a medium format film, tells us a lot about film

[@brankobelfranin8815]

It all depend on what you are shooting

[@delukxy]

I bought a Mavica too. Lots of fun. Haven't used film since.

[@ar43r]

My intro to fotography 20 years ago in Paris, as a total noob I made 2 fantastic shots with film Konika Pont and shot camera. 20 years later, have shot hundert of thousand of pictures, I still cannot get to that level. The light and colors in those two are nothing short of amazing. My point is being if one manages to find the right Parameters for the shot on film, results might be hard to achieve on digital. This of course to be considered as subjective. Me personally preference your shot on film

[@Black3ternity]

I grew up at the frankenstein-time of having analog film-cameras that were electronic. I.e. Electronic metering, auto flash etc. So I never needed to learn the ins and out of a true manual camera. Today I enjoy my full frame mirrorless camera. But I understand exposure, composition and run it manually as it gets me the shot I want. The speed and agility of the camera gives me the ability to keep precious memories of my kid. But it's still important to learn about composition and purpose of a shot - not just spray and pray. Someone once told me that you can have the "film experience on your digital camera" by simply formatting your SD Card to only allow 30-40 images on it. Works wonders when your digital image counter is that low. Keeps the "pressure on" without the hassle and cost of film. Thanks for keeping my mind critical and provoking thoughts of the "everyday stuff".

[@mrca2004]

My favorite camera of 15, at least in 35 mm, my nikon f6 film camera nikon sold until OCTOBER 2020! Auto focus, dead on matrix metering, 1/8000 shutter, best view finder I own, 5 fps power winding, has aperture and shutter dials like my d850. Run and gun, street, it's a dream.

[@jessesenko]

When I was starting out a photographer I looked up to told me to take the camera out and just find compositions. Take one shot or don't even worry about it. Just study framings, walk around an object in you want to photograph and process how the light/angle/frame dictates what works for you.

[@caleidoo]

There is this unrealistic and unnecessary poetic attachment to film photography, on many levels. Film is not slow or limited per se. Only with heavy equipment and specialized setups. Or because film costs so much now. But in film days, people went through film quite fast - a 5fps film camera means you're out of film in less then 8 seconds, so you can imagine they didn't get out with just one or two rolls, they came back to the office with a bag full of rolls. Same with studio shots, they loaded up a bunch of backs with 120 film and just fired away. The assistent picked out the ones that were in focus and adequate, the final selection was done by the producer and photographer. You could even attach a big 135 film back on a F3 with 750 exposures. And when the first digital cameras came out, you could shoot only a hand full of photos before your memory was full. It's all not so black & white as you imply it is. It all depends on what you shoot and what you want to do. If you walk in a city and want to take some late evening shots, you're not going to come home with hundreds of shots, no matter what camera you use. Film or digital. But when I do a wedding with a film camera and lots of things are happening all the time, I'm not going to pretend I'm Cartier-Bresson and only shoot five frames an hour. I'm going to shoot to get the shot, even if it takes 2-3 shots.

[@KofieBluejay]

The mantra that says « film automatically make a picture better » is just a consequence of a louder stupid crowd on social media. Although in this example, the digital shot is crappy compared to the film one in terms of colors, accuracy, piqué, shadows, tone, it’s a specific thing that happen with very old digital camera. Nowadays, even an old Sony A7 III is waaaaaaaay better than any film. But you don’t get the same vibe. The colors are never quite the same. Perfection is boring. You don’t get negatives/positives you can scan 40 years later, you don’t necessarily print digital because you’ve got 560 photos instead of 36. Film is not more of an educational medium as digital, it’s just a tool that helps you get what you want for photography. We are too focused on the perfection for art nowadays, that we forget it’s the journey that is interesting, not necessarily the end.

[@michaelwarner8316]

Good video. I began with film back in the 70s (monochrome, using an Argus C3), and only switched to digital in 2011. Looking back at the older shots, there are a small number that still hold up, and are among my favorites. It is only because my eye for the worthwhile shot was so trained that I can do anything with my digital devices now.

[@jessesenko]

Thanks Michael... That's all it comes down to, and now, regardless of whether I'm carrying my film or digital camera, I'm not snapping a shot unless it's a good frame. I'll go out and take just six frames sometimes with my digital camera.

[@philly3015]

It's all preference I'll always pick film for my personal photography anything else I'll use my phone or my alpha

[@Djangounframed]

It’s all subjective. Film doesn’t make an image special for you. Thanks for the video.

[@szabomark3019]

Very nice video, totally agree. ❤

[@kinoromantic]

Shooting with Fuji XT-5 and custom film presets set up is allowing me to "shoot film" without shooting film. I'm sure the same process can be made with other cameras. I can say with full confidence that after shooting Ilford HP-5 for many years I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between it and a digitally acquired photo. Sidebar - I still shoot film for the process.

[@drummersanonymous]

I like the film photo more overall, but wish it was cropped on the sides a little (like the digital shot). And yes, I know the TLR is 6x6. And I agree that a good photo is a good photo regardless of the medium. It’s all about the creative process and what you’re aiming for.

[@jessesenko]

Thanks! And I cropped it 6x7 in the video! It's ok to crop!

[@OrchidPhoto5]

I don’t think it’s a matter of film being more superior. For me, film is a matter of “slowing down” in a world that is demanding and running a rat race at unrealistic speeds. The minimalism film offers as well, is extremely appealing to someone like me that shot digital for years, but it’s nice to go back to a time of enjoying the mystery and challenge that film can offer.

[@JoeStaehle]

The digital shot looks like a random iPhone snapshot at the local pool and the full frame from the film shot just wasn’t framed as well though idk if the digital was cropped

[@Wakeblake]

A tip for negative lab Pro that took me way too long to realize, crop your image and then convert the negative. Saves you a lot of time trying to get the white balance correct. NLP is pretty awesome

[@jessesenko]

Awesome! Thanks for the tip. Just starting to figure it out.

[@makkapacca]

Is that not what birder buffer is for so it ignores a certain percentage of the edge?

[@mattallengroupatREAL]

I loved my Pentax 6x7 and large format camera but you can make any digital image look like film. The resolution in a mid range slr is better than film now.

[@keithahlstrom176]

REBEL XTi!!!! Oh, man, I used that thing professionally for years. Had a bunch of other Canon Dslr's to grab at any moment, but that little xti was my go to for some reason. Good stuff.

[@jessesenko]

That was a big one for me. My first “real” dslr. Got me enough gigs to save up for a 5dmkii. Thanks for watching, Keith!

[@letzdownloadacar1218]

Or the significant difference in focal length being that the film image is less compressed. I mean, that's why I like the digital version better.

[@chrisdelk134]

I like how you brought up the point about using analog cameras. I find that there is something about going to the very basics that grounds you as a photographer and gives your brain a chance to think. It’s easy to spray and pray with digital. Painful when you miss the shot with BW medium format film. I learn more from my mistakes with film than I do with digital. I also get more wins with digital though too.

[@jessesenko]

Keep pushing for those wins!

[@TimGreigPhotography]

Part of it is the tactile nature of a mechanical camera including looking at the actual subject, not another damn screen.

[@adamsiegfried6098]

Film has provided me a good education on photography. Film is expensive so to best utilize the film I have, I was more thoughtful about its use. Digital photography does allow anyone to “spray and pray.” I also grew up on the tail end of film photography but the SLRs of the late 90s and early 2000s had auto features so I was able to shoot and pray even then. Since the resurgence of film I have slowed down and learn how photography best works.

[@jessesenko]

Definitely a part of maturing is slowing down and shooting fewer frames... I find myself doing that. Being more intentional and not firing a shot until I'm happy with he exposure... regardless of film or digital. Thanks Adam!

[@muhamadhafeez1918]

Never been let down. Keep on sharing, Jesse

[@coolduder1001]

I really gotta say the film shot looks better. I am biased to 6x6 aspect, but the digital shot feels over-exposed at times. Maybe if you just tuned the digital a little I'd like it more.

[@annp322]

About 15 years ago, I took a snapshot of my dog with an Olympus OM-10 that I bought brand used in 1988. I don’t know why I didn’t use the Nikon D70 that I already had, I might have been running a roll of film through the OM-10 to see if it still worked. Anyway, the dog picture was awesome, and I decided to enter it into a juried show. Except the juried show required the entries to be in digital format. Instead of doing something sensible like scanning the image, I got out my D70 and reshot. Yes, the D70 image was a bit crunchier than the buttery smooth film image. But the soul of the image was the same, and the jury didn’t know or care that I had another, smoother image in my back pocket. They accepted the image into the show. I still have the print on my wall. I have no idea if the print is from the film or digital image. It really doesn’t matter.

[@jessesenko]

Love it. I’m sure the dog was impressed by the film and sparkled just a little more for you :)And my OM-1 has been calling my name from the shelf for the past few days. Maybe I’ll pull it out this weekend. Has half a roll in it from last summer. Hope the seals are good!

[@Being_Joe]

That whole speech let me down.

[@vintagevinyl67]

I will file this entire video under "No shit Sherlock".

[@jessesenko]

I just find it's gear gear gear on here and not many are discussing their process of thinking

[@kevinpatrickrobbins]

It wasn't until I saw your website that I realized I'm in your old studio at TCF. Steve from OHM suggested checking you out but you came up organically.

[@jessesenko]

Amazing. Small world! I can smell the building just thinking about it. Say hi to Steve for me!

[@DouglasLumer]

Well, to be fair, did you scan the film and then reprint it using an inkjet? Most film scanners will only get you a resolution of about 4k-6k at most, so it makes perfect sense you’d appreciate the digital one over the analog converted to digital shot. The magic of film should be that it has an insanely high resolution AND unique character, that can only be reproduced through analog means (or very expensive digital ones, like a super expensive drum scan). Your point about a photographers eye making a shot special still rings true, and the main point that I think should be taken away from this video is that if you’re going to be shooting film mainly to just digitize and then repost online, then you might as well just shoot digital and “filmify” it later if you prefer. On the other hand, if you’re going to be selling prints or showing it at an exhibition, then it might make sense to shoot in film and then print through optical means to capture the full breadth of your image.

[@glauberxyz]

I wanted to shout that on twitter few days ago. These days people are posting the most boring pictures ever and because they say "[whatever] in 35mm film" does not make the photo good! It’s a boring photo! As for the quality and aspects of the film, I don’t think digital and post-processing can ever mimic the chemical reactions, because it’s an ~organic process. Anyways, love digital and love film.

[@eliteprofashion]

I like all the fun toys that come with film! If I have to be a serious big boy I’ll use my gfx if I’m going out I’ll take a film camera and have fun ruining images