Some Albertans think shooting photos with film is still fab.
About 10 members of the recently launched Analogue Alberta took pictures of Sylvan Lake on Saturday, the group’s inaugural event.
Two active analogue (film) photographers, Christeen Nahas of Calgary and John Weed of Sherwood Park, started the organization because they enjoy using film.
They met each other through the Lomography website, a place where photographers from around the world can showcase their works.
Nahas, an environmental geophysicist, likes film photography because she’s a very nostalgic person.
“I like anything vintage or old school,” said Nahas.
“And I also like that I can be so creative with it, without digitally modifying it afterwards.”
Weed, a web developer and part-time bartender, said he’s had film cameras since a child.
“There are things you can do with film that you can’t do on purpose with digital — the grain, the saturations, the colour, the ease of the purposeful double exposure,” said Nahas.
“The beautiful thing with film is that you never know what you’re going to get.”
He’s heard some people say that science meets art in film, whereas science copies art in digital photography.
Weed said it’s “surprisingly easy” to still buy film at stores, online and through the Lomography website. It can be developed through shops like McBain Camera and Vistek.
Weed develops his film, using a darkroom bag and a canister, at his kitchen sink.
Weed and Nahas brought a collection of various cameras. One of Nahas’s cameras is a Diana F Plus, a brand replica from the 1960s.
Weed has an LCA camera, a Russian-made camera that was a replica of a Chinese camera.
Joel Horning of Calgary said he’s addicted to film photography.
“I like when it comes out that it’s a surprise,” said Horning. “It gathers the light a little nicer and the imperfections too.”
He has a couple of digital cameras, but he only uses them out of necessity.
Horning hopes that film photography will survive the test of time.
He enjoys shooting manmade buildings and trees.
“It’s something you don’t want to see fade away because it’s fun,” he said. “It’s fun to shoot and send away for development and sit on your hands for a week while you wait.”
Lamography Canada donated a camera for a prize and several other businesses, including Vistek Calgary and McBain Camera from Red Deer, were key sponsors.
The group plans to hold these events once or twice a year. Sylvan Lake was a great central location to start.
About 14 people registered through Analogue Alberta’s website since it was introduced six weeks ago.
For more information, go online at http://analoguealberta.com or email at info@analoguealberta.com
ltester@www.reddeeradvocate.com