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B/W Film is the true MEDIUM of LIGHT

Shooting B/W Film is a love affair; it evokes nostalgia. For most people, a film camera seems like an anachronism. But in a very profound sense, it is the opposite; film cameras remain the ultimate refinement of photographic technology. Used correctly, a mechanical camera portrays your subject ‘faithfully’ from the moment you trigger the shutter to your final darkroom handprint.

In contrast, digital cameras record automatically, faster, easier and accurately because they’re driven by algorithms. Although artistic photographic skills still matter, the number of variables involved shooting digitally has been purposefully engineered to make ‘capturing’ simpler. To me digital photography feels artificial & somewhat removed —a digital photographer could be considered more operator than artisan; in effect, digital algorithms virtually ‘own’ the image file –as the photographer owns the camera. Adding to capturing digitally; post editing offers pre-set-tools that render the image way beyond what was evident through the lens. In other words, the photographer's 'umbilical' has been severed by a digital scalpel...

However, photographing on B/W Film is far more intimate, it prompts one to learn from odd mistakes made 'in-camera'. Paradoxically, this is both liberating & educational because you’re only as good as your last roll of film –so, best you remember to remain mentally 'focused' and 'intimately attached' technically when next shooting that roll of film.
Only then, will you trust exacting darkroom chemicals to 'bring-to-light' a gem of a picture embedded in your film's emulsion... how enchanting, how marvellous, how true!