How Film Helps You To Visualize

I've been thinking about purchasing some kind of toy film camera…something that will produce a lo-fi or aged look photo. Of course,  I could Photoshop any image to give it that look, but using a film camera to capture it makes me think more about what I'm shooting…something that seems to be missing from your average snapshot these days.

I think we've all become slightly spoiled by the convenience of digital photography. It's so much more convenient to shoot digital instead of film and at times I feel like something is missing or could have been better…like I'm not working hard enough on visualization. The ability to do endless post-processing has gotten in the way of truly visualizing a photo before you take it. Film is permanent but a digital image can be deleted and endlessly re-shot. 

I've been looking at the old Polaroid cameras, which are completely useless now because they don't make that kind of film anymore. The new Polaroid 300 cameras produce instant photos about the size of a credit card. Instant film is fun, but I think I would like the results more if it came from a Diana or a Holga. Plus, I LOVE the look of photos taken with those cheap toy cameras. 

Then of course there's the question of film and processing. Diana and Holga both use 120 film and there aren't a lot of labs out there that will develop it and even fewer that will process black and white.  And NO, I'm not about to get into building my own darkroom and learning how to develop film. THAT part I'll leave to the machines.