I am starting a little experiment when it comes to writing blog posts for this website. You will probably never really notice the difference but my first draft for this text was actually done on an old school manual typewriter. The reason for this is really a simple one. I find that I never really write anything particularly long or meaningful when I'm distracted by the internet. I tend to get through one or two sentences and then I immediately fall down the rabbit hole of news, Facebook, Instagram, cat videos, or whatever other meaningless bullshit one can imagine for a solid twenty minutes before going back and writing two more sentences, only to repeat the cycle all over again.
So instead I am typing this post out on an aging Smith Corona manual typewriter and then copying the text over to a desktop computer after I am finished. Sure it might be more time consuming, but so what? Why does everything have to be fast and easy anyway? I will probably scan this page and toss it in at the end of this post just to show "proof" of this exercise. You'll probably notice right away that the typewriter I am using needs a bit of an overhaul, some fresh ribbon, and a good cleaning. That will be for later I think. For now it seems to be doing it's job well enough to get through the early stages of this little experiment.
Minolta SRT-101 with Ilford HP5 film
Ok, so on to the actual discussion of some photographs. These images are all from a single session (if that wasn't totally obvious). I've been really digging working with 35mm film a lot lately. Probably more than I have in years. I am not really sure why that is. A small part of me always feels a little bit lazy when I work with 35mm film. Some of that feeling I think can be blamed on my old college professors. When I was in school, more than a few instructors would look down on students working in 35mm. You see, 35mm was a format only used for snapshots and serious art was made using medium format, or if you were REALLY serious, on 4x5 or larger sheet film. This was before the days of digital photography becoming mainstream mind you. Now of course that attitude is completely absurd, but knowing that consciously doesn't change the fact that there is a piece of me that goes back to that line of thinking anyway.
Minolta SRT-101 with Ilford HP5 film
So maybe I am enjoying 35mm because it feels a little bit rebellious. It's like I am expressing myself with a bit of a "punk rock" style. Using the simplest of analogue materials to maximum effect. Or maybe I am really truly just being lazy and enjoying the convenience of photographing 36 frames at a time.
Every frame on this post was made with a Minolta SRT-101 equipped with a 21mm lens. The 21mm f/2.8 lens is a bit of a fun instrument for me. It's kind of interesting going a bit wide for a change. Ninety percent of the time I tend to stick with standard "normal" lenses (50mm with the Minolta SRT-101). Just looking through a wider lens can be a fun way to expand creativity a little bit. There are times when new tools do change the way you see things. Granted, I don't think it is wise for any artist to get too caught up with their tools of the trade, but new experiences can awake something on occasion.
BTW - Is it terrible to admit that I bought the brand and year of the typewriter I am working on right now because I saw Tom Hanks recommend it on a documentary about typewriters? Yeah, I take the advice of Tom Hanks seriously. So sue me.