Q&A - Some insight into our process.

Recently the following question was raised. We thought you all might like to read our response.

Do you still shoot film? If not, why not?

We have a long history of film photography. Both of us learned our craft long before the advent of digital photographic equipment. We both shot only film until perhaps 2002, at which point digital equipment was beginning to become viable in terms of quality, although it certainly cannot compare to the equipment available today. The meandering answer is, Sally is mostly retired from photography these days, and I, Michael, continue to shoot film - large format 8x10 and Polaroid. Why not roll film? Well, the simple answer is, I just don't want the work anymore. Long hours in the darkroom have lost their appeal, and frankly I am a little concerned about the toxicity of the darkroom environment. I am happy to spend a few hours a month in there for special projects, but the days of daily darkroom activity have been left behind. Another reason is the advent of sharing online in social media. Sites like Patreon, Instagram, Flickr and others are the easiest way of presenting our work to the largest number of viewers. It is simply easier to go from digital camera to online presentation than it is to go through the steps of film processing and scanning and retouching, and the results are at least as good for presentation in that way. We have made plenty of darkroom prints in our day, and it's enough to support whatever small legacy we may be creating. We have also dabbled a bit in platinum printing and wet plate collodion over the years, but again, the 'true love' for those arduous processes never really got a grip on us. The digital prints we are making these days are gorgeous, and also very archival, so we feel good moving in that direction. The 8x10 camera still has an appeal, and making Polaroids, both large and small, are something I definitely intend to keep doing. Each one, unique such as they are, is like a little artistic jewel. And a darkroom contact print made from an 8x10 film negative is definitely a special thing. Worth the trouble. So that's the not-so-short answer. It is taking a while for the transition to occur, and the transition is ongoing. It's all good.

If anyone has a followup question or is curious about anything Photosensualis, please feel free to reach out.

In the meantime, have a wonderful day!