I take a look at what was considered an 'acceptable' feature set in the 1980s and 1990s, and contrast it with just how feature-spoilt we are today.
You know the old saying; "Back in my day we had to walk 20 miles to school. It was uphill in both directions and we had to fight off sabre-tooth tigers and raging blizzards and... I forget the rest.
Anyway, my point being that every generation feels that it's their duty to remind their younger peers just how easy they have it, and how challenging life was before they were born.
While I am grateful that I didn't have to fight off any rabid wildebeest, or battle through torrential snowstorms just so I could get an education; I also know that many things only appear bad when viewed in hindsight. In reality not too many situations were so difficult, that we weren't able to make the best of them and find a way to learn from them.
Which brings me (in a rather convoluted way) to the point of this blog.
Then, Versus Now
It's probably no secret that I am in the process of writing a book on photography. (It will be worth it, I promise!)
One of the great things about writing books is learning from all the research which goes into them. It's great because even though you may think that you already know everything about something, you are often pleasantly surprised by just how much new information you are still able to learn on the topic, simply because you are now old enough to truly understand it properly.
One of the things which I am currently researching is just how much of what I originally thought was 'good enough', was actually quite pitiful by today's standards.
Take the specs of my very first camera. For years I felt that its limited set of features was a great way for a kid to learn about photography.
While that camera definitely allowed me to appreciate all its limitations, and later be able to make informed decisions on what my subsequent cameras should be able to do; I doubt that any child born in the last decade or two, would bother using something so primitive as their first 'stepping stone' into the world of photography.
So, what am I talking about?
My first camera was a Hanimex 110KF. You can find a whole blog dedicated to it here.
However, something which I didn't go into regarding that camera, were its absolutely mediocre specs.
Fixed 50mm lens;
Fixed focus;
Fixed aperture of around f/6.3;
Fixed shutter speed of 1/125 of a second;
No light meter;
Reliance on grainy 110 film.
There are probably a few more 'features' which I haven't mentioned, but you get the picture (pun intended).
One thing to note is that this wasn't some 'children's camera' either, but a real camera made by a real camera company. And - believe it or not - it was quite high-end when compared to its predecessors.
While I realise that it's important to start somewhere, I find it very difficult to take myself back on a nostalgia trip to the days when this was an excellent starting point for anyone.
What's amazing, however, is that for me, this was more than good enough. In time, I was able to take all of the above limitations and turn them into serious strengths which taught me countless fundamental lessons about the world of photography.
In a future blog I will be writing about a photography challenge which I had set for myself, because apparently I am a masochist.
The challenge involves recreating the 'vibe' of what it was like to shoot with the above limitations, and seeing what kinds of photographs I am able to capture, despite not being able to change a single setting.
I can't wait to share the results with you. It's going to be a good one.
Until then, If you enjoyed this blog and feel that you got something out of it, please feel free to follow me on Twitter or Instagram; and also subscribe to my newsletter for more in-depth photography tips and tricks.
Happy shooting!
Comments