If you are serious about your approach, there are two significant benefits of using a film camera. One is that using a film camera forces you to slow down rather than machine gunning off twenty exposures of the same subject just because you can.  The second benefit, and related to first, is that using a film camera makes your really concentrate on making every frame count, if only because you have a limited amount of exposures at your disposal.  In my opinion, a much better approach than firing off 500 shots during an afternoon.

But here’s the real kicker … combined with the above … if your your heart and mind’s eye are truly open to all the possibilities, using a slow and deliberative approach to “seeing” what’s out there really lets you experience life in a way you don’t normally do.

Think about it. You’re running around during your daily activity, too busy to take notice of what you’re missing. Or you’re stuck inside somewhere, then you go home to other responsibilities or you crash.

Instead of taking your free time and squandering it with missed opportunities, pick up your camera and load it with film.  Now you can think about the discovery awaiting you and get out there! And when you do, you’re going take a deep breath, slow down, and take in your surroundings and those that inhabit them as a meaningful and essential part of the photographic process.  And most importantly you’re going to experience life.