It became rather obvious to me this week why I’m so torn about photography.

Let’s see:

digital camera:
• instant gratification
• ability to only print the pictures you want, and get them on the net easily.
• if you want high quality you have to buy better equipment (generally speaking) and either pay for decent prints or buy special paper/printer and print your own. You can still make good pictures without the extra steps, but they won’t be show stoppers, at least on paper, IMO.
• I’ve decided I really like to have some photos hanging on the wall, on the desk, to send in cards and letters to friends. And I don’t like them to look cheap.”old fashioned” film photography:
• Wait and see how the pics turn out
• Easier (IMO) to make good looking pictures
• Costs a buttload. I just spent $20 just to process/print one roll of film this week, since it was black and white ($4.00 just for processing) and there’s only one place in town that will process black and white film. Also waited two days to see pics.
• If you care for your equipment it’ll last a long time. My camera was purchased in 1987 and has shot hundreds of rolls of film. To date the most I’ve done is buy a new lens for it (six years ago) because I wanted a slightly different look, not because the old one was broken. It gets new batteries every couple of years (little round electronics batteries)

– I can get pictures like this, though ->

(sorry, the picture was deleted, remind me and I’ll dig it up again)