Shooting film when I'm in the mood

Over the past several years, my interest in shooting film has regularly ebbed and flowed. This fluctuation wouldn't be a problem if the frequency and amplitude weren't so high. My brain does this thing where it decides, usually after a successful roll or inspiring blog post, that I'm now going to "shoot only film from now on!" This is immediately followed by the purchase of supporting cameras or other gear.

A short time later, I tire of waiting to finish a roll, even though when I'm in film mode I claim that "waiting is a feature". The digital cameras come out and I start wondering why I bother with the hassle of film, when digital is "better", faster, and cheaper. I should sell off most of the film gear, shutter the darkroom, and just learn how to make decent inkjet prints instead.

And then, I finally finish that roll, process it, scan it, and make a couple of darkroom prints. Wow! This is so cool and fun and I love the images and I love having the negatives neatly organized in binders on my shelves for future generations of scholars and historians. (ha!).

So, what I'm saying is that I enjoy both film and digital. I should learn that about myself. I should build processes around both, as needed, and stop trying to decide which I want to do exclusively and realize that it all depends upon my mood.