Fifth Avenue, Leica MP, 35mm Summicron, Plus-X, Diafine
Garry Winogrand didn’t develop his film until at least a year after he took it (according to him). As an always-learning photographer, I have always found that fascinating. How could you not look at what you just shot and make notes as to exposure, development time, composition, etc.? But I shot too much film last year (almost 300 rolls, not including instant film and digital) and I’m still developing stuff from back in September/October.
Now I get it. Winogrand said as much himself, but now I understand that by waiting you detach yourself from the moment of firing the shutter, from the temperature, what you had just read, the last phone call you had made. You actually lose a lot–unless you take notes while you shoot, you may have forgotten details you might have wanted to remember, such as a location or someone’s name. But waiting like this–kind of like taking an amnesia pill–lets you be a little more honest with your work and edit better.
Anyway, that’s how I felt when I finally prepped these scans for sharing with the world. I saw them with fresh eyes, and it helped me winnow out the mediocre.
Fourth Avenue, Brooklyn. Leica MP, 35mm Summicron, Plus-X, Diafine.
Brooklyn. Leica MP, 35mm Summicron, Tri-X, Diafine.
NYC Subway. Leica MP, 35mm Summicron, Tri-X, Diafine.
David Shoots Film 