2022 Directions

 I neglected to do one of these posts last year, mostly because we were moving back into our house after an extensive remodel. Some recent changes to my gear setup will have a significant impact on what I do with film photography in the coming year. The biggest of those is that I'm completely getting out of the medium format shooting category. 

My C220 had started to develop some problems that a CLA might or might not address. I just wasn't willing to put out the capital required to keep it going. Also, I just wasn't using my ZeroImage like I once did. So, in late 2021, I put it all up for auction on eBay. As of this writing, all but one item will be gone by the end of this week. Film included. The only thing that hasn't gone yet is the C220 itself. 

So what's left? Moving forward, my film work will be 35mm only. The Baker's Dozen series will remain unfinished. However, I'm still considering a new project in the upcoming year to take its place. There might even be a new YouTube channel to go with it. I've pared down my gear selection to two camera bodies: A Canon A-1 (with a really cool autowinder) and a newly-CLA'ed F-1 (original).  These two bodies will carry the load of my film shooting in the coming year and beyond. 

Also, I'm going to make a concerted effort to shoot up a good portion of my remaining 35mm film before investing in more. At this time, I have a few rolls of Delta 400, some hand rolled HP5+, as well as a roll or two of Ortho+ and some color rolls. I even found a few rolls of K400 that I had hand rolled maybe four or five years ago. It's not my favorite film, but I'll get it out and see what I can do with it. 

I thought I'd be a little sad about unloading all of the 120 gear, but it's been remarkably freeing. I don't have to make a decision about what to shoot; everything I need fits into one bag. The money I make from the eBay sales (and a few private ones as well) will go toward a wider angle lens I need for my Fuji X-T4. Speaking of which, my vision for shooting in the coming year is to do film work alongside, and not instead of, my digital images. Shooting Fuji makes this more achievable. 

So here's to a happy and productive 2022. I sincerely hope you and yours are well.