Photographs by Hubert Pacheco
HUNGRY I AM
Posted by Hub Pacheco (Pasay, Philippines) on 6 December 2006 in Animal & Insect and Portfolio.
Nowadays, whenever I meet someone new and sees me shooting with my camera, I am almost always asked to show them the photo afterwards. I smile, flick my camera's back side towards them and say, "Sorry, I can't. The photo'll be ruined if I did." Flashback five years ago. After shooting with my camera, I am almost always asked by people to develop them ASAP and give them a copy of the photo.
It is dawning on me that photography these days is quickly being dissociated with film, its sole medium of nearly a century. Everything is almost digital now - from clocks to email to weighing scales. From the late 19th century to the late 20th century (a time I dub as B.D. - Before Digital), the only way to do photography was with film, 35mm or bigger. Now, numbered plastic cards have taken over. Hey, I'm not busting digital photography. I'm all for innovation and I personally believe that digital is the better and preferred medium nowadays. It's not better in every aspect of photography, but it's getting there.
In the coming weeks, I will (hopefully) be joining the digital pack. After years of 35mm Kodaks and Fujis, I'll be loading Sandisks and Ridatas. But that does not mean that I will neglect my 35mm film background. Hell no. I will make it a point, no, I guaran-damn-tee you that I will continue shooting with film until 35mm film companys decide to shut down. 35mm film will always be in my camera bag, even if it's way past its expiration date.
It's not just for nostalgia. It's my way of keeping the legacy of 35mm film alive.
So come 20 years when I'm asked, "What's film?" I'll have one ready in my bag.
* For the sake of my argument, the photo above was shot with Fuji Neopan 400, a film that I used for only TWO times. The Fujifilm distributor here in the Philippines stopped selling them years ago. Damn.
