u/Ok-Caregiver3310

This is a photography in general but it does very much so apply to film photography, particularly due to the explosion in film and film cameras over the last 20 or so years since I first got into photography (Self taught, started with film when there was a Ritz photo in my local mall that did 1hr C41 and black and white processing and you could get a roll developed and prints made with a contact print and CD for like idk $15 and get them an hour later after walking around the mall chillin).

What’s the point?

It’s been a nihilistic thought that is always on the back of my mind when taking photos the past idk 5+ years, I guess specifically regarding finding or thinking of subjects or ideas and such.

Like it’s a photo set of a woman in a stairwell, shot at various compositions, and while taken well on a technical level so lighting and focus and DOF is well done and are “good photos”, at the end of the day they’re just photos of a woman in a stairwell. (Not my personal work, just a photo set on another Reddit photography page I follow that I came upon that triggered the thought and this post. Also as said, great photos by all definitions of technical photography, so no dig on that person.)

I have a son now and obviously I get the point of capturing his image for memories and such but even then at the same time I struggle with thoughts like: “Do I really need 15,000 photos that are well taken and are beautiful, but when it comes down to it only like slightly different. And do I bring the camera every walk we go on in case I miss good shots? Should I take more random candid ones at home? When do I stop being a father and experiencing life and bear the burden of being the photographer placed here to capture his life?”

Idk sorry this all might be too needlessly deep for a film photography Reddit page, and might even be grounds for removal for not meeting TOS or w/e but yeah.

/endrant