u/sonderfulwonders

It's brought up fairly often that the bachelor's degree, and the fact that nearly everyone has one now, has devalued the degree as a whole. That's pretty well discussed as part of the elite overproduction conversation. But arguably, it's far worse in the graduate space, with the sheer number of professional degrees that shouldn't exist and certainly shouldn't cost what they do.

I'm finishing undergrad with the aim of getting into an ancillary healthcare role, not as a doctor or nurse. While shadowing, I talked with a lot of the people working in the building in the same role I'm pursuing. Most of them were in their 40s or 50s, and they told me they only needed a bachelor's degree to get in. Not a BS plus three years of additional graduate school and the debt that comes with it. They learned on the fly through hospital apprenticeships and on-the-job training that no longer exist.

What do you even say to that? These are people doing the exact same job I'll be doing, seeing the same patients, in the same building. The work didn't suddenly become three years harder. The prior generations made all these fancy credential boards and certification bodies and slammed the door closed for future applicants, throttling applicant slots, etc etc. These folk are good at what they do, and I'm not knocking them for it, but it's hard not to think, through gritted teeth, that it must be nice to have been born in a different era.

It's becoming abundantly clear that the ROI of most of these degrees has been carefully calculated to your detriment. The graduate tuition sits at just the right level to fuck you and your career progression: high enough that you start your career years behind financially, but not so high that people stop enrolling, because there's no other way in anymore.

Would appreciate any photos of how it looks! Wondering if it's a little unbalanced looking/too unwieldy or if it's just fine.

I shoot a lot of film so I don't really have questions about the cost benefit analysis of the price of the AGO, but how well has it been working for you guys? Film results coming out? Machine reliability? I know last year there were some issues with the soldering and waterproofing that got fixed in a design revision so interested in recent experiences of people using the AGO. Thanks guys!

Frankly, not having the Sun pounding down on my body and heating me up takes out like 50% of the sting of being outside even in midday. Genuinely has improved my mood significantly and I'm sweating far far less.

I’m writing this after waking up at the crack ass of dawn to take sunrise pictures and get some cool shots of cacti in the Sonoran Desert. A few years ago, before I got into film photography, I probably would have thought the current version of me was completely nuts. Like many Gen Zers, I suffered from pretty bad smartphone addiction during adolescence. It was par for the course. It swept over us like a tsunami, and it continues to do the same to Gen Alpha. Even my boomer parents are now pretty addicted to AI content on Facebook, which is quite grim.

Starting around 2019, and really accelerating during the pandemic when all my classes moved online, I had so much spare time sitting at home that even scrolling through TikTok began to bore me. I knew I had to change something, so I picked up film photography in 135 and 120 formats and gradually acquired a nice collection of cameras to use. Man, it has been great. It has pushed me far beyond my usual boundaries and given me a reason to go out and take cool photographs purely for my own enjoyment. It also coincided with me deleting Instagram. I was not interested in sharing my photos for the algorithm. I would post them on Reddit or Flickr instead, where people are just more interested.

Even after learning in depth how film works, with all its layers, color dyes, and whatnot, it still feels magical to me every day. You are imprinting an image onto an emulsion, photons scarring it and preserving that moment forever. It is hard not to be romantic about it. I am also very introverted and not naturally much of a social person, but bringing a camera with me has probably led to a conversation with a stranger four times out of ten. Sometimes it is another photographer, and sometimes it is just a passerby who is curious about what I am doing. I have made some cool contacts and heard great stories from older people who remember using these cameras and are surprised to see a young person carrying one. I have also met younger people who wanted to try film photography but felt intimidated by the whole concept.

Film has helped me make a lot of friends while traveling, too. Meeting other film photographers and visiting development shops in foreign countries is such a fun experience. I remember being in a smaller city in China and trying to find somewhere to develop my film. I ended up going on a wild but fun goose chase with a friend I made there. It is now one of my fondest memories because I saw the city in a way I never would have otherwise. This is long-winded, but I guess it is my love letter to film for today. The cost has never bothered me much. Film is expensive, but the happiness it brings me is unmatched. Even when I was working part time, I always budgeted enough time and money to shoot at least one roll a week, develop it myself, and make darkroom prints.

It is certainly better than spending the money on sports betting, which seems to be all the rage at the moment.

Frankly, I've not had any real issues with prime for years, it's always been spot on and good service. But this past month, I've had way too many times where things are "delayed but not shipped", slipping delivery dates, and complete bs returning expensive products where they stretch out the refund time to the last possible day that are required to do so. There is no good reason why an item I dropped off for return on Aug 10 is being refunded to me Sept 10... For reference, I'm in Tucson, AZ.

I'm a security guard that can't leave the office complex I work at, but I've noticed a very docile parakeet (a Lutino Indian ringneck parakeet if AI is correct, looks the exact same) outside the office doors. Gave it a small piece of a dried date and bird didn't exhibit any wild bird behavior, looks domesticated. I'll try posting on facebook groups with a better image next time I go my walk around and see it. But any tips friends?

Edit: Trying to call Tucson Parrot Rescue in a bit.

Looking for a working Mamiya left handed grip for use with my RB67 Pro SD, the one with the trigger mechanism. Much appreciate any offers!

CVS seems to be out lol, where are you guys getting yours?