John Sexton, Pro Photographer

[Malibucompany]

John Kodak is out of business--Where does that leave us?

[photopicker]

My fridge is filled with Fuji Acros and 160S. Not a slight on Kodak but Fuji makes great film and it's less expensive.

[ThePaperCreator]

Photography is amazing and I think Kodak is amazing as well. George Eastman started a great company. Just a note, I don't understand why the Kodak homepage is all gangsta with Drake now....

[monochrome17]

Kodak make fine B/W films, but I'm an Ilford FP4 and HP5 in D76 or ID11 fan myself. :-)

Seriously, though, it is good to see these interviews and it would be nice to see a film of John Sexton taking photographs through to metering, filter choice, processing and printing his chosen negative. What do you guys think?

[SAHBfan]

Film snobbery? There is a lot of digital snobbery as well, as anyone who has used a film camera is likely to know. Lots of snide 'oh, can you still get film the that old thing?' type comments. Personally I don't see the big difference as being film Vs digital, so much as automatic vs manual control. Some film cameras can 'do it all for you', too... a pain. However, by nature of being electronic, digital cameras tend to be automatic. Even those with manual over-ride tend to make life difficult

[flyby7a]

All modesty aside, I AM THE KING of : Out of focus= blurry- worst pictures YOU HAVE EVER SEEN.. I RULE.. I wish I could lose the title :O(:O(:O(..

[MrTdcoleman]

The master of black and white photography. And one a great educator as well.

Tom Coleman

Pleasanton, CA

[kensingtonrock]

Interesting video

[jflavin3]

These posts sound like a digital v film photography . Once photography was looked down on - now some photographers appear to '' look down '' on digital . First - digital has enabled more photos to be taken by more people As regards fine art photography - many users of digital can produce prints - and few if any can say wheter they were made via film or digital - so what . Its the photograph that counts - not how you get there . If I may say the sensor Sigma now use [ Foveon ] is excellent.

[shiwinator]

bring back kodachrome

[ziryab92]

Heard! Heard!

Film is just something of it's own. Digital will never be analogue, as well as analogue will never be digital. Film is an artistic medium, it can't be replaced. And even from a technical stand point, it does offer superior image quality.

I shoot both digital and film, but I have to say, despite the cost and difficulties, that I prefer film.

[photopicker]

@ziryab92 Digital has analogue aspects to it. The sensor detects analog photon energy. The energy in each well is converted to a voltage using a A/D converter.

[princewarsaw]

you right i agree that. i prefer to use film

[lashutterbug]

The advantages of B&W film vs. digital can be summed up very easily: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A DIGITAL B&W IMAGE. It is a converted color image, made from a sensor that is designed to pick up RGB instead of shades of gray. Since digital B&W sensors do not exist, the converted color image is inherently inferior to that found in a silver halide emulsion. You can tweak and twiddle with PhotoShop all you want...it's still not the real thing, and never will be.

[anticimexxx]

your perspective is very shortsighted and ignorant.

[loco039]

Is truth the film`s magic is gone,that Digital has taken the soul out of photography, but why spend more money in dark room equiepment when you got a digital dark room, your computer and photoshop and your printer,and this things are not cheap either.

But I still believe the film photographer are the best.

[ZoneIII]

Actually, exactly the opposite argument can be made. I use basically the same darkroom equipment that I have used for 30 years. Digital printing requires constant upgrades of equipment and software. So why switch to digital, especially when the results I get now are better, IMO? It is a fallacy that digital is less expensive. It's an endless cycle of buying new things.

[anticimexxx]

completely incorrect, digital has not "taken away" the magic, people are doing this because they are blinded by the "advantages".

digital can be an extremely beautiful thing, you only need to know how to use it correct way.

-oliver

[KodakTube]

Right - always good to have a choice and in part it is personal preference (and a person's experience, whether postive/negative). I think you get the intent here. You just never know what the reaction will be. That's what makes it interesting - what triggers people to react and at what level.

[snevelin]

This film snobbery does my head in, to be honest.

[KodakTube]

I hear you. Appreciate your candor and taking the time to watch the podcast and comment.

[ZoneIII]

I find digital snobbery to be far more prevalent and your comment is proof of that. You obviously have not worked with b&w film and you certainly have not printed in a darkroom. You have no idea what you are missing.

[ZoneIII]

Another thing that you have to keep in mind is that many b&w photographers, including myself, work in large format. Digital has no equivalent. Sure! There are digital backs for LF cameras but they are astronomically expensive, have great technical limitations, and don't produce as good an image as LF film. So when you are talking about digital and film b&w, keep that in mind.  It's obvious that you have never seen b&w darkroom print made from a LF negative.

[samuelbrainsample]

@snevelin I don't hear any snobbery here, just personal preference, and he's right; there is a certain magic and/or suprise in taking film out of the final bath, drying it, putting it in the enlarger and seeing what you've got.

[ebwje]

@snevelin At least tell us why you don't like it and don't just call it snobbery. Isn't it possible just to appreciate him as a photographer. Or if it bothers you, don't complain about it.

[candiennestroke]

Excellent video about an outstanding photographer.... one of the greatest, in my opinion. John is a class-act. He's absolutely right about the advantages of film too. Thank you for posting this, Kodak, and keep making b&w films. I need them! But I'm disappointed that you discontinued manufacturing b&w papers. That left me with bad feelings about Kodak.

[pboscophoto]

Right on John. He's a great guy.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Digital has taken the soul out of photography.

The magic is gone in that regard.

Let's keep using FILM!