area 25 artistry: #FilmFriday - Ocean Calling

I can remember a time when I was transitioning from being an amateur hobbyist to a budding professional. I would oogle at other photographers' works with envy, I would obsess over gear, and would often attribute my shortcomings to the lack of gear or type of equipment I had. "If only I had (insert $2,000 lens name here) or (insert $4,000 camera body here) like so-and-so, I could be a better photographer", I thought. I spent countless hours honing my skills, but still feeling defined by my equipment.

Those days are behind me, and if you ever have those nagging thoughts, I want you to put them behind you, too.

Art is art.

Whether it's a masterpiece of crayon and construction paper by your little one, or oil on canvas by an accomplished painter- it's art, as long as it was created with imagination and emotion, and has value to the creator.

It's the same with photography.

As vacation was approaching and we were beach bound, I had to give up my dreams of $2k underwater housing for my camera, and instead, I bought a $13 waterproof disposable (Fujifilm Disposable Quicksnap), and headed south, to the Gulf of Mexico.

Unfortunately, I didn't consider that I would need goggles (which was a total blonde moment on my part), so the ones taken under water were basically blind shots. I gave the kids instructions and watched from above water to try to guess when to release the shutter. And another unfortunate event with these, was something happened at the lab during processing that damaged a portion of the film with a dark, oily-looking streak. I also noticed watery-looking spots on several of the images, but overall, I am pretty happy with the results. So, speaking of the film type- Fuji is a master at film production. I simply love all Fuji stocks. I recently blogged about some expired Provia, and 400H is my spirit animal. Some people are quick to dismiss Superia because it's inexpensive, and available at drugstores and chain stores, but don't be one of those silly people. Superia is a beast. It renders colors beautifully, and depending on speed and lighting/processing, grain varies from fine and almost nonexistent, to heavy and grungy. I absolutely love the tones it produces, and as for the 800 speed- THE GRAIN. If you haven't learned to love the distinct look that only film renders, I'd encourage you to embrace it. It's lovely, it adds texture. It's a characteristic that can't be accurately reproduced in digital photography.

So without further rambling, I give you Panama City Beach; captured on Superia 800 with a disposable point-and-shoot.

It was a perfect day, and one my little family will remember forever.

The girls observing a beautiful, cobalt blue jelly fish that washed ashore.

Swimming at dusk in the Gulf of Mexico is probably not the wisest choice for someone who is deathly afraid of sharks, but there is a magical moodiness in dusky light, and it was so peaceful, I just couldn't make myself get out.