This question is for my phenomenal photographer friends.
I'm updating an older story to publish via Soul's Road Press, and given that it was written nearly 20 years ago (egads), technology has changed.
The story opens with an amateur photography enthusiast taking artistic boudoir shots of his girlfriend. At the time, of course, he was using film - and I know that some photographers still prefer film for some projects.
Of course, the photos get steamier….
In the original story, they plan to send the steamier rolls of film to a discreet developer, and to have the boudoir shots developed at their local photo developing place. It's important to the plot that they accidently give all the rolls to the photo developing place, because that's how they meet, er, a new friend. ;-)
While I don't want/need to get technical in the story, I need a reason why he wouldn't switch to digital once things got steamy. One thought I had was that he'd been planning to set up a home dark room but hadn't yet, so he was going to save the steamier photos to develop himself, and got the rolls mixed up.
Is there a better (but still simple) explanation? Am I over-thinking this?
(Please leave comments here so I can reference them again. If they're on Facebook, I'll lose them w/in a week...thanks!)
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7 comments:
Google "why choose film over digital" and you'll see a lot of answers to that question.
Or he could say it's the sensuality of the process, the fact that it's hands-on, done in the dark, and wet. ;-)
I did that search, and the gist of it seems to be people think it looks better (and there are some visceral reasons, too). I think that easily explains (and I wasn't planning on explaining) why he is using film in the first place.
But why CONTINUE using film when things get steamy, when they are no longer shots he cares about being perfect AND he knows will be harder to get developed?
At the end of 2013 there is no reason to use film over digital for "steamy shots" Playboy still shoots their centerfolds with film for all of the reasons you find on the internet - but at home and for "home use only" shots no one would and here is the kicker even if you wanted to digital has put all the discrete labs out of business.
I think the best approach is to be like Sue Grafton and just set it far enough back in time where the plot killing technology is not around. You would need to go back to at least 2006. Perhaps you could frame it as a "flashback" story
Thanks, Anonymous, for commenting!
They didn't start out intending to do steamy shots; he's an amateur photographer who likes film and they were doing boudoir shots. I think, from other comments, I have to leave it at he doesn't take the time to get a digital camera when things to get steamy (which he didn't expect).
To frame the stories would take more time than its worth; the photos are a catalyst to the plot rather than the main point of the plot. But that was a good possibility, and I appreciate the idea! :-)
I think your idea is perfect - it was a spontaneous event in a shoot that was planned with film. So the solution is that the Boudoir shoots would need some TLC with development and they would go to professional photo lab where there would be lots of human quality control. The steamy shots would just go to CVS where a machine does all the work under the not so watchful eye of a bored employee.
Thanks, Anonymous! He actually plans to develop the steamy shots himself, but accidentally takes them all to the photo lab. And then adult hijinks ensue. As they do. ;-)
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