Physical Media and The Film That Made Me A Photographer

War Photographer. A brilliant film from beginning to end. Highly recommended.

In 2006, I was exposed to a brilliant documentary entitled War Photographer. The film covered the work, life, and career of famed war photographer James Nachtwey. Having little to no knowledge about the masters of photography at that point, Nachtwey was completely foreign to me. But from the opening sequence of the documentary, I found myself having immense respect and appreciation for both the man and his work. Check out the trailer below.

The level of dedication Nachtwey has to his work, the people depicted in these war torn scenes, and the sensitivity in which he approached it all left a deep impression on me. It was then, I chose to be a photographer. I’ve always admired those with a zen like self-discipline to their craft or an endeavor they deem important. David Goggins comes to mind. Being laser focused in a pursuit or dedicating your life to some admirable goal is a quality I’ve always respected. Nachtwey’s documentary lit a fire under me that still burns to this day.

Recently I wanted to revisit the documentary; with my last viewing being in the early 2010’s. It would be nice to see it again with a more educated eye gained from years of experience as a photographer and just growth as a human being. But alas, it’s no where to be found on streaming websites. And that’s the challenge with streaming. While it offers us vast convenience and an incredible amount of new and old entertainment to consume, a lot of older and obscure films run the risk of being lost to time. Our culture has gotten away from physical media for a variety of reasons, but recently I’ve started to see the value physical media still holds.

After viewing the brilliant Oppenheimer in theaters, I considered what it would be like viewing at home. As a photographer, it’s often about image quality. We don’t want to obscure our precious images with low quality optics such as bad lenses or even UV filters. The quality of the image matters. With streaming, due to bandwidth limitations, you undoubtedly lose a lot from the original high quality footage. The shadows aren’t as deep, the colors aren’t as vivid, and the image isn’t as pristine as the original. So a film like Oppenheimer won’t look as good while streaming as it would on the 4K Blu-Ray that will release alongside it. The Blu-Ray can hold more data and isn’t limited by an internet connection. Most people won’t care, but for the enthusiast, or the image maker, it matters.

While I couldn’t find War Photographer on streaming, I could still purchase the DVD on Amazon, which I did. Buying a DVD in 2023 seems rather odd. Almost like buying a cassette tape in 2010. Admittedly, I haven’t bought an actual DVD since prior to 2010. I was one of those people who saw where the industry was going and jumped on the streaming bandwagon. How short-sighted and naive I was.

This DVD will become the first in a growing collection of films, documentaries, and tv shows I wish to have as a sort of personal archive. I want to experience these works in their highest quality and also have access to view them when they’re not available on streaming services. The industry pushes us to streaming and touts the benefits of convenience and abundance of options, but what about works that aren’t available? What about old movies or tv shows? Or even modern films known for their visual or audio fidelity? What’s being done to ensure older media stays accessible to a new generation of viewers?

Disney recently announced that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be its last physical media release. I expect much of the industry to follow suit with declining physical media sales yet manufacturing costs remain largely the same. Why sell physical media when no ones buying it? I get it. But it’s still sad and somewhat worrisome. Hopefully the industry is able to course correct and offer some sort of premium streaming option that delivers content in the best possible quality for those who meet the bandwidth requirements and/or willing to pay for the service. Or maybe an enterprising company will make an effort to archive a lot of older media to make available via streaming. I’m just brainstorming as I know the process will be complicated and mired in litigation over copyright, residuals, etc.

But in an age where we have access to near “sci-fi film” level technology, there’s no reason for us to lose so many wonderful films, tv shows, and documentaries due to laziness and bureaucracy.

A Fork Is Not A Knife

I’ve spoken about the importance of acquiring gear for a specific purpose and I think it’s often something we overlook during the purchasing phase. Blown away by specs or trying to get the most bang for our buck, it’s easy to expect one item to do it all. A swiss army knife if you will.

We only have to look to our common dining utensils, the fork and the knife, to understand the principle of specificity. The fork is for picking, lifting, and holding food. The knife is for cutting. It can be used in other ways, but its primary and best use is cutting. The fork is perhaps the more versatile of the two as if you were eating a piece of meat or vegetable, such as asparagus, you can pick it up and bite it like the caveman you are. But when you really need to cut something, the knife is the best choice.

Much discussion has occurred around camera formats in the digital age, namely due to sensor size. Medium format, Full frame, APSC, Micro four thirds, etc. Mirrorless. Mirrored. Or even the cameras within each of those formats. From full frame to smaller sensor formats there are a plethora of options available. Cameras for speed, cameras for image quality, cameras for video, cameras for fun. Some with interchangeable lenses. Some with fixed lenses. Some that are small and nimble. Some that are large and slow.

Budget is often a concern, so I do understand the importance of value. You want to squeeze as much use out of a single camera as possible. You want it to be able to handle any particular job you throw at it. But alas, this is often met by hitting the proverbial brick wall. In some way, it’s not quite suited for the task you’ve set for it. Like the fork, it may be versatile, but it isn’t a knife.

My advice? From the onset, think of your task. Can the fork work? Or do you need a knife? Maybe get the fork for now then add a knife later.

Food for thought. Terrible pun.

Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer is a tour de force of filmmaking. A three-hour epic that captivates from beginning to end. It should be required viewing in film schools. No obtuse, pretentious camera angles or overwrought, hideous color grading or fast cuts all over the place. It’s wonderfully nuanced with lots of attention paid to the pace of the film. Sometimes you experience art whether it be a film, an album, a drawing, etc. and you feel that what you’re experiencing was created with love and care. You can tell that Christopher Nolan loved every minute of the making this film. It shows on the screen. It’s like his own personal little love letter to cinema. Perhaps even a thank you note, lavishing cinema with his appreciation for making him the person he is.

The credits appeared and I sat in my seat in silence. I slowly got up and exited the theater in awe, pondering what I had just saw. I found myself struggling to find the words to critique it. I couldn’t find a single negative thing to say about the film. I daresay it’s perfect (to me).

It checks every conceivable box for greatness:

• Captivating, nuanced, and emotionally stirring performances from the star-studded cast? Check.

• A well written and an utterly fascinating story? Check.

• Cinematography that’s breathtakingly beautiful yet purposeful? Check.

• Sound design that gives weight, tension, and realism to the action and emotions onscreen? Check.

• Editing that pushes the pace of the film without feeling like whiplash or a slog? Check.

• Living up to the hype? Check. And check.

I really can’t fault the film. Bravo Nolan. Bravo. This is your masterpiece.

Oppenheimer is why I love films. Why I went to film school. Why I love going to the theater even if it’s waned in popularity in the past decade. It’s Best Picture and it’s not even close. My guess is Killers of the Flower Moon will win(for…reasons), but Oppenheimer deserves it most.

I’ll be seeing it a few more times during it’s theatrical window. Partly to study the film from a filmmaking perspective and also to enjoy the story again as a member of the audience.

I can’t recommend it enough.

Bravo.

Revisiting and Returning to Lightroom

Adobe can pat themselves on the back for many of the new features they’ve implemented into Lightroom in recent years. I’m thoroughly impressed, especially with their denoise feature. I’ve switched between Lightroom and Capture One throughout the years for various reasons, but now I really appreciate what Lightroom does in terms of digital asset management. I find it much easier to organize, sort, and rename images.

My images live on a large external drive in a RAID array and for some reason Capture One has a problem renaming them, often taking 15+ minutes to rename a group of about 500 images. This only started around the release of Capture One 20. I’ve searched for years for a fix to the issue to no avail. The same group of images in Lightroom takes mere seconds. I think Adobe has a better understanding of software development so optimization for different setups is generally flawless. Although I do love many of the features Capture One affords.

Between the two of them I think the Capture One image looks slightly better but it’s splitting hairs. I prefer the overall experience of Lightroom and will be switching back. Capture One will mainly be used for tethering which I think is still the superior experience between the two programs.. Now if only Adobe would an ability to set custom shortcut keys.

The Trade-In Scam

If Gamestop has taught us anything, it’s that Trade-Ins are a scam.

Best Buy sent me this wonderful bit of marketing material in regards to trading in some old electronics I may not be using. “Trade In and Trade Up” they say. Pictured in the ad is a Nikon Z7 which I purchased from them years ago which cost about $2700 at the time. Now, only a few years later, the trade-in value is $165. Unless I was extremely hard up for money, I would never consider such an offer. I’d just keep the camera and use it at that point.

Companies prey on the ignorance of their customers, presenting their trade-in values as good deals. You’re much better off selling on eBay, Amazon, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, forums, etc. than to be royally screwed by stores offering some sort of trade. The amount they offer you will be insultingly low versus what you initially paid for it, whether the item is a recent release or years old. If the item cost more than $500, it’s best to sell to someone directly or keep the item. If it’s a cheap item, say under $250, trading in may not be the worst scenario.

Also consider trading in if there’s some sort of offer to increase the trade-in value. In the case of photography, manufacturers often have a special offer where if you trade in your old camera, they’ll give you an additional credit on top of the trade-in value towards the purchase of the new camera. Sony currently has such an offer where they’ll give you an extra $500. That could be a sweet deal if the item you’re trading in has very little worth these days.

But in general, avoid trade-ins. They’re a scam.