Instant Gratification the old way.

I don't think anyone will argue that digital photography has opened new paths of creativity in image making.  After the initial investment in equipment, creating images is virtually free (ha ha). I thought this would be a boon for young children who could shoot at-will without their parents having to waste $$ on film and processing. I soon realized however that this was only promoting thoughtlessness on the part of the child. It was creating detachment from the creative process, and yet another unfinished task. Instant feedback on the LCD screen, and then safely archived on your computer, where many images sit unfinished "forever."  Sitting a child down at a computer to process and print photos was a computer lesson, not a lesson in creative mindfulness. Time at the computer will come later, no doubt.

One of the great things about film that I forgot over the past decade is the "commitment" that comes with pressing the shutter. That commitment of spending 75 cents every time the shutter is pressed triggers a sense of responsibility to the outcome, and hence the impulse to take a deeper look. That "deeper look" is what was missing and has since been returned with a new version of an old tool. The Fujifilm Instax Mini 7S. This camera instantly took my daughter from "spray and pray" to thoughtful consideration of what was happening in front of her. The creative process for her is now much shorter, more tangible, and more deliberate. The small prints that emerge directly from the camera are instant objects that become part of larger creative endeavors such as photo books, collages, and multi-material concepts. What's old is new again...

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