The Great Analogue Conundrum

Doug Chinnery

I am an artist working with images full of colour and movement in an attempt to express what I see around me. Inspired by artists, in particular the impressionists and abstract impressionists as well as Chris Friel and Valda Bailey, I work in abstraction trying to capture mood and emotion. I live in obscurity with my wife, Beth, and my buddy, Eddie.

dougchinnery.com

First there was film. Now there is digital. Well, first there was Camera Obscura, Daguerrotypes, Wet Plate Collodion and all that, but you know what I mean.

Digital

After an initial, brief period of scepticism the photographic world has largely embraced digital technology with open arms. Just ask Kodak!

The technology has leapt forward at a rate unanticipated by most. My first digital camera, a small Nikon, had a 4 megapixel sensor and was almost cutting edge, oh about - and I am guessing here - eight years ago. Now we live in a world where we have the heady heights of the Phase One IQ180 digital back and for well heeled enthusiasts a 21+ megapixel sensor based camera is very attainable. And now the Nikon D800 has taken the photography world by storm producing almost medium format digital quality image files for less than £2,000. It seems things will only get better, both in terms of image resolution, high ISO performance and lens quality. It's a wonderful time to be a photographer.

Digital

So why would any digital photographer in their right mind return to analogue image making? The downsides are overwhelming surely?