What is it You Need?

It’s not the correct size!

I don’t know where my needs align with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, but I need things to work properly. I definitely have most if not all my other needs met; I eat well (probably too much), I sleep through the night generally, and I have friends and family. I also have a washing machine to clean my clothes (it’s stuck on cold water, but ok). I live in a really safe place, and I feel secure when I go out.

I am a photographer. Not a professional, but I take my hobby seriously. Lately I returned to shooting with film cameras. Sometimes it’s referred to as analog photography, because that is one antonym of digital. But analog is usually associated with things like sound recordings (i.e., vinyl records) or clocks and watches that have hands, as opposed to a Casio. With photography the act of shooting with film is a more mechanical process, but it’s not really analog. (A SmarterEveryDay video explains in some detail how film photography works.) A digital camera still has a shutter and aperture. The difference is in what medium is used to capture the light.

Mamiya 645 with Sekor 80mm f1.9 lens

I began adding more film cameras to my collection, and now I have three medium format cameras (120 film) – a Holga 120N, Yashica-D, and most recently I acquired a Mamiya 645. I’ve just started shooting with it, and I love the feel, but it’s really heavy. I like to shoot in low-light situations, so I use a tripod to stabilize the camera. Problem solved. But my tripod requires special plates to mount the camera. And I only have two of them. So I need more.

There’s that word again, need. Why do I need anything? I suppose I should say I have a strong desire for additional accessories. Lacking extras does not constitute a hardship by any means. I can just as easily transfer the quick-release plate from one camera to another. But a photographer needs to be properly equipped. Thus I ordered some more, but they were the wrong size.

I guess what I really mean to say is that need is a very subjective state. I had a co-worker who often responded to someone stating their need for one thing or another with, “you need Jesus!” Okay. But you also need rest, and you need to take care of your health. And you need to take a break. We need something to break the monotony, the endless repetition of bad news and worse news. We need a diversion.

I’m thankful that I have photography. I love the results I get with just the right light and subject. I love shooting on film because I feel like the medium captures light and shadow in ways that a digital sensor cannot. Besides, I am more conscious of my shots, knowing that there is a cost associated with exposing a frame, and there is a finite limit of shots I can take. Sure, a memory card has limits, too. But I’ll shoot 10,000 pictures, and only 7 will be keepers. It’s about the same result with a roll of film, but that’s limited to 36 exposures at the most, fewer with medium format.

A few weeks ago I carried my Mamiya out to the country to my friend’s house near the lake. I set up to take some low-light shots, and I think I got some good ones in there. And that brings with it some pleasant anticipation, knowing there is latent image stored on the medium, and I’m eager to see how it will turn out. The instant gratification of a digital photo wears off rather quickly. With film I must wait until I reach the end of the roll, then more waiting for the processing (I don’t have the proper setup). I keep a journal of when and where I took the picture, along with the f-stop and shutter speed. Every time I load new film, I star a new page. I can go back years and see where I was when I shot a picture, despite having a visual record of it. It adds another dimension to the exercise, and I enjoy doing it.

I would say this fits within the boundaries of Maslow’s view. I believe I just described my own need for self-actualization, “exploitation of talents, capabilities, potentialities.” I would feel some emptiness without the joy photography brings me. That’s the real need here. I could probably fulfill that need with one small camera, my Holga, for instance. But I’m not content there. I need to advance, to graduate. Eventually I may move into large format film photography, but those kits are a little out of reach at the moment, so we’ll see.

Giant Zinnia – Minolta X370 with Kodak Portra 35mm film

Habit Forming

I’m not getting any younger. About 16 months ago I picked up disc golf. I played it back in the 80’s with my brother, but we weren’t serious players, not that you could say that about me now. But I have the benefit of YouTube as a coach, and the game is much more popular now, so there are courses all over. The discs are more precisely engineers these days, with ratings for speed, glide, turn, and fade. The joy in the game for me comes from being outdoors on a hike, as it were, taking in some forest bathing. I’ve also enjoyed seeing my game improve, which lessens the frustration.

In addition to just moving around, I also incorporated another aspect to my activity. As I go to pick up my disc after I’ve thrown it, I now stretch when I reach for it on the ground. I recently began crossing one leg in front of the other to maximize the stretching. Over the course of 18 “holes” (they’re actually baskets), I stretch 55 to 60 times (depending on how well I’m playing). So there’s even more health benefits than simply walking in the forest.

Now, after several months of the combined activity, I find that I stretch every time I reach to pick something up from the floor or the ground outside. What was initially a conscious effort has now become something of a good habit. I often don’t even realize I’m doing it until I feel my leg muscles and tendons being worked. I otherwise wouldn’t push myself that often throughout the course of my day. But since I’m not really thinking about it I see what a great benefit it is to put in a little extra exercise in the leftover spaces of my life.

If this doesn’t sound very strenuous, keep in mind that I am a non-athlete of a certain age. I watched Nixon resign from office. That should tell you something. But I would wager that not many of us are moving around enough these days; I don’t see many people in the neighborhood or at the park around lunchtime. And it’s quite taboo in Texas to walk anywhere. There’s a stigma to being a pedestrian here. Being ambulatory signals to others that one can’t afford a car, or that he or she is prohibited from driving as a result of some punitive action. Therefore in cities all over Texas (except Fort Worth, for some odd reason) people generally do not walk even though it is well established that this simple act will add years to your life. People smoke, too. Go figure.

Since I started playing disc golf I have sort of acclimated to whatever conditions present themselves. I was at the park just as the ice was melting last week. Today it was 21ºC and sunny, in February. I find that I’m comfortable in shorts and a t-shirt just about 360 days out of the year. It could be that my metabolism has made me feel warmer than I would otherwise. Or it might be another side-effect of being outdoors just about every day. Granted, when the ice was forming I remained indoors mostly, only venturing out to take out the trash. I found that my comfort level bottoms out around -8ºC, at least when I don’t have a coat. I’m no superhero. Then again, there’s no such thing.

Now that spring has come to Texas – that’s basically whenever we declare it to be – I hope to see more activity in my neighborhood; people walking, kids playing. I do have to hand it to the kids who insisted on playing basketball while there was still a sheet of ice on the street. They put me to shame, but then again, I have 40 years on them.

I’d have to recommend the stretch maneuver to anyone who does not suffer from a condition that makes this very difficult. Over a few weeks of bending a stretching you will find yourself doing it without thinking. And you’ll be pleasantly surprised how much flexibility you’ve gained. Also playing a round of disc golf wouldn’t hurt, unless you attempt to recover a disc from the bottom of a canyon, which I have done. This, I do not recommend. Consider it, as my wife puts it, a “cover charge” for the experience.