[Leica] Security in Dublin Airport now insist on scanning film + why I shoot film

[doug at ricecracker.net (doug kim)]

Ted, thanks for the response.

I always carry my film in ziploc bags, clearly labeled as film, always
arrive early at any airport and politely ask for a hand check. This has
worked for ten years now since 9/11. Sometimes, they swab each and ever
canister, sometimes they just open up a few random rolls.

At Dublin, I never lost my temper but resolutely refused to have my film
scanned. I politely told them what every other airport in the world does as
far as procedure but they insisted that they would have to pull out a foot
or two of the film from each roll to ensure that it was indeed film.

As far as digital, for most of my paying gigs, I do shoot digital. But
truth be told I am a better film shooter. This phenomenon might only happen
to me but when I shoot a digital image, I fire off several shots of a
subject or a moment, confident that I have gotten the shot.

When I shoot film, I treat every frame a bit more preciously and carefully
choose my moments. So I really am a better more careful shooter with film.

If I shoot a great shot on digital, my first thought is that I wish it had
been on film.

I love everything about film. I love to see a proof sheet and see my
progression through an idea, grimace when my exposure was off for a shot,
the smell of emulsion from a roll fresh from the box, the magic of the
darkroom, watching images appear out of nothing. The lag time between
wandering a strange city and receiving a proof sheet weeks afterwards, the
pure process of shooting and not seeing the results.

I shoot for a print wherever I am. When I shoot digital, the end result is
a monitor for a Lightroom gallery or Facebook. So few of my clients ever
print out their images and if they do, it is at Target.

It is a digital world and digital photography is great and amazing. But for
me, my true place in the world is to be someplace new with any camera and a
pocketful of film.

Doug Kim
o 646.602.7603
c 310.869.0498
--
http://www.ricecracker.net
http://www.bornyogis.com



On Wed, May 16, 2012 at 8:36 PM, <tedgrant at shaw.ca> wrote:

> doug kim OFFERED:
> Subject: Re: [Leica] Security in Dublin Airport now insist on scanning film
>
> Gee Doug,
> Did they scan your digital cameras also????????
>
> Given airports have been scanning film for umpteen dozen years by now and
> like you in the beginning I got ticked off because there were no easy
> tricks or words to not having film scanned. HOWEVER?????
>
> My good fortune was, I put all the film on the way out and back from
> assignments in clear plastic zip lock bags out of the little yellow boxes
> so it could be seen. Then walked up to the scanner guys and handed them the
> film asking quite politely... "This is very sensitive 800 / 1600 film, does
> it really have to go through the scanner?" And in a great number of cases
> the security guy just shook the bag, looked at the rolls and passed them to
> the other side without going through the machine.
>
> Quite honestly I didn't always win! But I always kept my cool, walked
> through without saying another word and picked up my rolls. Some times it
> might be several hundred rolls in a few bags.  By the same token the Gods
> were with me and I never had any film fogged going through the dozens of
> airport locations over the years I was travelling on assignments. However,
> I accepted that was the world plan like it or not. And certainly don't
> start whining and bitching because in 99.9% of the time they are going to
> be the winners and you will get your ass fried!
>
> Besides by now, given the years digital cameras have been out and many
> professional photographers working only in B&W make fabulous B&W prints
> from digital images.  I'm quite surprised you are not shooting digital?
> You'd never have a worry again about scanning. Besides if I were in the
> security business I'd be far more suspicious of a "Film carrying guy
> today?" Than a guy carrying a half dozen digital cameras.
>
> Any thoughts on this approach?
>
> cheers,
> Dr. ted
>
>
>
> ______________________________**_________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See 
> http://leica-users.org/**mailman/listinfo/lug<http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug>for
>  more information
>