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Technical Specifications

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The Camera: Canon AE-1

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The Canon AE-1 is a fully manual, shutter-priority single-lens reflex (SLR) camera first released in 1976. It became renowned for its speed and simplicity and earned its place in photo history as the 1984 Official Camera of the Olympics. One of the original commercials for the camera highlights its user-friendly features and ideal use in sports: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The camera is fully plastic with no software or programming of any kind. It has an automatic light meter that reads the light of a scene and suggests an aperture to use for the scene. The light meter is powered by a 6V silver oxide battery. As the camera lacks any sort of “on/off” switch, the battery must be removed following each use to avoid unnecessary battery drainage. If this is done every time, a single battery can last for months of regular usage; however, if left in the camera unused for an extended period of time, the battery will need to be changed more frequently and disposed of properly. In comparison to its 2020 digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) counterparts, the AE-1 has already lasted over 40 years of use and aside from the occasional lube and oiling, it requires little to no upkeep. Unless a critical part fails that can not be replaced due to lack of production of new parts, such as the shutter, the camera will continue working flawlessly, whereas digital cameras' technologies tend to become obsolete after 15 or so years. Even if a digital camera is able to function that long, typically a professional photographer will choose to update their gear after five to seven years to keep up with the latest technologies. 

 

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The Style: 35mm color film​

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While adding color to photographs during the development process was practiced well before 1950, color negative film was first invented by Eastman Kodak in 1935 and did not become widely available or popular until the early 1950s, aligning with the Great Acceleration also noted by Lewis and Maslin (“Color Photography”), perhaps demonstrating another chemical process humans created which is changing our environment. Despite the lack of consensus regarding which type of photography is more eco-friendly – analog or digital – with the chemicals used both in production of film and in the development process undercutting analog’s defense, and the production and technological waste created by digital cameras damaging any argument for digital, leading to an almost identical carbon footprint for each style, I sought to recreate these images as close to the originals as possible, including not being able to view images instantly after taking them on a LED screen on the back of a digital camera. Prior to 35mm film, however, photographers relied on various types of direct transfer printing methods that would expose the image straight in the camera. These types of prints include Daguerreotypes, Platinum Prints, and Gelatin Silver Prints. The Georgia Eastmann Museum put together an in-depth series on Photographic Processess, and their episode on Color Photography describes in great detail the journey photography took to get where it is today: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The film: Kodak Ektar 100

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All the present-day images were captured on Kodak Ektar 100. Kodak Ektar 100 is marketed as “the world's finest grain color negative film” and offers a low-ISO of 100 speed, along with high saturation and ultra-vivid color in well-lit situations (KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTAR 100 Film). Although this is arguably one of my favorite films to use, I will admit to having some difficulties with it, specifically in the spring session of shooting in which there were heavy shadows in the late afternoon causing many of the images to be underexposed, despite following what the light meter read. Ektar, while an absolutely stunning film stock, is not forgiving in the least such as films like Porta 400, so I accepted it as a challenge when choosing it for this project. Erik Wahlstrom's YouTube video goes into the specific details and processes of the film: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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