I had just walked up the stairs of the Astor Place Station and pulled my camera out of my bag. As I turned and looked around for what to shoot - right behind me was the silhouette of a girl on her cell phone. I quickly focused, took my reading, advanced the film and shot. Then she moved from where she was standing. I ran around to where she was and explained it all to her but also told her that I was shooting film and wasn't quite sure that photo I took will come out as I want it to since I rushed to take it not to miss the moment. I asked to take a few more and she agreed. I called her on her cell phone to give her direction as I shot another three or four images. We exchanged phone numbers and off I went to Washigton Square Park where I always find someone interesting to photograph. I usually develop film in the mornings at 6 or 6:30am. I was so excited about this shoot that I went straight to the basement when I got home and developed the two rolls of film I shot that day. It never gets old or tired when I pull that roll of film off of the reel and hold it up to the light to see if "I got it". I was happy with what I saw, but the true test is once I scan the neg to see if there was any camera movement etc. Here's the fun part, this was the best of the series of photos I took of her and even better, it was the first one that I took before asking her for her cooperation. Boy was I happy! Shooting film is so much more challenging than digital. For one thing, my Mamiya only yields 10 pics a roll and my newly acquired Fuji GW690 (6 x 9) only yields 8 pcs per roll. So I am mindful when I am shooting even when rushing to get the right shot. I can't just hold down the shutter button and move the camera aound or let the camera take the reading for me or focus. But I love the thrill of it all - still. It's really rewarding when I get what I wanted out of a photograph...
