“Sooner or later, everything old is new again.”
~ Stephen King ~
Chrissy Field - San Francisco - 1987
The what’s old is new again movement is on fire. Just ask the Rolling Stones as AARP gets ready to sponsor their North American “Hackney Diamonds” tour in 2024. I’m sensing the 80 year band members will have afternoon concert venues to afford early bird pricing and allow adequate time to get seniors home by 7:00PM.
If we analyze this a bit further, the old is new mantra isn’t new and applies to numerous products of yesteryear. The retro world has been thriving for decades and simply rotates through various products as the authenticity and uniqueness of nostalgia is timeless.
Everything from the Polaroid camera, LL Bean Duck boots, flip phones, scrunchies and even the Old Fashioned is back in circulation at a bar near you.
The best example may actually be vinyl records… they’re enjoying a “Don’t Call It A Comeback” moment as sales have now increased 17 years in a row. In the US alone, they had a 4.2% increase in album sales last year to 42.5 million copies. So, don’t be quick in throwing out your Beastie Boys “License to Ill” (1977) original vinyl or the classic Fleetwood Mac “Rumours” (1977) album collecting dust in your closet. It may be a costly mistake.
Be patient young man (or women)… if you wait long enough, everything comes back into fashion. It’s the circle of life. I’ve been wearing my bellbottom jeans for 30+ years trying to flash my fashion genius and get ahead of the curve. I still have a functional pair of Hush Puppies shoes somewhere as well. If I can’t find them, my Chuck Taylor high tops will do in a pinch.
The “Mad Men” era of Madison Avenue brilliantly changed the rules of advertising and figured out how to discreetly separate you from your money. If it’s new & improved (think iPhone) or simply shiny, they’ll subliminally convince you to buy the new product. Don’t buy the hype… old stuff rules!
Photography is certainly no exception to this menagerie. Sure, some technology advancements are game changers and certainly inspire people to get out and shoot more images. This is a net positive to the purchase process. However, many improvements are simply fluff and not worth your time… or money.
In the end, buying a new camera isn’t going to improve your photography.
If I can use golfing as a quick analogy: Several years ago, I bought a new TaylorMade SIM2 Max driver. Boy, she was a beauty. I’ve never had a big swing, so the graphite shaft would allow a little more whip and club speed. The first time I used the club confirmed my beliefs… club speed accelerated on the first tee and the ball traveled about 25 yards further… into the woods. It was as though my new driver came with a Muir Woods membership. I spend more time bonding with nature than my foursome on the golf course. My errant tee shots were plentiful and I couldn’t find all the stray balls. However, I did find a few patches of poison ivy for my efforts.
Yellowstone National Park - 1990
Bass Harbor Lighthouse - Acadia National Park - 1992
I think you get my point… new equipment isn’t always the answer. Sorry. If you want to improve your photography in 2024, may I suggest looking at used equipment? There’s a plethora of great stuff at your local camera store looking for a new home (Canon, Nikon, Sony, etc). Even better advice… take private lessons, buy a few books, attend a workshop(s), sign up for seminars and purchase and/or subscribe to online photography websites. You can thank me later as it will be money well spent.
And there you have it… all the news/commentary fit to print on a late December day in 2023. Bring on the New Year!
Fisherman’s Wharf - San Francisco - 1987