The feel of photography

Oh my goodness. Photography has many facets as you may know. The whole process is intertwined and clothed in multiple aspects. I need a place to start. Firstly the equipment namely my camera. I just love the feel of a camera in my hands. The piece of photographic technology is simply awesome. In relative terms a new invention, 120 roll film, dates from the 1880s, development chemistry still available today from the same time. For the moment let's talk about the good old days before the advent of digital. From the genesis an ability to record upon a photosensitive medium seemed magical to the uninitiated. Indeed it was a realm only available to the upper classes and wealthy. The process was alien to most people. As with most things, photography became more and more accessible. There was still a mystery around it though. For me there was. Questions like how does film work? How is it developed and printed? Even up until the late eighties this was a mystery for non photographers. Of course people dropped the rolls at a lab to be collected in a few days or a few hours even. Without any thought about it. The magic I had was opening the envelope containing pictures from childhood holidays. Nowadays nothing has changed with regards to photography. It's in essence a full time hobby. My “real job” funds my real interest. A life balance so to speak. Well I'm rambling again. Let's return to the point, photography had many aspects or facets. Not only that but how it feels, from the complete existence of operating the camera to “playing” in the darkroom and studio. The whole aspect of photography should be simple. It's nothing serious.