Album covers and liner notes are another advantage . Especially for older eyes , the printed information is readable . Having the lyrics makes it so much easier to sing along . Cover artwork brings Eric boundless notes of nostalgia . His final comment was , “ Try a trip to a record store . Just find a bin of old LPs , savour the smell , flip through the albums , and feel the rush .” I intend to .
My final recommendation is film photography . Again , not my schtick , but photographer Mike Bates ( 500px . com / slidemkr / galleries ) intrigued me as we sat on his patio discussing , not film versus digital , but the blending of the two . Mike said , “ If you have analog lenses , a twenty-dollar adapter , and a digital camera , you can meld the best of both worlds .”
He then showed me a unique twolens German analog camera and explained
that its use created a true challenge — Where would he use it ? What time of day ? What would be his subject ? Could he use the camera to its full advantage ? The result would be a self-portrait : not a picture of himself , but a statement , a figurative portrayal of his time and expertise .
I also asked why a senior could be encouraged to return to film photography . Mike said , “ For the challenge ,” and added , “ I used to do that . Let ’ s see what they ’ re doing now .”
For many of us , what we are doing now is appreciating one of the greatest joys of retirement — time . We have a lifetime of experience ; we have seen the digital world enter our lives and we both exalt in and decry its existence . I encourage you to consider a meander down memory lane , to pick and choose what ’ s right for you , but do think about doing some things the “ old-school ” way .
Jock Mackenzie , retired teacher , is as eager to learn new tricks as relish the analog life . As you may have read in other issues of news & views , Jock takes books to prisons and little libraries , has tried blowing glass , and now enjoys hands-on meal preparation .
ARTA is coming to Calgary !
And we plan to stick around .
ARTA Calgary
Suite N125 , 6815 8th Street NE Calgary , AB T2E 7H7
Visit the ARTA Calgary office for all your membership needs .
news & views SPRING 2024 | 29