To make this simple self-portrait, I didn’t spend an hour setting up the Wista, loading sheets of film, processing with half-expired C-41 chemistry, crossing my fingers, drying, scanning, spotting, inverting, storing, and on and on.

Instead, I set a digital camera on a tripod and triggered the shutter with my iPhone. The whole thing from idea to upload took less than 10 minutes.

I used to look at a shot like that on film, amazed that I hit focus and got the color somewhere close to what I remembered and there weren’t any distracting dust spots or light leaks or water spots. Thing is, it’s really just a boring selfie. But if it was on film it would have taken more work and therefore have more intrinsic value built in, right?

I used to think so, but I’m starting to wonder if maybe it doesn’t matter to me anymore.