Dawn in Yellowstone National Park.

Artist Point, Yellowstone National Park.

American Bison, Yellowstone National Park.

Yellowstone National Park.

No need to adjust your monitors!  Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that is a disposable film camera. Fuji 400 in fact. They were on sale just outside Yellowstone National Park 2 for $9.00 dollars. Now, I know you are all wondering why the heck I would be holding this cardboard relic. I’d like to tell you that I have it because I wanted to challenge myself to shoot as well with the disposable camera as I would with my professional gear. I’d like to tell you that I wanted to prove to myself that you can still take good pictures and delay instant gratification without chimping - the term we photogs coined for peeking at the image on the backs of our digital cameras.
But the simple truth is……….we forgot our cameras.

My B.F.F Robyn, who has been teaching English in Seoul, Korea for the last year, was back in the states for a short visit in her home town of Idaho Falls, ID. So I took a week off to fly out and visit. Day two of my trip was Yellowstone. The plan was to stay over one night in the park. So we got up early, packed the car with bedding, food and bags and got on the road. Then suddenly 20 minutes down the road while in the middle of nowhere, Robyn shrieked, “I forgot the camera.”

The irony of the situation is that her father is a photographer. We had gear galore at our disposal, and we ended up with discount fare.

It was a bit of a shock once inside the park: me and my cardboard companion and the rest of the world with all of their high tech digital equipment. I wish I could say I held my head up high and shot with great pride, but mostly I made Robyn stand next to me to block other people’s view of me while I shot. I mean what did people do before digital? It was quite a humbling experience. I find the whole thing kind of ironic…..I mean I literally cried six-years ago when the Post staff went digital and now I find I can’t function without it. But I did manage to make a few nice frames in the end.