Film is crazy advanced. One of those “how did humanity figure this out?” kind of things. Smarter Every Day YouTube channel did a thorough tour of Kodak and it’s pretty fascinating all that goes into it.
The deliberate act of shooting that the financial and time cost definitely makes better photos. You can do that with digital as well but it takes more discipline. Far easier to shoot a dozen and hope one works than to think and come up with the right one from the start.
Both have their place I think. Any time I shoot a race, wedding, or a once in a life trip I’m so glad it’s digital! Being able to do a 10 shot burst and nail the facial expression is pretty awesome. Then slowing down and going on a local hike and setting up my 4x5 to take one shot, or a photo walk around town with an old SLR is a blast too.
Maybe I just like photography?
Photography. Yes you can do it with your phone, but a proper camera makes the process much more intentional. It can cost a fortune, but it can also be relatively cheap. I started off with a little digital camera when my daughter was born to document her kid years, now I’m dragging large format sheet film cameras up mountains on camping trips. Any mirrorless or DSLR from the last decade will get you going. Also photography pairs so well with basically any other hobby and sometimes can provide the motivation to do the other thing. Tons of YouTube videos and channels on the subject.
Biking. Great as a way to get around town in a healthy way. Brings about that joy of being a kid just ripping around the neighborhood. Then I started getting more and more into mountain biking, which has been a fun rabbit hole. Progressed slowly to avoid injury, and now I’m ripping blacks at the bike park and just raced my first enduro last month.
Running. Trail, road, whatever, just run. The best stress relief imaginable, and the best time to work through whatever is in your head. You’ll feel better, maybe not always in the beginning but after a run definitely. Buy some shoes and off you go.
Climbing. Noticing a physical activity trend here. Climbing is awesome though. Such freedom of movement, it’s like self weighted vertical yoga. Bouldering is a great place to start. No ropes or technical ability required, just bring a friend to a gym and they’ll get you started. From there you can get your own shoes, get a membership, learn to top rope, meet some more experienced climbers, go outside with them, learn to lead … another deep rabbit hole.
Hope those give some inspiration!