Giving up on film?

I love my film cameras. When I say cameras, I'm not just talking about two or three. I own at least ten film cameras of different makes and models. Unfortunately, I find myself only shooting color film these days. There are a couple reasons for that: a) I find I can express myself better in color at this point in my life, and b) I've become darkroom averse (I could say "lazy" but I think there's more to it than that).

I used to adore spending hours in the darkroom and could completely lose myself in the process. Now, I find it confining, frustrating (perhaps because I'm so out of practice) and irritating to my senses (I can feel my nose hairs curling when I think of stop bath and fixer). I can count number of times I have been in the darkroom in the past year (uh...twice...maybe). Don't get me wrong. Every time I look at a Walker Evans, or a Diane Arbus or a Ralph Eugene Meatyard, I get the hankering to shoot B&W again and immerse myself in the dark, dank space between chemistry and creation. But, if I'm honest with myself, I can say that I'd much rather spend that time shooting pictures and poking pixels on my computer.

I don't expect to get rid of my film cameras any time soon (well, maybe I'll sell a couple of them - I should be able to get, what, $25 for my Nikon FE2...sigh). I can continue shooting color and working from digital copies of the negs. We might actually sell the darkroom equipment, as well, since it never gets used.

Change is hard, especially when it involves something you love and are committed to. I still have a few rolls of B&W film and lots of chemistry that I could have a final hurrah with. Plus, my friend lent me this bad-boy to try out:

Maybe one more year before I let go completely...