Lately when I reach for a camera, I tend to reach for the Pentax. I feel bad, naturally, when I look over at my Rebel XTi, sitting forlorn in the corner, feeling neglected and judged for its newness. It seems to say, the way only a rebel can: “I can’t help it if I’m not retro, you know?”. Now if I were one to engage in conversation with inanimate objects, I would reassure the Rebel. But truth be told, she’s right. I’m hooked on film photography these days. It’s my new crack, which stands to reason because for as long as I can remember, I’ve always been attracted to photos that have a nostalgic feel. And it’s hard to get that magic with digital without post processing.

All that to say that I feel like I’ve finally tapped into a style of photography that suits me, so I will ignore the burning stare of the Rebel lens long enough to sing the Pentax K1000′s praises and tell you the reasons why I’ve fallen head over heels in love with the clunky bastid.

• Though the DSLR gives me the freedom to shoot at will and with abandon, I believe the age of analog forced, or at least afforded, a certain amount of discipline. A more conscious and intentational approach to photography, which I appreciate exploring anew.

• The anticipation of getting a roll of film developed. Information travels so quickly nowadays that we are barely ever asked to wait for anything, which leaves little room for surprises. And though I am the world’s most impatient woman on occasion, I do love me a good surprise. I like the thrill of picking up a roll of film at the print shop after waiting for a full 36 exposures (which sometimes takes weeks to shoot) to see what the photos look like.

• The sound! Have I told you about the sound? And how there is no better sound in the world than the shutter releasing on a Pentax K1000 and the clicking as you advance the film?  Swoon.

• It’s leaden, bulky, bad ass artillery, takes no prisoners, looks like it would survive combat. If the Pentax were dishware, it would be one of those indestructable Corelle plates with the avocado green cornflowers around the rim. If it were a drink, it would be vodka tonic, hold the lime. It’s the Volvo of cars, the Converse of shoes, the potatoes of the vegetable patch.

• I rarely ever post process my Pentax photos, except perhaps minor cropping or adjusting the levels. I used to go extreme Photoshop on my pictures to give them “that feel” but they ended up looking like they’d been injected with Botox. Seemed like a good idea at the time… but in retrospect, they all had that plastic look, that thick layer of makeup, like when you use the wrong foundation for your skin tone. With the Pentax, my photos come out just the way I like them, strait out of the camera with a little layer of magic on top. That glow. That blur. That grain. That thing you can’t quite put your finger on? That’s the K1000 je ne sais quoi. Unprocessed, no salt or sugar added, pure natural goodness. Can ya digg it?

I guess you could say I have a little crush on my Pentax. And I have a feeling this is the kind of love that will last a lifetime.

Jeanine Caron is a regular contributor to Gypsy Girl’s Guide.