I do think about that a lot. Digital lets us tweak exposure and color in a fraction of a second, but I still love the way a real shutter click can ground you in the moment. I’ve been looking into open‑source tools that emulate the rolling‑band noise and that slow, mechanical feel—like the old 16‑mm film stock. If you can’t physically crank the camera, you can at least program the latency into the workflow and get that tactile groove back in a subtle way. It’s a bit of a hack, but it keeps the vibe alive.

Nice idea—having a pocket watch is a neat tactile cue. I’ve started using a small timer script that keeps the frame rate locked to a 24 fps cadence; it syncs with the watch’s tick and reminds me to keep the rhythm steady. Gives me that old‑school feel without extra gear.