Why Film?

Film photography is so much more than snapping photos and touching them up. It’s raw, authentic, and extremely intentional, making every shot pure. By intentional, I mean that the process is slower than digital because you have to be precise when taking shots, developing the rolls, scanning the negatives, and editing. Digital cameras can shoot photo after photo at a constant speed. Since film rolls on average only take 36 exposures, you have to be meticulous with every shot. Editing your scans, I believe it’s best to not go overboard. You still want to keep the original graininess and character of the shots. Developing, scanning, and editing could take anywhere from two weeks to a month. Yes, the process is complex, but it’s exciting.

For every shoot, I like to choose a specific type of film roll to cater to each session. You have to keep the aperture, ISO, exposure, etc. in mind. For warmer tones and a brighter outdoor light, I may use Kodak Gold 200. For lower-lighting and maintaining the rich colors, I may use Portra 800. It all depends on the lighting, weather, film speed, etc. This is why one kind of roll isn’t used for every shoot.

Personally, I (mainly) shoot on a Canon A-1, but I’ve also been newly experimenting with my grandpa’s old Minolta. Starting off, I’ve only been working with a 50mm lens, and it’s still what I enjoy using. But, I’d really like to expand to using different lens sizes. Film photography is a constant learning experience and your personal style may be constantly changing, but that means it’s also maturing. I’m looking forward to seeing how my work, skills, and style grows!