Why Shoot Film? A Beginner's Guide to Film Photography

Film can appear both intriguing and overwhelming even to a professional photographer. Its alluring colors, textures, and vintage aesthetic make it appealing and have led to the re-emergence of film over the past few years. But why shoot film?

For me personally, I had always been drawn to it. Nearly all of my favorite photographers when I was a teenager shot film (although I did not realize it at the time). Years of looking at these photographs had a profound influence on the way that I shoot and what I look for in photographs. It was only natural that I was drawn towards the medium.

However, it took about seven years between me having an interest in shooting film and actually doing it. I had a film camera that had been passed down, a Pentax ME, but it was broken and unusable. I never got into film before because of the perceived cost. I purchased a DSLR first and learned how to shoot manual for several years, but I still longed to capture that “film-look.” My last few months of my senior year of undergrad, I became obsessed with learning about and shooting film. I absorbed all of the information I could and after graduating in spring 2018, I decided to give myself a gift after four arduous (but incredible) years of a Biology degree: I bought a Canon A-1. With my 8-month excursion to Chile fast approaching, I knew I could not go without a film camera. I shot my first roll shortly before leaving and I fell in love.

For those on the fence about it, there are many reasons why you should get into film. Below are just a few to help you make the leap.

Film helps you to become a better photographer

When shooting film, you do not have a digital display that shows you the image. You won’t see it until it is developed. You also only get 24-36 images if you are shooting 35mm film and fewer if you shoot medium format (we’ll get to these terms, don’t worry!). This scares some people and it certainly intimidated me. However, it’s not as scary as you may think. The fact that you can’t see the result immediately and that you have fewer images to shoot forces you to slow down and really think about which settings to use and what to photograph. It is a slower process, and part of that is wonderful. Your photos feel more intentional. Plus, there is nothing like getting those photos back from the lab (it’s like Christmas for me when I get mine!). Over time, you will develop your style and your eye for it and it will transfer to the digital photos that you take. Film can also be very forgiving, so if you overexpose an image, your image will probably still be good.

It is not nearly as expensive as you think it is

Film can certainly be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. You may be able to get a camera that works for free from a family member or friend. If not, you can get one for cheaper than $150 if you are lucky and depending on the camera (Here is a great video on buying film cameras: x). I actually bought mine from Used Peonies on Depop. The camera will typically be the most expensive part, and if you start with a point and shoot it may be even cheaper. I found one at Goodwill for $5 and it took some pretty good shots. Once you have the camera, you have to select your film, and some like Kodak Colorplus 200 (which I shoot often) can be as cheap as $3.50 per roll. You also pay for a lab to develop your film for you (yes, you can develop it yourself, but I don’t recommend it for beginners). I recommend Boutique Film Lab, they are an amazing film lab based in Nashville, TN, and they will develop and digitally scan your rolls for you (we will talk about this below). You could be looking at spending less than $200 to get your camera and shoot your first few rolls. You’d be hard-pressed to find a good DSLR for that price plus the cost of Lightroom and/or Photoshop. It is an investment, but is worth the initial cost.

It takes gorgeous photographs

There is no denying that film is beautiful. There is a certain look to film that is hard to get with a digital camera. Small moments like a mug of tea sitting on a windowpane look instantly more beautiful on film. Photos of your friends or moments in life have a unique look that a cell phone simply cannot capture. Film cameras are a great way to capture every day life in a way that makes you stop and think, and it is a great way to document. It also produces truly gorgeous portraits and stunning colors or breathtaking black and white shots. If you are looking to shoot something different, film is the way to go.

You can take unique shots

While some digital cameras have a multiple exposure function, many don’t. Film, on the other hand, invented them. I love taking double exposure and have taken several over the past year and even did an entire series using the technique. Not everyone likes double exposures, but personally I love them. You may also get light leaks or “first of the roll” shots.

You may be ready to start your film photography journey but may still feel a little overwhelmed by all of the information out there. Below is some info to help you determine which camera and film stock to get and how to get started shooting film.

35mm vs. Medium Format

The two main film formats that you are going to come across as a beginner photographer is 35mm film and medium format. 35mm film (sometimes referred to as “135” on a box of film) is the typical film that most people think of when shooting film. The cameras tend to be cheaper and you have more negatives (photos) on each roll (between 24-36 depending on the film stock). Medium format (aka 120 film) can be a bit tricky and I won’t get into it too much here (I still haven’t shot it yet!), but basically you have a larger negative size which results in a typically higher quality photograph. You get fewer photos (typically between 10-16). I don’t recommend starting with a medium format camera as it costs more and is a bit advanced for newbies.

Point and Shoot vs. SLR vs. Rangefinder

For those who have no experience photographing or very little (especially those with little to no experience shooting with DSLRs), I recommend starting with a point and shoot. Below are a few shots I have taken on a point and shoot I bought at Goodwill.

You can get a point and shoot for cheap and they are easy to learn and will help you to develop your eye for photography while still shooting film. For those with more advanced skills, you can start with an SLR or Rangefinder (although many professionals use point and shoots due to their easy of use and their retro vibes). Rangefinders allow for pristine focus, but they are often far more expensive. SLRs are more common and typically cost less. You can browse around to determine which works better for you, but each camera type has its pros and cons. My current camera is an SLR and I will admit that the focusing can be tricky but with practice you will get better.

Choosing a film

There are A LOT of options for shooting film. You can shoot color or black and white, and there are a variety of price ranges. You may notice a number after the names of each film stock (Kodak Portra 400, Kodak Colorplus 200, Ektar 100, etc.) - this represents the ISO of your film. In a digital camera, you can choose which ISO you want in the moment, and this determines how much light the camera lets into the camera and what combination of aperture and shutter speed you will need to use. In film, you set the ISO in the camera at the beginning (unless you are using a point and shoot), and that is the ISO you will use for the entire roll. The higher the ISO, the more light the film will receive. However, the grain may be a bit higher the higher your ISO (depends on the film stock), so a 100 speed film (aka ISO 100) will have less grain than a 800 speed film in most cases. ISO 400 is a flexible speed for use in most circumstances, while 200 is better for daylight and probably useless indoors without a flash, and 800 will be difficult in broad daylight. You are restricted by the the film’s ISO (the film’s speed), so choose your speed based on what you plan to shoot. If it says “ISO 200” and your camera has an option to selwct your ISO, you will select “200.” This tells your camera to meter (aka be in the ISO ___ setting) for 200 or whichever ISO. You can “push” the film by selecting a higher ISO than the film stock says or “pull” your film by going down, but this is an advanced technique. The specific film stock you choose is based on your taste and what you are shooting. You may have heard of Kodak Portra, and yes, it is a gorgeous film stock, but it is expensive and not always feasible. It’s great for professional shots, but not so much if you are just playing with film a little and trying to learn. There are all types of stocks out there, from Kodak to Fujifilm to Lomography to Ilford and more, but the only way to know which one you want to shoot is to look at different images of each film stock to determine what you like. The shots you have seen from me are all shot on Kodak film stocks because I prefer their colors, but some people prefer Fujifilm or Lomography for example. I do plan to test out several film stocks in the future and will be sure to post my results here.

Getting your photos developed

This part can be a bit overwhelming to someone just starting out. First, figure out what you want. Do you need someone to color correct the images for you, or do you have the capabilities to do it yourself? Many people don’t realize that you do have to edit your film photos a little because the scanner will typically scan your image flat, so it doesn’t give that “film look” automatically. Many professionals DO edit their photos, but not as heavily as you might with a digital photo (check out this great video: x). I edit my photos because I have a specific look that I like and want to have full control of the image. If you ask for a “basic scan,” the lab will straight scan your photos and send them to you unedited and you will have to edit them. If you don’t want to edit them or don’t have the capabilities to do so (don’t have Lightroom for example), your lab can typically do that part for you, but you need to communicate with your laboratory about what you want. When you bring your film in (or possibly mail it to them), the lab will develop and scan the film and send you a digital file.

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Film photography is an exciting endeavor and is not nearly as difficult as you may think. It will give you the opportunity to produce stunning images that will uniquely capture what you want to document. It’s a truly rewarding hobby and I wish you all the best with your photos.

Want me to shoot some film portraits of you? Book a session with me!

Stay tuned for film stock reviews and other film-related posts in the future!

Rivers

     One of the hardest things for me when I left Chile this summer was knowing that I would no longer have access to the ocean. This was saddening for a variety of reasons, one of which being that it provided beautiful footage for me to capture for films. Where I live is significantly more boring and therefore quite a bit harder to film, so I was in a rut.  

     I took an Ichthyology course (the study of fish), and due to our location, the focus was primarily freshwater fishes, especially in the lab portion. I came into the class with a passion for marine fish and not so much for freshwater ones, but within a few weeks, something changed.

     We went out into the field to search for fish on several occasions and it was the highlight of my semester. I absolutely adored it. We would sample the streams and rivers looking for what fish species were in the system, and I discovered that there was so much more life in those waters than I had ever imagined. I surprised myself by my own fascination, saying that the fish were beautiful. To me, they truly were.

    I knew I had to make another film and relay what I was seeing to others. I decided to create a film that captured these waters for their true beauty and showed the beauty that lies just beneath the surface. I was limited in what I could shoot since I was so jam-packed with my heavy course load and my thesis, and I was not able to travel far enough to some of the locations that I wanted to film, but I was determined to work with what I had to make a film on par with my Chile film. I decided to go with rivers, since they are so prominent in Tennessee, and I filmed at the Harpeth River (Relient K fans may recognize this place as the location on their most recent album cover), the Stones River, the Duck River, and the Tennessee Aquarium (one of my favorite places). I had to select the music, and only one person came to mind: Brian Bradley.

     Brian Bradley is a phenomenal artist from Minnesota. Born in Seoul, South Korea and raised in Minnesota, Brian has a unique view of the world that is translated into his work. Brian photographs the world with breathtaking landscape photographs (among other photographic forms) and also creates vivid, expressive music (his most recent album, Mars Mission 1, follows the journey from Earth to Mars in 17 tracks that relay the story). Brian graciously provided the music for my first film, and consequently he had a track entitled "Rivers," so it was a perfect match. "Rivers" is a fast-paced, sweeping track from his album North, an instrumental album inspired by the Minnesota landscape, and it provided the perfect audio backdrop and added a level of depth to my film that would not have been achieved without it.

This is how I see rivers. This is how he hears them. Perhaps we will make you, too, aware of their beauty.

SEA - Adam Young Scores Short Film Contest

     One of the highlights of the year for me was the Adam Young Scores project. At the beginning of each month, Adam Young, the mastermind behind "Owl City," released a conceptual film score based on a historical event. Being both a fan of his music and a major history buff, this was basically the dream. I lavished the scores each month, dazzled by their lush production and storylines.

     While I was in Chile performing my research this summer, Miracle in the Andes was released on the first night of my last experimental run. For those of you who are unfamilar with my Chile adventure, my research involved 24-hour behavioral analyses where once an hour for 24 hours I had to observe the behavior of my snails, and most ran for up to 72-hours at regular but less frequent intervals after the first 24 hours. You can check out the full story if you like here, but basically I was exhausted quite a bit of the time. However, the release of that score could not have come at a more perfect time, and it kept me awake and alive all night. What was far more exciting, however, was that the event took place rather close to where I was located, and of all of the times that he could have released a score involving Chile, it was while I was there. Laying on a wooden bench in the frigid dark under a set of stars different from my own, the ever-present sound of the bubbling air and running water in the lab gurgling away, I spent my very short breaks between observations enraptured in a world that was closer than most people listening to the score would ever be to the actual location. I saw the Andes just a few days after the score came out, and I was beside myself. I was captivated by the fascinating story of survival, and it helped to push me onward with my lack of sleep (5 hours total over a 72 hour period). If they could make it in much worse of a situation, I could certainly survive this, and I did.

     While I was in Chile, I worked on my very first film project. I had wanted to get into filmmaking for ages, I just never had the time nor the place to do it. Chile served as an excellent teacher and model, and whenever I had a rare chance to slip away from my work during those seven weeks, I explored the nearby beaches and photographed and filmed. Upon my return, I created and released my first film, "Oceano," on YouTube. As much footage as I used in it, there was so much that would go unseen since I did not have room for it. They sat in the catacombs of my computer files, never to see the light of day.

Or so I thought.

    I was studying for an Ichthyology (the study of fish) lab exam when I heard about the Adam Young Short Film Contest. I about exploded with glee, forgetting all the dead fish in the jars that I had been eyeing for a few hours. I would have the opportunity to marry two things that were very near and dear to me into one project. Unfortunately, I was slammed with my thesis and courses, so I wouldn't be able to begin until after finals, so I patiently but anxiously waited to put my film together.

    Thankfully I finished my semester off strong and finally got to work on my film. This film means so much to me, both because of the footage and the music. The shots from the film are the product of many weeks of work in the sparse moments where I could take a break from my research long enough to go out. I stood in a lot of uncomfortable positions, got my feet wet on multiple occasions, and braved those beautiful beaches even when reaching them was difficult due to strong waves and high tides. I am so proud of these shots and they are my attempt to bring the beauty I lived to others. The scores have also been very close to me, having carried me through lots of study (both my research and coursework), scary and joyful times, and of course thoughtful drives to and from college.

     My film includes two tracks from The Spirit of St. Louis score. When I first heard "Over Water," I cried. It was one of the most beautiful pieces I had ever heard, and it truly captured that feeling of the ocean. When I first arrived in Chile, somewhat shaken due to complication with my transportation, I went out one evening to explore after I had finished my work. The world was cast in a purple glow as the sea swelled and the mist swirled around me. I pulled out my phone, played "Over Water," and stood in complete awe. That was one of my most cherished moments in Chile. The next song, "Stars Appear," and the flow between the two is just so lovely that I simply couldn't break them apart. They help to tell the story of the sea, engaging in her various sides and exposing much of her personality.

     This film means so much to me and I hope that it perhaps strikes a chord with you, too. If you'd like to hear more about my Chile story, all blogs from June to August relay my adventures (and misadventures). Thank you for supporting this project, my heart and soul.