A prescription for film

It’s a typical afternoon. As I’m heading to the park with my daughter I decide to grab the camera to see if I can catch a few shots of her playing in the sunshine. A couple of hours later I have about 200 photos. This often happens to me. I have a problem. I’m shutter happy.

It started years ago when I began using a digital camera. I couldn’t, and for the most part still can’t, stop clicking. At first, in part, I just liked hearing the sound of the click. Truly. I was also in love with the instant feedback on my LCD screen and the quality of the image. It was just an entry level DSLR with a kit lens, but each photo looked amazing to me at the time, especially since most of my previous photo taking was with disposable film cameras. I was somewhat indiscriminate about what I was shooting. I would point that camera at just about anything and click and delight in the magic that produced an image right there in my hands to look at.

The freedom of taking photos without the expense of purchasing and developing film kept me clicking away, taking hundreds of photos at a time. In some ways this was a great gift, because I could accrue a lot of experience quickly and was free to experiment. On the other hand, I had very little discipline when taking photos. My constant clicking prevented me from thinking through my shots and carefully composing them. I also had the mentality that maybe if I kept pressing the shutter, I would achieve some incredible images through sheer luck or odds.

This was my M.O. for quite some time until one day, my camera malfunctioned. It had to be sent away to be fixed and I was left with a photography addiction and no digital camera. Fortunately I was able to dust off my dad’s old film camera, a fully manual Pentax K1000, that he used to take so many of our family snapshots over the years.

It was such a strange, yet invigorating experience to work with film and a fully manual camera. I went from a trigger happy photographer to a slow and methodical one. Each click meant something. Each was valuable and important.

First, I considered what my subject would be, what was inspiring me and where the lighting was just right. Then I took my time looking through the viewfinder, double checking the composition, methodically adjusting the speed and aperture to get the needle where I wanted it in the light meter, and carefully focusing and refocusing. Then, I would hold my breath and with great anticipation and a bit of anxiety, snap! It was so strange without the LCD screen, however when I pressed the shutter I felt like I had a pretty good idea whether the photo worked or not. It was as if my mind took a photo at the same time. If I really loved the image that I was aspiring for, I went ahead and took two or three shots, sometimes bracketing the exposure, especially when using back lighting where I would overexpose slightly. And when I took photos of my two year old daughter, I simply had to accept that I might have to use several frames to get the end result I wanted without the help of auto focus. I took my time working through the roll, not wanting to waste it.

Once I took that last frame and tentatively wound the film and popped it out of the camera, I took it to my local camera shop for processing. This was the best part. The anticipation of waiting for that first roll of film to come back was just about as exciting as waking up on Christmas morning as a kid. I’m happy to tell you that the results exceeded my expectations. Out of that first roll of 36, I had 19 good photos, 10 of which I thought were really quite good. And I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that I didn’t have hundreds of photos to sort through and I had absolutely NO editing to do. All of the work occurred up front and now I could just enjoy the finished product. The prints were beautiful. There’s just something so gorgeous about the quality of film prints that I could never replicate in Photoshop.

I currently shoot most often with my digital camera, and even though I have tried to apply a more deliberate approach, I still get carried away with my clicks. I have also continued to shoot film with my Pentax at a much slower rate, and every time I complete a roll I practically skip down to the camera shop to get it developed, feeling like it’s Christmas Eve again. I’m still savoring the results. I think that film brings out the best in me.

For those of you who haven’t picked up a film camera in a while, or those youngsters who perhaps never have, I encourage you to give it a try. It can be intimidating, but it is essentially the same and you will relish the accomplishment when you get an especially sweet shot. And there’s something so satisfying and tangible about creating an image on film. If you’re not sure what to do with your film, I recommend looking for a local camera shop that does processing. You can order prints and/or a CD with your images scanned. Sometimes I just get the negatives with the CD and it costs about $12. Then I take the negatives back in and get prints of only the shots I love. For your first roll, I say get the prints right away to celebrate your accomplishment and see the beauty of that gorgeous film. If you have questions about delving into film, leave them here so myself or others can help.

For those of you who shoot film as well as digital, I’d love to hear about your experiences. How do you approach film differently? Is there a particular type of camera or film that you prefer? What do you love about it? Please share a favorite film image here.

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Today's image and words by guest shutter sister Tracy Collins.

Comments

[Deb]

I can so relate to this! What a lovely, well-written post. I am moving towards using film almost exclusively I think, partly because I find it so much more satisfying, for reasons you have stated here, and partly because my digital camera is a little old and not very reliable anymore. I like to do more 'lomographic' work, with vintage cameras (Smena mainly) and expired film, but a very lovely friend has just gifted me her old Canon film camera and I'm using new film in that. I love how you describe taking a picture with film as opposed to digital - it is exactly like that, you have to slow down and really consider every aspect of what you are doing. And waiting to see the results is delicious :-) Here is one of my favourite film images, from early last year http://deb-scudder.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/pink.html - and here's one of my favourites from this year http://www.flickr.com/photos/muddybarefeet/6825939432/in/photostream

[rakusribut]

great post! thank you for being so elaborate about it and sharing what shooting analog brings you.
my dad gave me his complete Olympus OM2 set with tons of lenses and filters, and i am working towards daring to try it out. i used to shoot away endlessly, just like you, but i am taking classes and try to become more deliberate in what i shoot and in the way i shoot it. it feels like i am slowly mastering the art of photography, having to take less and less shots to achieve the image that i want. your post makes me think that maybe i shouldn't wait until i am an accomplished digital photographer before grabbing my dad's gear and starting to shoot analog. thanks for that!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rakusribut/6856240072/in/photostream/lightbox/

[Marcie]

So true what you've said here about the 'art and craft' of shooting with film. Most of my life was spent with a film camera. Having begun that way instead of 'digital' - I actually find the transition to digital free-ing:
http://www.marciescudderphotography.com/home/2012/3/20/just-in-time.html

[emma]

Oh this is close to my heart. I lost my Pentax around ten years ago then ended up buying a digital a few years later as I was a poor student at the time and couldn't afford another camera. I spent a couple of hours the other day scanning in only a fraction of my literally hundreds of film photos to Flickr, and loved going through them all. Film is special and so are prints (digital prints just aren't the same).

I'm seriously considering buying a film camera soon.

Here is an old one of mine from backpacking across Europe in the 90s:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vanillasplash/6834984628/in/set-72157629216800426

[Caryn]

Wonderful, thoughtful post. I started experimenting with Polaroid cameras about two years ago and quickly found myself addicted. Since then I've acquired a Diana F+ toy camera (as a contest prize here on Shutter Sisters as a matter of fact...thank you!) and also recently purchased my first film SLR. All three types of cameras offer the photographer a unique experience and each is challenging in its own way. For me, the magical quality of film more than makes up for the extra effort and expense analog photography requires. I also find the slowness and deliberate quality of shooting film to be almost like a form of meditation. And yes, the suspense of waiting for your film to come back later adds to the fun! :-) http://instamaticgratification.wordpress.com/2012/02/01/32366/
http://instamaticgratification.wordpress.com/2012/02/03/34366/

[Rhian]

Totally agree with this. And the other aspect of shooting with my older film cameras is that I'm not afraid to take them places - my OM-10 didn't cost me much & is built so well that I'm not afraid of damaging it, or it being stolen. I rarely take my DSLR out as I'm too nervous with it, but I always have either my faithful OM or my flighty Diana F+ with me. And that moment of getting the film back - you're right, it's always like Christmas :-)

[claudia]

As soon as I finished your post, I walked over to the fridge at took out a roll of film I've had rolling around in there forever! I keep saying I want to shoot more film this year but unless the camera is out with film in it I never will. Thank you for the reminder to get back to basics, and taking time to think through a shot - I too am a bit trigger happy and my hard drive is suffering from it :( However my photography has improved, I think, over the years because of it. Still, there is nothing like the color and quality of film. I find myself often times trying to get a digital photo to look like film in PS - funny, all that when I could just shoot film!
Here's one of my all time favorite film shots - only added a frame and watermark in PS
http://www.flickr.com/photos/laurohunt/2561359445/in/set-72157605506221343/
p.s. gorgeous pink blossoms!!

[life in eden]

So funny -- I just broke out my old Pentax K1000 this month. When I was shooting my 3-year-old twins they keep asking to see the shot on the back of the camera! They just couldn't understand. And in a few days I'm giving a talk on Dorthea Lange to my oldest's 3rd grade class. How to explain glass plates?!

I do love the concentration required when shooting film, it is how I learned way back when. And there are times I actually prefer the manual control of focus. I'm excited to do this again. Now I just need to find that camera shop in my town!

[Jeanne]

I just bought my first DSLR this past weekend, so I've been thinking a lot about film vs digital this week! I have primarily used a Canon AE-1 film camera ever since I took a darkroom photography class in high school. And for photos that go on my blog and need a faster turnaround time, I used a digital point and shoot. When all of the local film developing shops shut down, I started processing some of my b&w film at home and sending out the rest. Part of the reason that I resisted purchasing a DSLR for so long is that I felt it was somehow less magical. There's something satisfying and solid about my film camera. The metal dials that click into place with options only for aperture and shutter speed, instead of a digital menu system with all kinds of settings and filters. I'm hoping that I can hold onto the deliberateness of film photography as I learn how to shoot with a DSLR.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeamac/7000193437/

[Stephanie]

I love shooting on film. It's how I first learned photography. My photography teacher in college once told me that if you can get 5 really good, solid photos off one roll of film, that's considered a successful shoot. So getting 10 really good ones is excellent!

[Gabriela]

Thanks for a wonderful post, makes me want to run and bring out my Minolta SRT200....I got hooked into photography before the DSRL revolution, but once I got my first DSRL I haven't picked up my Minolta much. As I started blogging, I had to bring out my prints and post on comparing the two worlds. If using my Minolta, I almost exclusively use b&w film. I might stop for some film on my way home ...

http://gamaraca.wordpress.com/2012/01/28/the-power-of-black-and-white-film-photography/

[Linda]

Great post! Sometimes we do move too fast. We get the immediate satisfaction of "rear preview" and the "delete photo". I am trying a more deliberate approach with my picture taking. Planning my shots so I don't end up with 200 or more each time out!

http://focusingonlifegrp.blogspot.com/2012/03/deliberatation.html

[damiec]

Lovely azaleas. I've been shooting film since the beginning of the new year, and I am crazy mad over the moon for it. As much as I love how much I've been able to teach myself about photography with my DSLR in the past year and a half, the real test for me of whether I knew what I was doing was taking a turn with my parents' old nikkormat.

I'd used cameras from the time I was small - instamatics, polaroids and early p&s minoltas, but my parents' "big camera" intimidated the heck out of me. It's crazy, really, as I shoot my dslr in fully manual mode 95% of the time. The FILM26 project began just as I did, and now I prefer to carry my film camera (with an iphone for a light meter), and only find myself grabbing my dslr in low light or when getting the shot is essential (school plays, birthday parties etc).

I have had the exact experience you described - a happy trigger finger on the dslr vs. a sense that each shot was precious on the nikkormat. What is interesting to me is how, as my confidence with the film camera grows, the differences between the ways I approach both are converging. I am more willing to experiment with film and equally willing to trust myself more with digital (knowing that I got what I wanted in 5 vs. 25 shots). And as much fun as I have with lightroom, I adore the fact that once the film comes back I'm done. I might do a little straightening, but I prefer to get it right in the box. So now instead of daydreaming about new lenses, I find myself daydreaming about medium format, and a new obsession has begun.

the way film holds the light - that's not something I've been able to achieve with digital
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22487105@N06/6935357811/in/set-72157625520134465

[Lisa]

I love this! I'm with the on the "trigger happy" thing. Haha. That's something I've been working on lately, even with my digital camera. I'm trying to really think about how I compose a shot. I also got a Holga for Christmas and have been having fun with that, although I haven't even gotten through my first role of film yet! But I am most excited about a new film camera I have coming in the mail. I've been shooting with a Nikon DSLR for about 2 years, and am really excited to try what I've learned on a film SLR. Thank you for this inspiring post! LOVE. You've got me really excited to try my hand at film. :D Thank you!

[Diane M. Schuller]

Oh yes, that is so true. Just over a year ago I made the decision to pull out my old film camera and give it a go. Like you, I found that I too slowed down, checked and double checked before depressing the shutter. And that feeling of taking the roll in to be developed! Well, you said it perfectly; it is just like a kid waiting for Christmas! That's exactly how I felt. But I did go back to the digital, primarily because it's so easy and yet, I think the discipline of using film is important. My film camera is packed away now -- I think I should find that box and unpack it again. Thanks for the inspiration.

[Megan]

Hey, I just came to your blog and totally love the picture. I love the blur effect you used!
I too have a photography blog... I hold contests periodicly.
But anyway, I love your pictures!

[Steve D]

Tracy, your writing is exceptional. Your words literally produced a photo in my mind--a photo of the subtle yet stark differences between the digital and film photography processes. This is the first blog post I've read in many months and I'm immediately reminded what incredibly creative and talented people exist in our world. Thank you for taking the time to share..the picture your thoughts present are absolutely worth 1000 words (1034 actually).

[Lee]

I feel like I could have written this post! I did fall off the film wagon for awhile there but I recently shot a roll for the first time in a long time. Here's a nice spring-y shot from a few years ago: http://www.flickr.com/photos/leedav/4576476922/in/set-72157621779984986 and then one from the most recent roll: http://www.flickr.com/photos/leedav/6834289774/in/photostream. I still regret not taking film photography in college but I am so happy that flickr convinced me that it wasn't to late to try it.

[グッチバッグ]

朱ミンは、唯一の共和国の父の娘ですが、朱徳にもかかわらず、彼女の要求は非常に厳しかった。 1953年、朱ミンはモスクワレーニン師範学院を卒業、北京師範大学で教えるために仕事に参加するために祖国に戻り、彼女の最初の子がこの世に来て、ほぼ70歳の朱徳は祖父となった喜びは触知した。朱ミンはまた、あなたの手のひらの上で赤ちゃんのケアに細心のお父さんを覚え、読書用メガ??ネを着用し、慎重に長い時間が脇に置くに消極的だった。このことから朱ミンが良いパパを知って、彼の熱烈な心をお読みください。朱ミン、彼はちょうど出産したと考えられ、父は彼らが中南海の家に住んでいるようになるが、彼は強制的に朱ミンは、北京師範大学の寮に到着しました。それだけで12平方メートルの部屋の一つであり、朱ミンは4年間ここに住んでいた。その後、彼らは、1950上の1つによって建てられた寮に移動して設定する40のため、そこに住んでいました。今家に住んでいるのケアの下で、関連部門は、前世紀までは、1990年代後半に置き換え。朱徳、この配置はかなり意図である、と彼は子供たちがより良い生活条件は、ほとんど注意を払って結合し、幹部の子供であり、負担の背面に、優位の傾向が、私は他人より優れて生まれた感じと考えている大衆から脱却します。だから子どもたちが独立して生活を始めているとき、朱徳は、明示的に言っていた。 "後で経済に、私はもはやあなたを助けません"しかし、息子や娘の朱徳イデオロギーの進歩、成長は緩和されていませんでした。助けるために若いマルクス主義を勉強する人と毛沢東の作品は、朱徳は、言った： "日常生活の中で、私はあなたを助けませんが、本を読んで、マルクス·レーニン主義者の文章は、私はあなたを買った。"

[Kim]

Yesterday we went to the local one hour photo for passport photos. My 7 year old daughter (a photo aficionado) pointed to a metal box hanging outside the door. "Mom, what is film and why would you drop it in here?" It was embarrassingly hard to explain. Time to make a pinhole, I think!

My daughter, shooting digital.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9032846@N03/6858859086/in/photostream

[Anna]

Nice post. I love your description. Me too have start thinking about manual photography lately. I've unpacked my old Canon camera. Bought new battery. Now only need to buy film.

As for digital photo-taking, I'm not good at using macro. And my digital camera's macro function is very rigid. That is why I was happy when I clicked the shutter and a nice photo coming on the LCD screen.
http://silentchatterz.blogspot.com/2012/02/1-first-post.html

[Meghan @ Life Refocused]

I am a film lover. I love the way it makes me deliberative. I particularly love shooing Polaroid! http://www.flickr.com/photos/meghandavidson/6876590771/in/photostream

[Libertad Leal]

What a lovely and thoughtful post Tracy. I loved reading about how you experience shooting film vs. digital. I am a strange creature in the sense that I lovelovelove vintage cameras and the look of film but I have not shot digital since I was in high school (many moons ago). I keep taking pictures OF my film cameras instead of shooting with them and every time I say, I am going to try to find film for these babies but I never do. I think you just convinced me to finally give it a try. Thanks :)

[Bari]

What a fabulous post! You have first inspired me to look at light differently and it has made a HUGE difference in my photography. Now, you are inspiring me to pick up my film camera. It's always seemed far too scary to me but you've made it sound not quite so intimidating. Thank you for painting wonderful pictures with both your words and your camera!