A Beginner’s Guide to Film Photography
It was only about 15 years ago that camera manufacturers brought us the dawn of digital photography. Rumors spread that film was dead. Although the majority of professionals have made the transition from film to digital, film remains an extremely popular format, which we can all still learn from.
Where to start with film
For those that have taken up photography in recent years, film may seem like an ancient format that no longer serves a purpose. But I’m not going to spend the rest of this tutorial trying to compare film or digital photography in order to convert you! There are different techniques required, but much of what can be learned by understanding film photography can largely benefit your digital work. Even though I began my photography on digital, it was only once I picked up a film camera that I really began to understand the concepts of ISO, exposure, aperture and taking time to get the right shot!
Film v. Digital
Although the preference of film or digital will always come down to the individual photographer, there are a few fundamental elements of film photography that I see as a distinct advantage over digital. With a film camera, you are doing all the work, you have to understand the physical process of the shot being taken and must have the correct exposure settings.
There isn’t the option of clicking away, checking the LCD, and trying again. For me, this means I feel far more involved with the shots that I’m taking. I also know I’m not letting the electronic brain of a digital camera do all the work for me.
The Cost
There is also the cost to consider. Many people would assume that film photography is more expensive due to having to buy film and pay for processing, but a decent film camera will last a lifetime. My old Pentax SLR is way older than me, works perfectly and won’t go out of date.
With digital cameras there is the almost yearly upgrade option. Manufacturers aim to ensure that you keep up with technology, have the most pixels, the newest features and the sharpest shots. Obviously these updates are beneficial, but they come at a price.
Film Formats
Film comes in a few different flavors suited for different purposes. The main types are black & white, colour positive (slide film) and colour reversal (or negative). The most popular size of film is 35mm film. Many single lens reflex (SLR) and rangefinder cameras use this film. It typically comes in rolls that allow for either 24 or 36 exposures.
The two other major sizes of film are medium format film and large format film. Medium format film is much larger than 35mm film and requires a medium format camera. Medium format is regarded to be of higher quality than 35mm and is therefore still used by many professional photographers. It comes in 120 or 220 formats. Almost every medium format camera can use 120, as it has a paper backing. 220 does not, so only certain cameras can use it, but the lack of paper allows the roll to hold more film, twice as much to be exact.
Large format film is slightly different than both 35mm and Medium format film as it comes as individual 4′x5′ sheets (or ever larger) that have to be loaded into film holders. Each film holder must be loaded in the dark. Each holder also only holds two exposures. The traditional photographer’s vest with all the pockets was originally designed for large format users. You had to have a lot of pockets to hold all those film holders.
Types of Film
Once you’ve decided which film format you’re going to use, there are many different types of film to choose from. Aside from the types mentioned earlier, companies such as Fuji, Ilford, Kodak and Agfa all make a large variety of films. Each have different capabilities depending on their ISO, purpose of use, contrast and speed.
An entire tutorial could be written about this topic alone, but before you rush out and buy loads of rolls of film, have a quick read up on the film manufactures website to work out which film best suits your needs. Also, try to avoid using the cheapest film; if you’ve got a good camera and you want to take great photos, then it’s worth using professional quality film.
Film Cameras
If you’ve taken an interest in the realm of film photography, you’ll want to decide on a film camera. Similarly to the world of digital photography, there are different cameras that suit different purposes. The most popular cameras are 35mm as I mentioned early. These cameras range from automated point-and-shoots to simple (but professional) rangefinder cameras to fully manual (or fully automated) SLR cameras.
The next step up is medium format cameras, which are slightly bulkier, but produce larger and higher resolution shots. If you really want to start with the basics, you could even try out a Lomo or toy camera which are very trendy at the moment and are designed to be very easy to use.
Patience, Discipline and Getting Your Settings Right
One of the major differences between shooting digital and film is that with film, you don’t have the option to assess your shots as you are working. For some of you, that will take a lot of getting used to. You’ll no longer be able to use the trial and error method of photography. As far as I’m concerned, this is not a bad thing.
When shooting film, you need to take that little bit more time to ensure that your exposure settings are correct depending on the light available, for which a light meter can be very useful. You’ll need to check that you’ve got the composition just as you want it and that you’re happy with the shot you’re about to take. This all requires you to be very familiar with your camera. So be sure to read through the manual or spend time with your camera.
This discipline and patience means that a far higher percentage of the film shots that you take will be good quality shots and this practice has improved my overall photography significantly as I remember to take time over each shot and not just snap away hoping I’ll get the shot I want.
Developing
Once you’ve taken your shots, you’ll have to be patient before you get to see them. For me, that’s all part of the fun. When you decide to get your film developed, make sure you get it done properly. If you’re not confident with developing it yourself, or you don’t have the resources, take it to a store or studio to get someone to develop it for you.
Remember that you’re trusting someone else to develop your shots, so take it to someone who you think will take care over developing your shots rather than paying a few dollars at the local mall. If you do get the chance, try and have a go at developing the shots yourself. This is a crucial part of film photography and gives you as the photographer far more control over what you’re producing.
Scanning and sharing
When you do have your prints, chances are you’ll want to get them onto a computer somehow. Some print stores will be able to put the photos onto a disc for you, but please don’t use this as an alternative to getting them printed out. It detracts so much from the whole process. It’s a great moment when you first get to look through your new prints.
You then also have the option of scanning your shots into a computer, which is fine, but be aware that a low quality scanner will seriously diminish the quality of your shots. After scanning, you will be able to share your new beautiful film shots online and show the world how great they look. And don’t just leave the prints in a box somewhere!
Get Creative
Now’s your chance to go out and give film photography a try. Hopefully you have a better understanding of what film photography is all about and that there is a lot to be learned and enjoyed. Try to get your hands on a film camera. Save up a few pennies and find one on Ebay or go and have a look around the attic at you mum and dad’s house.
You can then head out on shoots with both your digital and film cameras and try out the different disciplines at the same time. Compare results and keep experimenting with film. You’ll soon be ready to try processing your own work!
Are you already a film aficionado? Share links to your film images in the comments below. Let us know if you have a favorite film camera, and tell us your favorite film tips!
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Great article! I’ve been interested in film photography for a while, but know I’m sure I want to try it!
I’ve seen some really nice analogue pictures with a nice and subtle noise and some characteristic colors, does it happen because of the film type or it’s manly because of the camera?
Thanks
Film and lens, camera is just a box.
its the lens which lets the light in to the box and form an image on the film.
So the lens quality by it self is no less important then film.
Film doesn’t have noise it has grain, the amount of visible grain depends on the film used but as a rule of thumb the higher the ISO of the film the more the grain will be visible, this is because bigger grains of silver are needed to make higher ISO films. Expired film also seems to have more grain but i’ve not shot any so i can’t personally vouch for it.
The colours will be the film used as well, you have two types, colour slide (E6) and colour negative (C41). Slide films tend to be more saturated and sharper than negative films but lack the dynamic range of negative, for example Fuji Velvia 50 only has a usable dynamic range of 4 maybe 5 stops where something like Kodak Portra has a ridiculous dynamic range, probably about 11 stops, i’ve seen shots of Portra 400 shot at ISO 12,500 still come out good, if you tried to push Velvia like that you’d end up with a blank image.
Anyway each film will have it’s own look, Velvia 50 is noted for it’s super saturated colours and sharpness but a pig to expose correctly, Kodak Portra for its realistic flesh tones and amazing dynamic range, Kodak Ektar 100 for its excellent colour rendition, saturation and contrast. Most people tend to try loads of films before settling on one they like, i’d recommend going to somewhere like flickr and hunting down groups for specific films to see what they look like.
The camera lens will make a difference to how a picture is rendered, obviously a cheap box camera image will look different that one shot on a high end 35mm SLR, or a TLR or a large format camera. I will say for film though the camera body is less important than the lens on the front of it, but it is important to get a camera that gives you enough control to get the exposure you want without any extra guff you don’t.
More modern lenses all tend to render an image nearly the same sharpness wise, obviously differences in bokeh etc. are still present. But older lenses do give an older look as they were usually uncoated or just single coated and this makes images lower contrast and a little softer and more prone to flare.
No idea if that was useful or not.
With about 30 film cameras now (one more on its way to me now), it’s hard for me to say which is my favorite. The camera I’ve been using the most lately is a medium format Mamiya 645 Super 6×4.5 camera. i also love my Hasselblad 501CM medium format camera. I do shoot 35mm, but I prefer medium format.
Film versus digital, it seems like a constant discussion between photographers. But I think that your absolutely right in stating that you can only understand the real difference once you have experienced working with analog cameras and film. I have a professional digital set, but still prefer the look, feel, touch and results of my vintage film cameras. I work with the Olympus OM System from the 70′s and 80′s combined with a Pentax MZ-S, Leica M7 and a bunch of other rangefinders. Most of my work is in B&W, which I develop and print in a traditional way. For my website and photo-stream I use a dedicated film scanner.
Great article. Look for examples of photos made on film on: http://www.flickr.com/spijker
Cheers,
Kees
I do most of my shots in film, because the digital camera is an very old bridge. and I find that the film slr I have can take better photographs thanks to the sharpness. however I miss the ‘instant’ editing I get with my digital, as I have to wait a week to see my developed film. As I am too young to get a job & buy a DSLR, film has been a very big help. even though In where I live, I have no ability to change ISO on my films, and I have to wait for months to get enough money to get films developed, It feels like I cant control the photograph as much as I could with a DSLR.
Nice article. I like the way you aimed it at the film curious and kept if fairly surface. After shooting with digital for a couple of years, I’ve returned to film. I now shoot film almost exclusively. I still have a nice Nikon DSLR, but if I take a picture with it, I’m always like, “Hmm, that’s a good shot, but I wish I would have shot it on film.”
For my work, film just resonates with me more. I like its depth and character. I use an old Olympus OM-1, a Nikon FM2n, and a medium format Hasselblad 501cm.
I’ve been shooting film for much longer than I care to remember. Digital has its advantages, speed being foremost amongst them. But film does something that no digital shot could ever do, it looks better. Now when I say better I don’t mean crisper or sharper or higher resolution as digital does them very well. Film has an aesthetic quality to it that comes from its 100 years plus heratige. Each manufacturer has a certain look when developed that you go out and take your shots with in mind. Kodak Ektar is totally different to Fuji Velvia, once you put that roll in, you are locked into a mode of shooting for that roll. You look for the shots that suit the film. You work at the shots harder as you only have 24 or 36. The keep rate is much higher because each shot has a cost so you make sure you only press the shutter when you have it right.
Film has a feel about it. It feels like a real photo, digital doesn’t. When I shoot digital (which I primarily do) I don’t get the same feeling as I do when I shoot film.
There is a magic about shooting with a fully manual film SLR from the 1960′s or 70′s that cannot be replicated with a digital. There is no auto exposure, shadow compensation, metering, histograms, lcd’s or anything else to get in the way of the art of creating a solid moment in time. There are gears and levers that click and clunk. I would recommend anyone to give it a go and keep it alive, it is worth saving.
but why would you…
I love both film and digital photography equally – I started out with film, went entirely to digital and then hankered after the uniqueness of film so decided why not do both!
You can definitely learn a lot from shooting film; it teaches you to slow down and really think about your settings and your composition and that’s got to be a good thing.
I love film photography! I recently discovered it. Now I use a Lomo Fisheye 2.. It’s great! I have to try some cross processing..
Here the link to my photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/giona4/sets/72157626810470664/
I went over from film to Digital but after a few years I went back to film and even bought a medium format camera (Pentax 645NII). Now I only use digital to stitch 360 panoramas. My main reason for going back to film is that film forces me to think more before pushing the shutter whereas with digital I just decided to take some more shots with different exposures and solve any problem in Photoshop; but truth be told, none of these shots were really satisfying. Now I take it one step further and go back to prime lenses instead of zoom.
I’ve been interested in photography, and I really enjoyed these basics tutorials. Thank you
I have a questions. As a beginner, what would you suggest the basic photography package I should consider. In other words, get the most bang for my bucks!
I am fairly new (about 9-10 months of experience) to film (or quality, artistic photography in general), and have no real formal training. The only things I know are from trial and error (which, by the way, is hard when using a film camera) and the rare remark from my brother (the “true photographer” in our family). I would really like to know what your guys thoughts are. I have never really been that critiqued on my photography, so I’d love to hear your guys’ opinion. thank you.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/46107307@N03/
If you are looking for a place to develop your film check out http://www.photomfa.com to find a photo lab near you that develops film.
Best value in film cameras for me is the excellent Olympus OM-1. Can be bought very cheaply, will last forever and is exceptionally light and compact. One of those, the 28mm F/3.5, 50mm F/1.8 and 135mm F/3,5 makes a great set-up.
Load it with Kodak Ektar 100 and it’s all you could really want or need for great results and superb portability.
Film all the wall, no digital shot can look as natural and honest as a film shot.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/will-morgan
All my shots were taken on a Nikon FE bar a few