As our generation continues to immerse itself in online media and use new fancy cameras, the bar for creativity seems to be rising, along with the costs.
But film photography remains a gateway into creativity for beginners in many ways. Every film roll leaves behind physical media, giving the photographer memories that can be sorted in physical picture albums as well as digital photo albums when scanned.
Film creates a perfect balance between memories to show your future children and your Instagram friends.
Unlike most modern cameras and phones, film often requires some knowledge of the exposure triangle — which can be a slight hurdle for those just starting.
When taking pictures on film, you must properly expose your photos using the camera’s shutter speed, which measures how quickly the camera takes a photo. The shutter speed must also work together with the ISO, which measures how much light is let into the camera’s sensor.
Lastly, you must set the aperture, which controls the depth of field of your image. When these three sides of the triangle are perfectly balanced, you can produce many amazing pictures.
Throughout my three years of owning a film camera, I’ve developed a deep connection to my photos; each picture was and has always been taken with intent. I rarely find myself reverting back to automatic settings; I prefer using manual mode.
Each of my photos feels like personal art, as I’ve adjusted my camera to capture each moment as I pictured in my mind. The dreamy, grainy look produced by film is beautiful and instantly reflects the process behind the photo. The magic behind film photography is the spontaneity behind it. You can try your hardest to visualize how your photo will look, but, I assure you, there will always be some little details you miss.
The most intimidating part of film photography to me was the concept of developing it myself. I took a photography course in high school which required me to shoot and develop 35mm film in a darkroom. The process was quite tedious, and, honestly, I did not retain enough about the process to replicate it on my own.
Here’s where the National Camera Exchange can play a convenient role in the film development process: when you’re finished with your roll, you can submit the film with your information and selected options for development, including size, look, finish, digital scan, etc. Once your film is developed, you will receive either a call or email prompting you to pick it up, or your scans will be emailed right to you.
I can recall forgetting many photos in my film rolls quite often, especially if I shot multiple rolls before development. I’m always surprised to see photos I didn’t anticipate in my rolls. My speed in adjusting my exposure triangle has increased with more use of my camera, as well.
Year by year, the photo quality of cameras such as a DSLR become more and more vivid, often capturing beyond what our eyes are capable of. While the technological advantage and overall convenience of newer camera technology are clear, the experience and cost for buying a film camera are unbeatable.
Film cameras are significantly less expensive than a standard DSLR camera, which can cost upwards of $150. My camera, a used Canon EOS Rebel paired with a 35-80mm Canon EF lens, I bought for a measly $50. 35mm film is quite cheap as well, starting at around $10 per roll.
Don’t get me wrong; film can get expensive, but there are many affordable entry-level options to start with. Now purchase yourself a film cam and show the world your beautiful photos.
Rich Makor can be reached at mako9015@stthomas.edu.
Witney Geddis can be reached at gedd4212@stthomas.edu.
