3 lessons i learned from shooting film

There’s something special with film. Seeing a picture for the first time only weeks (or sometimes even months) after shooting it makes the whole process quite exciting. 

I started shooting film after I came back from a 6-day trip in Gaspésie with more than 2000 pictures to edit. I could not believe how many times I had pushed the shutter button and ended up with only about 10 photos I really liked! I decided to turn to film in order to reconnect with photography.

Here are 3 lessons I learned from shooting film:

The first thing I needed to do was to find a film camera. I ended up buying a $100 used Pentax K1000 that came with a 50mm f/2.0 lens. I bought a basic film roll, took 36 shots and had it developed and scanned.

I was shocked by the quality of the images that came out of this little camera. I always said that the gear does not make the photographer, but it now became truer than ever. I ended up liking these pictures even more than the ones I took with my expensive DSLR camera. 

The aesthetic of film is incredible. The grain, texture and colour range it has, brought a nostalgic vibe that you just cannot get with a digital camera and Instagram filters. There’s beauty in not knowing how your shots will turn out. This element of surprise adds to the whole process and makes it so much more exciting. Sometimes, technical flaws or light leaks can bring a surprising and lovely effect to a shot. 

Film makes you realize that you are responsible for the quality of your photographs, not your gear. 

       A Walk in Montreal, taken on Pentax K1000 and Portra 400

Film is expensive. You only have 36 shots per roll so you better make each of them count. It requires you to think and slow down, rather than pushing the shutter button countless times and hoping that one of the shots will be good. Less is more! 

It pushes you to go back to the basics, to really think about your composition and parameters. You cannot rely on automatic settings or Photoshop. You cannot review and delete the shot you just took. You have to trust your knowledge and instincts. The truth is you never know how a shot will turn out. It might turn out extremely good, or be a total disaster. You will also learn to accept these mistakes and learn from them. 

Analogue photography also makes you learn to plan ahead. Each film has a set ISO. Unlike digital photography, you won’t be able to modify your ISO on the spot. You need to choose carefully in advance to make sure your pictures will have the proper exposure. 

With film, I started to shoot with intention, selecting each moment with definitive precision. Film will train you to capture only the best moments in front of your camera. This will result in a unique connection with every shot you take, I can guarantee it. 

      Scenes from the Amalfi Coast, taken on Pentax K1000 and Portra 400

Portra 400 (for colour photography, as seen above) and Ilford HP5 (for black and white photography) have become my favourite film rolls to shoot with.

With film, there are many techniques you can experiment with. One thing I tried was “pushing” film.  To push film +1 stop, you need to set the ISO of your camera a stop higher than the film. I used an Ilford HP5 film, which is normally ISO 400, so I had to set my camera ISO to 800. The camera will now meter for a film at ISO 800 and underexpose the film by one stop. Some of the advantages of pushing film are:

• More contrast
• Increased grain
• Increased lowlight capabilities

This is especially interesting for black and white photography. Here’s the result of my experiment:

     Pentax K1000, Ilford HP5 +1 stop

Another experiment you could do is shoot with an expired film roll. Not knowing what the shot will end up looking like might be just what you are looking for.

Film photography is fun, fascinating and imperfect. Have a try at it, I promise your photography skills will benefit from it!