Shoot your Shot
“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever… It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.”
Do I romanticise film photog? Yes of course, like everything. But it’s so freaking beautiful.
And do I wish I got into it sooner. Hell yeah. Michael Jordan missed over 9000 shots in his career. Don’t be like Mike.
Using film photography is like stepping back in time. I get massive old school nostalgic vibes shooting on film and getting it developed. And that’s just one part of its joy.
Every shot you take, means something. You get a finite amount of shots per roll of film. So you’re particular with the choices you make. Unlike digital photography where you take pics willy nilly and may never look at those pics again. It’s quality over quantity.
It’s a great learning experience. Working out how to frame and picture things. And work out what your camera is great at. And you carry around what feels like another part of you, it’s precious and personal ( I recommend a strap, you forget they’re on you sometimes).
Okay I don’t know if its just me but the suspense once you drop off the film til they get developed is awesome. Especially once you get the rush after they text you saying they’re ready. Oooooofffffttttttt. So exciting.
Now, the developed shots themselves are intricate and imperfect and that’s whats so beautiful. Depending on the film you use and the cameras you have, your shots will come out different to another person who took the same shot.
Textures can be smooth and soft to grainy and rough. You can get cool or warm tones, natural or vibrant colours, more or less light. The possibilities are endless. They are uniquely yours. Frozen in time.
Okay, my lil rant is over. Below are the cameras I use and links to find cameras for yourself.
Shoot your Shot.
Canon AE-1
The Canon AE-1 is the first film camera I’ve ever used. It was a birthday gift from a close friend which I’ll cherish forever. It’s what I use for my outdoor shots. It’s simple to use so I’m wrapped it started me on my film journey.
I think it works best outdoors. Inside, especially with low light, the quality suffers. If I invested in a flash to attach I’m sure it would be a different story.
But shots of landscapes and people in the sunshine come out perf.
Features:
Electronic Shutter Control
Consistent Handling of Outdoor Shots and Colours
Ease of use
Here is a link if you want to have a look on ebay: https://ebay.us/Wnuihf
Canon Prima Zoom 85
After I worked out that my AE-1 wasn’t getting me the shots I wanted indoors and at night, I invested in this bad boy. And I love it. It’s a simple point and shoot, easy to use, has flash and the capability to change the date (only to 1997, but that’s the year I was born so I couldn’t be more pleased). And it can zoom in and out given its name. Great to have two cameras that compliment each other.
Features:
Simple Point and Shoot
Unreal Flash Photography
Affordable, Small and Lightweight
Here is a link if you want to have a look on ebay: https://ebay.us/eYqIgd
When it comes to finding vintage film cameras you have a few places to go.
Second hand is your best bet for value. Film cameras can be super pricey and if you’re just beginning I recommend getting one like mine to start.
Thrift and vintage stores, ebay, depop are just a few places to start looking.
Here are some links to get you started:
https://ebay.us/Nqyjcs
https://www.depop.com/theme/film-camera-35mm/
