Today I have Five tips for those of you just getting into film photography!
5 tips for getting into film photography
#1 Understand your fundamentals.
Contrary to what many say, (specifically people who have never taught a photography class) I recommend you understand your photography fundamentals FIRST, before attempting to shoot in manual. Yes, an all manual film camera distills photography down to the basics, but if you’re just learning, not being able to see instant results, will slow the process of learning down, as you will not be able to immediately correct for mistakes. And that's not to mention that by the time you see your work, you may forget what your settings and lighting conditions were. If you still want to jump right in, I recommend you get either a point and shoot or any camera with an auto feature. DO NOT LISTEN to people saying you learn best on a manual camera. That sounds good on paper, but in practice getting a blank roll back is a huge disappointment and very off putting. You want to be able to get excited about the process, and the best way to do that is to go out and shoot and not feel bogged down by settings or frustrated by blank rolls. Get passionate about photography first, the technical stuff can come later.
#2 Start with Black and White Film.
Maybe you’ve heard that black and white is more pure and all that- and that may be true. But if you’re just starting out I recommend shooting black and white because you have a greater leeway when it comes to properly exposing your image. Color requires you to be much more precise, so there is more room for error. And while on the topic of Film...
#3 Start with ISO 400 Speed Film.
400 speed film will give you good amount of flexibility in getting a proper exposure in varying lighting conditions. Sure, it's technically not as “sharp” as a slow speed film, but if you want perfect, you may as well shoot digital.
#4 When in Doubt, Over Expose.
Film photography is better at preserving the highlights and... When exposing film it’s better to have too much information than too little. Ideally, you will nail your exposure, but when in doubt, its always better to over expose than under expose.
#5 Take Your Time and Enjoy the Process.
One of the many reasons to shoot film is because of how enjoyable the hands on process can be and it’s ability to put you in the moment. Never forget that and have fun!
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