Learning to Love Film...Again
I was one of those people who never gave film a second thought after I got my first digital camera. After all, it was simple, instant gratification to see your photos; no more mailers, drug store visits, no more waiting. One of my favorite writers, Darren Murph, wrote a great article about how the ubiquity of digital cameras and camera phones means that we are documenting ourselves and our surroundings like never before. He makes a great point that just because we all have them doesn’t mean that everyone is a great photographer, and I would agree with that.
I fell into the same habit as most other people, shooting on the phone and digital camera for just about everything. Documenting everything because it was so simple and so easy. For me I was starting to blur the lines between what I considered my “work” and what was simply documenting daily life. I wanted a way for me to be able to distinguish for myself what was my art and what was my life.
Enter the Holga. If you’re not familiar with this camera, it’s a 100% plastic (even the lens) “toy” camera from Asia. It crazy thing is it’s a medium format camera! It can shoot 6x6 or 645 on a roll of 120. I got interested in what people were doing with these cameras, so I bought a couple and starting shooting. Although I figured out quite quickly the Holga wasn’t my cup of tea, the film aspect of the process was. The main issue with the film became the cost. To have a roll of traditional B&W film (think Ilford Delta or Kodak Tri-X) developed and scanned was running close to $20 a roll at my local shop. That issue led me to doing research on developing film at home. Two guys on YouTube really showed me the way; Ted Forbes with the Art of Photography and Matt Day. These guys have some top notch content on developing at home. I was blown away at how simple the process really can be. After watching Ted and Matt I knew I could do the development myself and cut the cost of shooting film way down. A few clicks online and for the cost of having a few rolls developed at my local shop, I had all the equipment and chemistry I needed to get started at home.
I was totally hooked and still am years later. I loved shooting 120 even though the Holga wasn’t really my thing, so I stepped up to a Mamiya RB67. From there I picked up a few Canon 35mm cameras. Then came the big step when I got my first Hasselblad, and then a second. The mechanical nature of these cameras paired with having complete control over the film development gives an analog feeling back to taking photographs for me. It’s about creating something with your hands, the tactile feel of the film, the smell of the chemistry, the process of moving that creative work through that process start to finish. I had lost that fulfillment with my switch to digital, and I was so happy to have found it again.
People couldn’t believe I was shooting film and doing my own development. Even my friends who were professional photographers thought I was just a little bit crazy. That was until I would let them shoot a roll of film. They were hooked. It’s hard for a real photographer not to fall in love with a Hasselblad 500 in their hands. But the next thing I knew, they were all buying film cameras or digging them out of the attic and wanting to know when we were going out to shoot some more film. Most of them now shoot film on a regular basis just like I do. Some of them even added film as an option for their wedding packages or portrait sessions. They fell in love just like I did.
Digital is more popular than film, but I think (or at least I hope) film will always be with us. Film has seen a huge resurgence in the past few years. I imagine there are a lot of photographers out there with stories like mine. If you have never shot a roll of film, I encourage you to do it. 35mm film cameras are super cheap. The medium format cameras will set you back a bit more, and if you are looking for the top of the line, a good Hasselblad 500 can set you back over $1,000. I simply want to encourage you to shoot film. I haven’t met a photographer yet that I have let shoot a roll with me who wasn’t hooked their first time.
Be sure to follow me on Instagram @J_Scott_Clark and @Trapping_Photons
