Recent Film Photography Articles

Sony A7S II Filming Videography Kevin Whitley New Orleans

For years, videographers shooting in dark situations frequently ran into the issue of a ton of noise in darks and shadows that would oftentimes make some footage difficult or impossible to use. Many have heralded the release of the a7S II with applause due to its power for video in low-light situations and even to record bursts of high frame rates in HD, so we took one into the deep recesses of an abandoned power plant in New Orleans to see how it did.

The Beauty of Large Format Photography

Long road trips through remote locations can offer unique photography opportunities, especially when you’re open to discovery along the way. The journey itself becomes part of the creative process, with unexpected stops and scenes presenting themselves. This kind of spontaneous exploration is what makes shooting on the road so rewarding, even if conditions aren't always ideal.

[Film] New and Improved Instant Film Made by Former Polaroid Employees

Ten of Polaroid's former employees have created a new and improved instant film for your Polaroid cameras. It is part of The Impossible Project. Back in 2008, they purchased one of the last Polaroid factories in an effort to keep the art form alive. Two years later, they released their first films into the world. PX Cool is the latest Impossible film,

Large Format Film for Corporate Brochure

I teamed up with Luquire George Andrews, an ad agency in Charlotte, NC, to create four images for a corporate brochure for Lincoln Harris, a commercial real estate company with properties in 26 states. LGA wanted to feature b/w photographs of executives in Lincoln Harris' properties.

Large-Format Photography: 10 Lessons I've Learned After 7 Months

What a tangled, twisted road this has been. When I finally built up the courage to try out large-format photography a little more than half a year ago, I knew that I was in for a bit of a rough ride. But with a healthy serving of ruined film, swear words, and YouTube lessons under my belt, I've come out semi-clean on the other side. Here are the most useful lessons I've learned thus far. Hopefully I can stave off some frustration for those of you who feel like taking the plunge.

The Joy of Shooting Large Format for the First Time

"This should be simple." Those were the famous last words from Thomas Heaton as he set off with his large format camera to shoot with it for the first time. This great video showcases the joys and challenges of tackling the medium.

Why Film Vs. Digital Is a Non-Issue

As one of our site's regular film shooters, I naturally tend to post a lot of articles on the subject. Without fail, I'll get a few comments to the effect of digital being so much better than film or vice-versa. I've always laughed off such remarks, but since they keep on coming I figured I'd address them. Maybe the mediums have more in common than some would like to admit.

Lighting a Short Film with an IKEA Trash Can

David F. Sandberg goes behind the scenes of his recent horror film Not So Fast and shows us how he lit and created the short. Sandberg reveals his innovative lighting set up that allows him to create a dark and haunting scene. This great behind the scenes video demonstrates that all you need to produce your next work of art is some creativity and innovative thinking.

Behind the Scenes with Large Format Portraiture

It's not as hard as it looks. If you've ever been intimidated by, or even questioned the idea of shooting portraits on large format film, maybe George and Jack can help.

Analog Episode One - Lifestyle Photographer Brooks Sterling Explains His Passion for Film on a Surf Shoot

Matt Mangham, the director of photography over at fortyonetwenty – a San Diego production company – has recently created a personal photography series titled Analog where he finds and tells stories that explore the current state of film photography. Episode one of the series follows Southern California lifestyle photographer Brooks Sterling as he heads out to a surf shoot with his trusty Nikonos underwater camera.

Gunther Holtorf Takes A 23 Year Long Road Trip And Documents The Journey

What started as an 18 month long tour of Africa, ended up lasting 23 year long but wonderful years. With his modest demeanor, we're finally hearing about his amazing journey across the World. He drove in a Mercedes Benz G Wagon and now has over 500,000 miles tacked on. The vehicle has traveled the equivalent of 20 times around the planet and the best part is that he took his cameras along with him! Gunther travels with 2 film cameras, including a Leica M6.

How Kodak Went From Industry Giant to Essentially Nonexistent

If you're older than about 30 or so, you probably remember just how unbelievably ubiquitous Kodak was at one time, making their eventual fall all the most extreme in retrospect. This great video takes a look at the fascinating history behind the rise and fall of what was once a titan of the photo industry.

How to Develop Your Own Black and White Film at Home: No Darkroom Needed

Shooting film is a lot of fun, but part of what pushes photographers away from it is the cost, a lot of which is tied up in developing. This awesome video will show you how to develop your own black and white film in your bathroom with a minimal kit and much lower costs than sending it out.

Is This The Compact Film Camera I Had Hoped For?

Shortly after I last mused about what I thought would be the perfect new compact film camera for 2025, I discovered that there was a camera in the works that seemed to tick every box I hoped for: the Analogue AF1. But with little more than a gorgeous website promising the moon at a modest price, I held off, preferring to wait for more details before getting too sentimental about what could be the long-awaited savior of compact film photography.

Isa Leshko's Portraits of Aging Animals

Philadelphia-based photographic artist Isa Leshko turned her camera onto aging farm animals, horses and dogs to create a powerful study of mortality and aging. The body of work, captured with medium format film, is currently exhibited at the Corden Potts gallery in San Francisco and was inspired by the caregiving process she underwent with her parents.

Learn Storytelling From the Masters of Film

We can learn so much about the art of storytelling through careful study of some of the pinnacles of the film. Blocking, subtext, shot framing: all of these and more are crucial to the conveyance of plot. Check out this video that breaks down some of film's most iconic and masterful scenes and provides great tips to incorporate into your own work.

How To Create The Lomo Photography Look In Photoshop

Lomo Photography or Lomography has gained quite the cult following in recent years. And it’s no wonder. These little Lo-Fi cameras, such as the Lomo LC-A, produce some really cool and compelling images. Aside from the Lo-Fi look of the Lomo, the other main feature of Lomography is the cross processing of the Color Slide Film. Check out the video below by SLR Lounge and then view the full post to see the Photoshop tutorial.
Shoot With Less to Create More Effectively

Let's be honest. While we as photographers have a troublesome relationship with gear at times, we could mostly do with a lot less of it. In yet another wonderful discussion, Nick Carver gives us his thoughts on hiring a wedding photographer, using less gear, choosing a rum as a digestif, and what it means to be a photographer.

You Get Four Shots: Patience and Payoff When Hiking With a Large Format Camera

Large format photography is its own beast, with all sorts of considerations and technical know-how needed to pull it off successfully, not the least of which being that the equipment is often simply unwieldy. Nonetheless, that extra work is not without a payoff, as the resultant images can be full of gorgeous detail. This neat video takes a look at a different way of going about landscape images.

Analog Options: Which Film Stock for Which Type of Photography?

Let's chant it from the rooftops: Film is not dead, whether as a medium in art or as the thing that makes instant photos at parties possible and will let you take pictures in places where digital cameras and phones aren't allowed in.

Testing the Limits of Kodak’s Portra 400

For those that don’t already know, film — particularly Kodak’s Portra 400 — has a fair amount of exposure latitude. And by fair amount, I mean loads and loads.

Kodak Announces Printomatic 10-Megapixel Instant Zink Print Camera

Continuing with its strong comeback in the still photography arena, Kodak recently announced a digital camera called the Printomatic that is capable of printing instant photos. The camera uses a 10MP sensor and saves images to a digital card, but built into the camera is also an inkless printer system that prints on 2" x 3" Zink paper using heat.

Why Shoot Instant Film? A Beginner's Guide Featuring Sandy Phimester and Robert Timko

For a while, things looked pretty bleak for the instant-film-loving community. Films that were once mainstays of the film shooter's arsenal (like Fuji FP-3000B) were discontinued and instant camera equipment production slowed to a crawl. Fortunately for us though, like other formats and kinds of film, instant film photography is seeing an unprecedented resurgence (both in niche, hard core film communities and popular culture). This guide is for you, the digital film guy, who's been sitting on the fence and wants to see what all the buzz is about. In this article I teamed up with two of the coolest instant-film-shooting photographers today, Robert Timko and Sandy Phimester.