Recent Film Photography Articles

Impossible Project App Integrates iPhone and Polaroid

Since 2008, The Impossible Project has kept the Polaroid flame alive with their line of instant films. Today, in the Apple app store, they've released version 1.2 of an iPhone app designed to integrate mobile photography with analog instant film. The features allow for instant digitization and photo sharing for your Polaroid prints as well as a way of making Polaroid prints from iPhone captures with their soon-to-be-released Instant Lab.

How to Get the Correct Exposure When Shooting Film

When you're shooting film, you don't have the benefit of being able to check that you got the correct exposure after you take a shot like you do with digital. This great video will give you a couple common methods to ensure you get the exposure just right when you're shooting film.

Mercedes-Benz Documents the Return of Instant Film

Mercedes-Benz – yes, the automobile manufacturer -- has shared a nice video featuring The Impossible Project and their quest to bring instant film back to the marketplace.

As the video explains, six years ago IMPOSSIBLE started with a factory and little else. The company was able to redevelop the necessary processes and materials to produce instant film. They now offer 600-type film, SX-70-type film, and even 8x10 black and white instant sheets.

Firefighter's Helmet-Cam Puts You Right in the Middle of the Action

Maybe I'm just jaded, but GoPro videos of snowboarders, mountain bikers, parkour runners, and wing suit flying people (to name a few) have just started to get a little old for me. Sure, they're exciting and give me a glimpse of what the world might be like if I got off my sofa, but I feel like I've seen them all, so when I saw this video posted on the San Bernardino County Fire Department's YouTube channel, I had to click it.

Fuji: Velvia No More

This is a sad day. While I don't foresee the end of the world, the Mayans tell us we still have time...it can still happen. Certainly, this being the third post about discontinued film since I started on Fstoppers just six months ago, this is the start of the photographers' Armageddon. But don't go hang yourself just yet -- there's just enough good news to keep me going just a little longer.

Markus Andersen’s New Book “Rage Against The Light” Beautifully Showcases His World Of Sydney Australia

Markus Andersen, certainly one of the leading street and fine art photographers in Sydney, Australia, and known globally, has just released pre-orders for his first book – and it looks stunning. “Rage Against The Light” published by TG Publishing showcases his wonderful work around his home town of Sydney (and for the first 100 pre-orders, 42 remaining pre-orders, comes with a free print).

Fate: The Emotional Story Behind a Photographer's Leica Camera

Does the universe have a plan for all of us? For Austrian-born photographer and artist Markus Hofstätter, the stars unexpectedly aligned for him to receive his Leica M2: a camera which seemingly transcended the depths of time and grief to find its way into his hands.

Bayhem: When Too Much Isn't Enough

Michael Bay, the American movie director and producer, is worth millions of dollars. In fact, Forbes has Bay making $66 million in 2014 – and that’s just through the first six months of this year.

How’s he do it? Well, Tony Zhou has created a mashup of Bay’s movies for us to study. Let the Bayhem begin.

Shooting A-List Celebrities with Polaroid Cameras

It seems like everyone is a photographer nowadays, and with technology getting cheaper and cheaper, it seems like every which way you look you are seeing another person snapping away on a DSLR. The question is how do you separate yourself from the masses. It can be a daunting task to do something different. But It’s not as hard as you think. It might be something you stopped using a long time ago.

Production Stills from Original 'Blade Runner' Movie

With the release of "Blade Runner 2049," which by the way, is absolutely incredible, Getty Images has put together a collection of production stills from the incredible 1982 original film. The new movie was produced by Ridley Scott, who directed "Blade Runner" thirty some years ago in both the real world and in the film's sequence. The collection of color plus black and white photographs emphasize the detail and grit of this futuristic film noir world.

Check Out This Amazing Night Skiing Video

Even if skiing was never your thing, this video is worth watching. The white snow slopes are the perfect backdrop for color. Add on to that the element of night shooting, and you get absolutely stunning visuals.

Stylizing Your Work With the Use of Color

We often draw inspiration from several mediums; art, music, and film to name a few. These inspirations are blended together and found within our work. This article digs deeper into what may give our work moody undertones and makes us feel exactly how we feel when looking at it.

Key Tips for Film Photography Beginners

Film photography offers a creative process distinct from digital, but it requires a shift in mindset. If you're thinking about trying film or transitioning from digital, understanding the basics can save you from frustration and help you decide if it’s worth the investment.

Bert Stern: Original Mad Man Trailer

Bert Stern's career started in the mailroom at Look Magazine and soon became sought after by Hollywood and Madison Avenue.

Bert Stern: Original Mad Man directed by Shannah Laumeister, follows Stern's career through the golden age of the ad world and the iconic Marilyn Monroe "The Last Sitting" series.

Stern is notably well known for his 3 day photo shoot with Marilyn Monroe for Vogue

Tips on Traveling with Film: Don't Be Naive, X-Ray Scanning Kills Film

Airport authorities officially say that film at or above ISO 800 may be damaged by X-ray scanning. But they really should tell you that ISO 800 film will be damaged and that less sensitive film still could be affected. I found this out the hard way. Here's how I learned an important lesson along with a few other tips for avoiding issues while traveling with film.

Kodak's New Helpful Film App!

Today, Kodak released a new mobile application that helps film shooters pick a film for various occasions, giving hints on how to shoot it and where to get it developed locally. I love film and absolutely love that Kodak is taking a step like this. I think it'll help professional shooters while also making it easier to bring new photographers into the world of film. Check it out on iTunes!

A Photographer's Journey to #FindTheGirlsOnTheNegatives [Interview]

Recently, Richmond Virginia-based wedding and portrait photographer Meagan Abell made a stunning find in a thrift-store box of old images. Among the half-century-old family snapshots she uncovered a set of jarringly beautiful transparencies (slide film) and a desire to find the women on them. The #FindTheGirlsOnTheNegatives campaign has, overnight, caught fire, garnering worldwide attention and press. Ms. Abell was kind enough to take a few minutes out of her schedule of NatGeo and BBC calls to chat with me for an exclusive interview.

How I Shot This Fashion Editorial on 6x7 Film With Speedlights

I love shooting film, it's not always the best choice, but the idea that I am forced to slow down and really be sure I like my frame before I hit the shutter overall makes me shoot more efficiently, reduce the amount of culling at the end of the shoot (which is my least favorite part of any photoshoot to be honest), and with shooting with 6x7 I can get a very specific look that is hard to replicate with smaller sensors, for better and worse.

New Film Looks to Document First Unsupported, Winter Crossing of Iceland

Iceland has become a naturelovers' playground and a hotspot for adventure photographers looking to visit the home of some of the most popular Instagramable locations on Earth. But many travelers visit the island nation during the warmer and more accessible summer months. Winter is when most of the country is covered in snow and ice and tourism drops dramatically. But that isn't stopping four British adventurers from attempting something that has never before been accomplished; crossing the country unsupported in the heart of winter in what they're calling "The Coldest Crossing."

"Punching Back Time" Photographs Of Senior Boxers

Photojournalist David Eulitt recently completed Punching Back Time, a series of photographs that features senior athletes who at seasoned ages, strap on gloves and spar in the ring.

The boxers were participants in the 2nd Annual Ringside Masters Championship boxing tournament, a competition for amateur boxers ranging in ages from 35 to 75.

Is Expired Film Overrated?

Many argue for their own approach to making photographs. Some people are analog shooters, some are digital, all have their opinion as to which approach is best or superior. I say try them all.

‘Confusion Through Sand’ is a Hand-Drawn Masterpiece Two Years in the Making

Ornana Films is a small production company based in San Rafael that is no stranger to awards. They took home the Jury Award at the SXSW film festival in 2012 for their short "(notes on) Biology" which continued on to win several other awards that same year, including Exceptional Short at Santa Fe Independent and the Grand Jury Prize at FFF. Two years later at SXSW, they premiered their latest short "Confusion Through Sand" to much acclaim. Now, after a year of waiting, the hand-drawn masterpiece is online for free along with a behind-the-scenes video documenting the work that went into this brilliant animated short.

Double Exposure Surf Art; The Most Refreshingly Analog Thing You Will See This Week

It's not rocket science, complex editing, ridiculous lighting, or overly complex photographic method. It's basic double exposure; snap a picture, snap another before advancing the film, or rather expose over an already exposed roll of film. Aaron Checkwood, photographer from Oceanside, California does and incredible job taking these film school fundamentals to the ocean. Combining terrestrial imagery with iconic aquatic sites of green Pacific barrels creates a mesmerizing image of a true love affair with the sea.

Using the TTArtisan 28mm f/5.6 Lens in the Field

Whenever I'm on assignment, I'll typically bring a film camera along with me. For breaking news work, they're not particularly useful; no editor in their right mind is going to wait for me to return home, develop, process, edit, and upload my film frames, no matter how good the final product might be. However, this lens has made me rethink my process a bit.