There’s something about the analog process that will slow down your photography, making you more thoughtful about image creation. What if you take it one step further and push yourself with an instant camera? Could it make you a better photographer?
Is CineStiil’s new 400D a replacement for Fujifilm’s legendary Natura 1600 film? Many devotees of Fujifilm’s high-speed color negative film would find this an absurd proposition, but bear with me.
Large format cameras have been increasing in popularity over the last few years. With startup manufacturers producing new large format cameras, the allure has grown significantly. Among large format cameras, the most popular type is the 4x5 camera. We decided to take this camera out into the city and photograph strangers.
As a film photography enthusiast, I am a firm believer that gear is a long way down the list of important factors in image-making.
Reduction of single-use plastic is increasingly on the minds of conscientious consumers, and the practice of shooting with physical film in preference to digital does bring with it considerations in the area. But fear not, Ikigai Film Lab is here to recycle, reuse, and repurpose, to put our anxiety at ease and help us keep shooting with a clearer conscience.
Fujifilm gets a pretty bad rap these days from the film photography community. So, it’s easy to forget that from the 1980s to the early 2000s, Fujifilm produced some of the best cameras ever made: medium format, point and shoots, the extraordinary Xpan, and a sack full of other interesting goodies.
This video is the second part (of three) of Smarter Everyday's in-depth tour of Kodak's film production line in Rochester, New York. In the first video, we saw how the base of the film is made out of pellets, as they're melted down and formed into uniform, thin, clear sheets.
Over the last couple of years, I’ve shot with over 60 point and shoot film cameras. You could say it’s an obsession, perhaps even an illness.
From the time I was a child, I have been fascinated by all things related to the NASA moon missions of the 1970s. I’ve been particularly intrigued by the photographs that were taken by astronauts on their way to the moon and the surface as well.
2022 has been a triumphant year for film photography, and although we are yet to see big companies produce anything in the way of serious film cameras, we have seen a few exciting, plastic toy cameras hit the market. Kodak has now delighted the community with these stylish half frame cameras manufactured in collaboration with the Reto Project.
Film photography is experiencing a real surge in popularity, and the beauty of it is that there are decades upon decades of used film cameras available, meaning you have a ton of options in which to find the perfect model for your needs and budget. If you are interested in film photography and ready to purchase a camera, check out this great video that discusses some good options and what to look for.
CineStill film is hyped to the absolute max, and whether you love it or hate it, they have built a pretty impressive company and injected new life into the film community. Thanks to them, we now have packaged motion picture stocks, ready to shoot in film cameras and be developed in C-41 chemicals.
A few years back, I managed to find a beater of a Hasselblad XPan for a song. I've tried to find a shooting style that would help me stand out from the crowd, and the panoramic format appealed to me. I didn't realize it at the time, but this purchase sent me down a rather obsessive path, trying to find the best panoramic cameras for news and editorial work.
There are few camera series more iconic and recognizable than the Hasselblad 500 series, which has become a popular collector's camera that still commands a high price on the used market today. This great video review takes a look at a camera from the series and what it is like to shoot with seven decades after they first hit the market.
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.
The film look continues to gain popularity, and whether you use it as part of your personal aesthetic or for clients, knowing how to create it from digital images is a good skill to have. This helpful video tutorial will show you everything you need to know to create the look using nothing but Lightroom.
I recently noticed something interesting while looking through the Leica Classifieds page on Facebook. One of the distributors of Light Lens Lab posted an image for some upcoming products, including what appears to be an Abrahamson-style rapid winder and, more significantly, a Leica Standard-style camera.
It didn’t seem like there was much to cheer for film photographers in 2021. Supply chain issues, global film shortages, and price rises led to a wave of discontent among film photographers, leading many to cry into their soy lattes and burn their berets.
The perfect camera probably doesn’t exist, but there are certainly some that come close. In this retrospective look at the classic Olympus XA, find out why I've come to love this tiny powerhouse from the past.
Why do all lenses, including the one in the human eye, flip an image upside-down? Or do they? It's far easier to understand than you might think.
Fujifilm is widely considered the king of film simulations and for good reason. Anyone who has owned a Fuji camera over the past decade appreciates the variety of excellent film recipes that can be created in camera and no doubt has their own go-to simulations they love to use. But is there a better way to give your photos a vintage look? In this review of Dehancer Film Emulator, we will find out.
I’ll admit it — I’m a 35mm point-and-shoot junkie. I have a collection of electronic cameras that many film photographers would call "ticking time bombs". The reason for this is that many cameras made 20+ years ago were never intended to be used for this long.
Photography authorship has historically been very one-sided. In this video, Vuhlandes is quick to confess that making photographs has historically been a medium for those few people who had the resources by way of money and time to make images.
Fujifilm Instax cameras are now the most popular instant cameras on the market. From these instant cameras, the Instax mini series holds the largest portion of the market. And the latest Instax mini camera is the Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo. With its retro camera-like design, how does this new Instax camera compare against the previous Instax Mini LiPlay?
Wet plate collodion is a photographic process that dates back to the mid-1800s. It involves using antiquated equipment and processes, including toxic chemicals and is difficult to master. So, why would a modern-day successful commercial photographer be interested in pursuing this? And what insights could his journey provide?
The age-old question resurfaces: is film better than digital? In this video, the victor is crowned once and for all.
Photography is a high. The magic that some of those first images a photographer takes is difficult to put into words. The joy that comes from image-making hooks you, and often, there is no turning back.
Being a photographer means being able to adapt to any given lighting situation to create images that are remarkable. In this video, Sophia Carey shares some of her insights with a behind-the-scenes look at a night portrait shoot on film.
Who doesn't love film photography? Who doesn't love the convenience of digital? Why not have both?
Kodak Gold 200 film is a popular choice and one of the most affordable stocks you can get, but the 120 format version was discontinued, much to the disappointment of medium format film photographers. Well, after some well-known folk in film photography — at least insofar as social media — kept asking for it, Kodak decided to deliver.
With film photography once again becoming popular, photographers who wish to take it up must wonder where the current film stock is coming from. Is it from the remnants of film stock that was made years ago? Well, you'll be happy to know that Kodak still has production lines running at its factory and even happier to watch this deep dive into how they make the film that you shoot today.
Chocolate filters aren’t new, but they’re certainly not talked about. Is there something more to them?
"How much detail can you really get out of 35mm scans?" That is the question that has long been up for debate among film photographers, and I believe we now have an answer.
In digital photography, chimping is when you take a photograph, look at the LCD screen, and then adjust your exposure settings (ISO, aperture, shutter speed) if they are a bit off. In this article, I will tell you why you shouldn’t be doing this.
A photographer or filmmaker's equipment is probably one of the most hotly debated topics, as anyone familiar with photography forums can tell you. There are arguments both for and against either a "fully stacked" or a "minimalist" approach. Dan Mace takes both in this video.
Kodak has a history of being a leader in the market of film and then seeing to its demise. I would argue this graph tells us Kodak is back on the path of self-destruction and (some) other film manufacturers are following them.
Film has seen quite a resurgence in the last few years, and after over a century of production, the number of used cameras available can be a bit overwhelming. If you are interested in getting into film but are not sure which camera is right for you, this helpful video will show you a variety of different styles at various price points to help you choose the right one for you.
I'm going to provide 10 additional tips about using Kodak's popular TMax 100 that I learned from my experience with it. Hopefully, these set you up for success with your Kodak TMax 100 photos.
Before gaining popularity with the highly respected X Series and GFX Series, Fujifilm was quite active in the film industry, making some fantastic cameras that are still popular with enthusiasts today. One of the most interesting cameras they made was the GA645Zi, and this great video takes a look at what it is like to shoot with a medium format point and shoot.
Cinematography has been transformed by the arrival of high-end digital cameras, bringing huge advantages to the entire workflow. So why do some directors prefer to shoot on film and what does this process look like?
For film photographers, digitizing film is arguably the most important part of the workflow. For me, there is no longer a debate of what is the best approach. Using a digital camera to digitize film is the only way.
Fujifilm Instax cameras are the most popular instant cameras on the market. Fujifilm has produced several lines and series of cameras that bring the fun back into photography. The Instax Mini film is one of the more popular options. This is especially because of some of the more accessible cameras, however, how good are the premium mini film cameras?
The lens is obviously one of the most fundamental pieces of photography gear along with the camera, but strictly speaking, you do not actually need one to create an image. This interesting video will take you behind the scenes of a neat photography process that lets you take photos without even using a lens and show you the workflow and results.
Medium format sensors are usually housed in expensive cameras, but with film bodies, you have far more options without having to remortgage. In this video, one film photographer discusses what the best medium format film camera for portraits is.
In the last few years, analog photographic processes have been making a big resurgence. After many years of emulating the film look digitally with presets, such as for Lightroom, many photographers are making the full jump into film photography.
Composition has rules that transcend all visual mediums, but playing to the equipment you're using can still be helpful. In this video, one photographer walks through his favorite techniques for better film photographs.
Until recently, the last time I shot an entire roll of film was on a Canon EOS 5, sometime in the mid-2000s. Last month, I put a roll of black-and-white film through my mother’s old Olympus Trip 35, and the results sparked some strong emotions.
It’s no well-kept secret that cell phone cameras have made digital photography ubiquitous. Over the last few years, film has regained popularity. In her video, Madison Beach shares a few reasons why you should be shooting film!
I recently interviewed Australian film photographer Rob Walwyn on his incredible images documenting the aftermath of the bushfires that devastated Australia’s east coast in late 2019 and early 2020. Walwyn’s project, "Karrikins," led to his first solo exhibition at the 2021 Head On Photo Festival in Sydney.
Kodak caused a bit of a stir last month when it announced that there would be some dramatic increases in the price of its film stocks in the near future. What impact will these changes have on the photographic film industry more broadly?
