Film photography has its unique charm, but it comes with its own set of challenges. One of the most common hurdles for those who explore this medium is navigating through mistakes, often with no easy fix like in digital photography.
Coming to you from Leigh & Raymond Photography, this insightful video focuses on three common mistakes people make when shooting film. First, there's the issue of not fully understanding how your camera and lenses work. With digital, you can see the results instantly and adjust accordingly. Film doesn't offer that luxury. If you don't know what to expect from your equipment, you could be wasting both time and money. Every shot costs something, both in film and development, so it's crucial to be familiar with your gear. Testing your camera and lens settings in various environments can help you minimize the chances of botched shots.
Another key point discussed in the video is choosing the wrong film for the job. Unlike digital, where the sensor handles most of the processing, with film, the film itself acts as the processor. This means selecting the right type of film is even more critical. Are you aiming for vibrant colors or moody black-and-white shots? Understanding what each type of film can deliver is essential for achieving the results you want. And handling film with care is just as important. The video touches on issues like accidentally exposing film by opening the camera back at the wrong time, a mistake many have made but one that can be avoided with a bit of practice and awareness.
It's not about getting it perfect every time, but learning from each shot, successful or not. And that's jsut the start, so check out the video above for the full rundown from Leigh.
I shot film only for 30+ years. I'm 71. Whatever "charm" film is supposed to have is lost on me. The logistics of producing a final image either on a slide or print were ponderous. Shooting film and scanning it is just not the same. I guess why I can avoid many of the Photoshop or Lightroom tasks are because my in camera image is already what I want. I completely gave up film in 2008 and I never looked back. I still have the skills to do it, I just don't want to. Film offers nothing special, it was just all we had. As far as opening the camera back at the wrong time, that is what tape is for, along with a notation of what film is loaded. I'm just a grumpy old man, so if I am just shaking my head it's just because I don't understand the supposed wonderfulness of film.
Shooting film is like having a vintage car, the experience is as important as the results.
Most of the folks enjoying shooting film are not older folks who had to shoot film. We had to as there were no options.
I think every older photographer I know either opened the back at the wrong time or opened the back after taking 50 frames on a 36 exposure roll because the film slipped off the winder and I never saw anyone taping the back, except the friend who was using his dad's pre war Leica, taped up because of light leaks.
Professional work (especially cinema) involved proper labeling, usually using white or yellow tape that was labeled. I ran a production lab for 14 years. Tape and at least putting a small label on the back of the camera (often there was a little holder for that) was crucial. Yes I opened a back once when I was young (late 60s). From then on labels where a thing. Shooting film is fine, as long as one includes the full darkroom experience.
I'm with Milton. When shooting film I always strained for a better image than film could give. Moving up to Medium format, lenses, stock. Finally digital gets me there. As a professional cinematographer you learn how not to screw it up. There was too much at stake. It was a professional craft that you learned from others. I have gone back and tried film again a few times. Even developed some at home for old times sake. I'm done. However if your new to it go for it. It's an experience that you should try for sure. Learning new looks and artistic expressions with film is great. That's really what it is now. Artistic expression. Back in the day like Milton said it was all we had.
You said this better than I did. Thanks for that. I did some cinema early on and it taught me the value of an incident light meter. I also moved up to medium format using Bronica S2A and Nikon lenses. A rather heavy but beautiful system. I never got beyond 16mm Auricon but I knew I had to get it right at due to the amount of money loaded into that magazine. The real film cinema knowledge made using the Bronicas for weddings very reliable. There was no "editing" to fix mistakes and poor skill. That was the real magic of film; you had to really know what you were doing. My video business took off in 1978 and lasted to 2010. Lots of gear and while I had instant feedback I learned the value of back up recording devices and a end of the chain video and audio display. Still, there were no re-shoots, you either had it or it was lost. I love digital, feedback and getting it right in the camera is still what I try to do. Most editing takes about 2 or 3 minutes.