Film photography, no matter what you think of it, is an interesting subject. It is not a passing fad. It’s just another form, an older form, of photography that has a lot to teach any level of photographer. For me, film photography has been invaluable in many ways. Since I added film to my serious photography life, it has been consistently changing the way I shoot in many different ways. Some small, some big. Here are the seven major things that I have learned from film photography, that have really altered my photography style.
Depth of Field is Beautiful
When I first restarted film photography, there was one thing the stuck with me. The depth of field with a 35mm SLR and a 50mm lens was amazing. Nothing like I was getting with my Nikon D90. To get results closer to what I got on film, I had to go full frame. If I wanted to go better than that, I would’ve had to go medium format. A full frame camera has the right balance of everything I want in photography. I would not have learned that without my Nikon N2020 or Nikon FE film SLRs.
Less is More: Quantity vs. Quality
Shooting film helped me learn not to spray and pray. Before film I would often overwork a shot. Instead of composing the best angles in my head, I would actually take them all. This led to a lot of editing time. Shooting film helped me learn to curb the spray and think more before I hit the shutter. A few more minutes on thinking about composition produced better results and saved time.
Old gear has a ton of value
I’ve been getting a lot of great results from using lenses made for my film cameras. They do work well on my Nikon D700, and the non-Ai lenses work on my D5100. I don’t need a Nikon DF in order to use my vintage lenses. To spark my creativity I turn to one of my old manual lenses for inspiration. My SLRs help me think about photography more as well. This is because these cameras are a lot more minimalistic. I have one focus point to work with, so composition works differently. It helps you appreciate the tech we have these days. When you are shooting with a 30+ year old camera, you really get to see how far photography has come.
Failure is an Option
The interesting, and fun, thing about film is that you do not know what you’re going to get. Sometimes you have a bad (as in expired or otherwise damaged) roll of film. Sometimes exposure may not turn out to be what you thought it was. From the point where you complete a roll of film until you get you the film developed, your images become Schrödinger’s cat. You don’t know if they turned out well or not until you get to your lab. If your images are not what you hoped they’d be, there is nothing you can do about it. Just move on to the next roll.
In digital, you’re going to have a bad exposure now and then. Lighting is going to be wrong. But you can always retake the image. With film, you have to be willing to accept failure. This helps you move on to the next image, and puts you in the mindset to get it right the next time.
Slow Down
Having the fundamentals down makes everything easier. Rules of composition like the rule of thirds or the golden spiral help you think things through. Learning how to judge light or how to use a light meter helps you get the correct exposure. This may all sound trivial, but shooting film made me realize what I was weakest in and helped me refine those skills even more. The thing is, getting the composition right the first time saves film, which also saves time and money. When shooting digital, that knowledge helps you get your shots faster, with less post production work.
Seeing Your Work in Print
After becoming serious with my photography, the first time I saw my work in print was when I took up film. Having my work in my hand was a completely different experience to seeing it on various screens. I was able to put it in others people’s hands for the first time instead of giving them a link to a website. This got me interested in seeing my digital images in print.
Chimping
To chimp or not to chimp, that is the question. It depends on the digital photographer, whether it’s nobler to look at your LCD after every shot or to have enough confidence not to check every single image. Shooting film, I realized how much time chimping wasted. With film you can’t chimp. You have to be confident in your skills and know that you got the shot. While every shot is not going to be perfect, if you work on your skills you will not miss as much. In digital photography, this helps you not miss as many shots. If you don’t have to chimp, you can focus more on the task at hand.
In the End
Film photography is an art form that has a lot to teach. While it’s not for everyone, film photography does have a way of fine-tuning your craft. A person can just sit there and hit the shutter without consequences. Time and money will be wasted. Some people choose to buy an expensive camera like a Nikon D800 just to put a film filter on their image. Good for them. However, they should just try film instead. Not to be a hipster. Just to actually have a better understanding of the craft of photography.
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