When I first picked up my mother’s old Minolta X-370, I knew I held something special. Having just begun my photography journey, the camera felt almost too much for an amateur photographer like me.
At first, figuring out how to load film was overwhelming. On an SLR film camera, a simple mistake can ruin a roll of film. I was used to snapping pictures with my digital camera, where I could take hundreds of pictures to find the perfect one. With film, I had to be selective with composition, lighting and subjects.
Still I persisted, and I shot my first photos with a roll of Fujifilm 400 that was 10 years expired. They came out a little dark and had a greenish tint due to the film being expired.
It was still one of the coolest things I’ve done yet with photography because I was so used to having everything digital. I ended up buying a roll of Kodak UltraMax and another roll of Fujifilm 400 to take on a family trip and the photos turned out amazing due to the colors and the grain.
Focusing the camera was a struggle at first. I missed many shots trying to get them in focus. Luckily, only a couple of the shots I took were unfocused or not exposed correctly because I took my time.
My advice is to trust the light meter, but also trust yourself, too. Expose for the shadows but also keep in mind what you want the picture to look like. Your favorite photo from the roll may not be the most perfect one, but one with character like camera shake or film burn. Sometimes photos feel more authentic with grain and imperfection.
I used a polarizer when photographing water and the sky to reduce the brightness. This allowed me to bring the exposure down a few stops, which gave me more control over aperture and shutter speed.
While film photography is nostalgic, one of its cons is the high cost. Film, development, scans and print costs add up quickly, not to mention the cost of buying an analogue camera if you don’t own one. I chose to buy Kodak UltraMax and Fujifilm 400 because they were more budget friendly, but there are so many types of film out there. The creative options are endless.
It is disappointing when photos don’t turn out the way you want them to, but that’s what makes film photography so exciting. There is no instant gratification. I enjoyed shooting in film because of the anticipation for the photos. Without being able to check the photo immediately, I can live more in the moment.
With most everything being on screens these days, it’s nice to be able to disconnect from reality. Now that I’ve experienced film, I can’t wait for the next time I get to pick up my camera.