Look at the photo. Ugly isn't it? But what if I tell you, that's the norm of it. It doesn't have to be perfect; yet it is, to each of our own. That's the beauty of film photography; the freedom of self-expression and a medium to just get creative.
You may ask, why not just into digital photography instead or use an effects app for the film look. Well, as you read through this blog, you'll get the feel of the direction that film offers what digital and apps doesn't. It's the authenticity, pureness and creative fun that catches your heart. You have to try it to see it, and I'm glad to present it to you in this blog.
Table of Contents
Film Photography, what is it?
Prior to digital photography, where the use of electronic sensors captures images into digital media stored in memory cards. Film or analogue photography is the use of a film roll, strips or sheets which are sensitive to light on one side, exposing them to take a photograph followed by a chemical process to develop and produce an image in a dark room.
It can be Therapeutic
Just a little bit about myself. Before starting digital photography, I picked up film photography back in my initial days during national service in which I serve from 2019 to 2021. Honestly, I didn't have a sense of direction back then and oh yes, not to mention the global pandemic.
Everything and everyone was either frantically trying to combat the cause or coping with the new adjustments in life. I wasn't really affected because I was spending my days in army camp either way but still, it was just a bad omen that the pandemic gives us nothing to really look forward to. What is there to do in quarantine, right? Not really.
We are born to adapt and thus we found new ways to sustain and live in those uncertain times. As much as we were fighting for our survival, we were supporting ourselves in therapeutic ways. The activities listed below are examples of such ways.
Exercising; jogging and cycling
Yoga and Meditation
Learning Online guides and courses
Arts & Crafts therapy such as drawing, curating, crocheting
Cooking and Baking
Reading and Writing
Watching shows and Listening to music
To avoid a long-winded list of activities, here are 100 activities you can try at home.
Rememb er, you don't have to be progressing to justify that you're improving. Any form of sustaining, as long as you're coping and treating yourself well is just as victorious. The pandemic leaves us vulnerable, it really shows us that we may have gotten too harsh on ourselves and all the more when it hits. Take a step back, focus the fight on survival and that includes self-care.
Hence for me, the therapeutic way that got me to have a sense of direction is film photography. I forgot to mention, I was doing film photography before the pandemic happen and got worse in Singapore.
It isn't something you can do during quarantine indoors unless you photograph products or house decors. However, it is definitely something you can do when you're outdoors during (restrictively your local area) and after the pandemic.
If you want to get creative
Remember the early days of Instagram filters? The faded looks, streaks of lines and fun colours that are unique and rainbow-ish for some even. Oh and how I almost forgot, the grainsss. No, even modern-day photo filter applications such as VSCO, Picsart, Snapseed to name a few have Instagram-esque and creative filters. Those are actually inspired by film photos, most of them are. Here are some examples of the filter looks from early Instagram.
So if you want the nostalgic fade, aesthetic colours, light rays, vintage grains, all culminating together right before your eyes. In addition to having fun and just taking random aesthetic photos with no right or wrong way to do it, then film should definitely be on your to-do list.
Of course, that's not all to the creative side. If you would like to go a little bit more experimental than day to day photographing of your life and documentation, film photography can be used for portraits, fashion and other artistic means of photography. It is retro, it is an aesthetic element that you can incorporate into your photography venture. Here are the visuals of how creative you can push film and yourself to be
Sources from top left to bottom: Alex via Pinterest | Love Ronnlund River Phoenix CR Men's photographed by Sebastian Faena | Wong Kar-Wai movie set photographed by Wing Shya
Treat it like a trial
Maybe you have long been eyeing on learning photography but you just don't have the time or money to do so, film photography is indeed a great opportunity to serve as a trial to test your liking.
I wasn't sure myself back then if I should indulge myself with a digital camera; if I would even continue photography for long or it's just an impulse. I approach film photography as a trial for my tastebuds and guess what, it is sweet.
It's a good test. A test to see if given a cheap hobby, would you take it seriously? Would it spark an interest in you? The next two points should share more of what you need to know to start your long-awaited thoughts.
It is Easy (for beginners like us)
I am guilty because of the fact that I am not purely a film photographer. I was a point & shoot film photographer, that is using the camera type of the same name; just clicking the shutter button on whatever I wanted to photograph and in that instance, it takes the photo. No fumbling with settings, or in the case of film, exterior mechanical settings, adjusting, buttons, whatsoever.
It is different from a polaroid, which I do recommend as well. A point & shoot camera still functions like a film analogue camera where you have to load the rolls and send them for development after using all 36 exposures. The difference is that it's more beginner-friendly, every setting is automatic; manual adjusting is not needed, from the exposure to the focus and all you got to do is to press the shutter button. There is a built-in flash where you can toggle on or off as well. Hence, it is an automatic film camera versus a manual film camera.
It does have limitations, however. You can't simply bring a point & shoot camera outdoors during a cloudy day and expect to capture a well-lit photo. Because it is automatic, the brightness of the photo is limited to the film roll you use, should anything go too dark, you have to use the built-in flash.
Let's say you somehow do not manage to focus your photo properly or you accidentally open the back casing before completing your entire film roll whereby you should let it close after completion, hence exposing your roll to light (causing light leaks).
The photos will definitely be not what you expect, but honestly that to me is very pure. It is the hiccups of such that shows the raw beauty of film and your visual journal. Sort of like coffee stains on your old diary.
It can be Cheap too
From $25
It can cost as low as $25 dollars. Yes, the price is right. Such film cameras shown above are called disposable cameras. They have a film roll already loaded and it's a one time use. Perfect for outdoor activities, birthday parties, events and vacations. If you were to buy a roll of film, high-quality ones will roughly cost around $25 as well, Kodak Portra 400 is one such example.
For my Jurong Lake Garden series, I used Kodak Ultramax 400 which cost only $8, another cheap alternative is Kodak Gold 200. I won't go into the specifics here, I'll cover the types of films in a separate post.
Notable brands of disposable cameras are Kodak, Fujifilm and Lomography as well.
From $100
If disposable cameras are not for you, then you may consider a point & shoot camera, it cost less than a hundred dollars. The best thing is, they are authentic. Real pieces of devices from the 20th century, that's how durable they are. Most of them are preloved, well taken care of and thus you can get them within a reasonable price.
For $200 and above
Now the higher end manual film cameras will get costly, at least $300 up to $800. There are always even higher priced film cameras; those collectables but, film cameras between $100 to $300 are sufficient for average consumers without blowing up your bank card.
Some places to buy from
You can buy such film cameras on Amazon, eBay, Etsy or Carousell. Physical outlets such as 8Storytree, Black Market Camera or The Camera Workshop are some of the many shops in Singapore to sell film cameras. I got mine from Carousell, am I guilty? Nah, works and looks perfect.
There are many brands of cameras even for film. Common ones you'll find are Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, Minolta, Olympus, Mamiya, Pentax, Konica and LOMO
In the long run though, film can actually go beyond the prices of some digital cameras mainly due to the development of film and the rolls themselves.
Basic math tells me that if each roll of film is on average $15, assuming you use a roll for each outing or event; which is quite an understatement because a roll only contains 36 shots.
Buying film on 10 separate occasions already cost more than a point & shoot camera itself. If you're an avid adventurer and only save it for occasional moments, then sure, it will still be cheaper in the long haul.
Do note that, we have not included the cost of developing the films. It sounds like I'm actually discouraging you from starting film, but I'm just being transparent so as to let you know what's afterwards. Developing films is something you can do alone given the know-how or you can send it to a film lab. The cost can range between $10 to as high as $20 with the summary from this blog for places to develop film in Singapore
An art activity besides drawing
I don't know about you, but the first thing that came to mind for me whenever I see or hear the word, Art, is drawing. Likewise, drawing to me is fundamental to Art. Photography too; is one of many forms of Art. So if you'll like to switch things up, give film photography a go.
I got to admit, being an artist myself (an amateur of course), I realised the amount of time and patience it requires to create an artwork. So much to the point that, I enjoy the very process of creating more so than the final piece itself. At least that is how I approach and view the process, it is a soothing treatment of connecting with yourself mentally and emotionally.
However, if the final piece of work matters more to you; you'll definitely run out, literally. "Where do I have the time for that?" It's a mixed feeling between finding a balance of time for yourself versus spending too much time. Not in the case for photography though, or rather film photography.
By now, you can see how photography can create a piece of work quicker. One snap is all it takes to produce what you seek. Add in the raw essence of film, what you see is what you get in an instant.
For sure it is dependent on how you view the creative work. Photography will never drive into the zone of limitless creativity that drawing or illustration provides, at least on an average, non-professional level. However, if what you want is just a moment captured perfectly (result) versus completing an artwork (process), it'll do the job quicker.
For the memories
If film is the essence of photography, then photography is the essence of memories.
This is pretty much the main reason why many of us take photos on a casual day to day basis. We do it on our phones every day. It's gives something for us to look back and reminisce on, taking us back to those moments. It is basically a visual diary of tangible nostalgia.
Be it alone on an adventure or with your friends, family and loved ones on an outing, vacation trip. Having a device to capture moments shared in the form of a photograph is lovely in of itself. Having an authentic traditional film camera to capture moments, in essence, is sublime. That is if you love the raw vintage looks of bringing older times into the modern-day.
Conclusion
There's an increase in film photographers and film sales as digital photography continues to advance, which seems counter-intuitive. It's the awareness that technology and social media provides that fuels curiosity for the roots and authenticity. Kodak, one of the most famous photography company reported earnings of up to 30% for films per year between 2015 to 2019.
The rising trend, allowed opportunities for new film organisations such as Film is Not Dead and Lomography to be establish, as well as a popular hashtag, #filmisnotdead in the film community.
The uniqueness and exclusivity of film has allowed photographers to set themselves apart, differentiating their skills and art style from others. In a way, it is an advantage and benefit in marketing for photographers in the business, be it for weddings or portraiture. In addition to a unique selling point and skills, the style of your photo is uniquely yours with the icing being an authentic look and feel to your images.
I believe film is for everyone, for feeling like the fashionista in trend to a family looking to keep memories, it is experimental, classic and fun. All fun and no worries.
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