Personal Photography
Film
It might be a little pretentious, but shooting on film has easily become my favorite way to take my own personal photos. I got a good deal on an early 2000s film camera at a thrift shop almost a year ago, and quickly fell in love with the vibrant colors that required absolutely no touch ups. There’s a certain warmth to these photos that I truly enjoy, and since I didn’t need to edit them at all, it also feels much more organic than sitting down wiling away trying to turn the photo into something I want.
The process of shooting on film has also taught me more than any digital camera. With only 20 or so shots on one roll, it forces you to be absolutely perfect in your exposures. Instead of taking 100 of the same shots and picking my favorite, I need to be extremely intentional in everyone of my choices. I even purchased my very own development kit and have developed and scanned my own film. That process is painstaking and annoying, perfectly agitating the chemicals as they burn my nose with nay mistakes leading to a foggy or green final product. Overall, one of the silliest hobbies I’ve ever picked up, as digital photography is simply so much easier. However, the tactile process and increased difficulty has made photography so much more fun and challenging, which is why I will always keep my film camera in my car so I’ll be ready for the perfect shot when i find it.
