Film photography has been enjoying a renaissance over the past few years which we love. But as photographers we know that learning photography on film can be a little frustrating - it's not hard, it's just not particularly intuitive. So we have put together a little list of things that we hope will help you improve your results and land you with some stunning, one-of-a-kind negatives. If you want to enhance your film shooting skills, you've come to the right place! Here are five tips to help you grow your photography skills and elevate your shooting experience.
1. Choose the Right Film Stock
Picking the correct film stock is essential for your photography style. Different film stocks have distinct features, such as grain structure, dynamic range, and color reproduction.
Will you be taking photos inside or outside? Will it be daytime or nighttime? Will you be capturing action to taking long exposures? All of these factors will effect what type of film will be best to use. The lower the ASA (film speed) the more light you will need to create a good exposure (ie. not too light and not too dark).
Rule of thumb:
ASA 100-200 is great for sunny days, studio work, or when you'll be using a tripod
ASA 400 is an all-around film that can handle sun and shade, but you'll want to use flash indoors
ASA 800-3200 is high speed film that will work indoors or at night
Remember: Once the film is in the camera, you are stuck with one ASA unlike digital where you can raise and lower your ISO as needed.
2. Better Understand Exposure
Getting your exposure right is vital for achieving beautiful negatives. Proper exposure preserves details in both highlights and shadows, allowing your negatives to have a full tonal range of highlights, midtones, and shadows.
Learning about how your camera's meter works is the first step to better photos. A lot of cameras have different ways of showing you if you exposure is too bright, too dark, or just right, so you may need to check your manual or just ask the staff at your local camera shop for help. If a photo is particularly important, bracketing can be a useful technique where you take several pictures at different exposure settings. For example, if the light is tricky, try shooting three frames: one at the recommended exposure, one one-stop under, and one one-stop over. This practice helps you learn from your mistakes and improve your technique.
Be mindful of lighting conditions. Overexposing film (too much light) can wash out colors, while underexposing (not enough light) may cause shadows to lose detail. A can make tones muddy. Another thing to keep in mind is that if it is really bright or dark your meter can be thrown off (see our post about 18% gray). A little trick to help, is if it is really bright or your subject is light colored in a light colored room, underexpose a little bit and if you are inside or it is dark overexpose a bit to compensate.
3. Pay Attention to Your Camera
Blank rolls and torn film are common problems that a lot of people who are new to photography run into. Blank rolls are typically due to improperly loading the film (basically the film slips off the uptake reel) and torn film is a result of forcing the film advance arm in pursuit of taking too many photos (38 shots on a 36 exposure roll).
To eliminate the first problem, load your film and give the film advance lever a half turn to tighten the film on the uptake spool. If the film slips off you'll see it immediately and you can fix it and try again or you'll see the film tighten across the film back and hold in which case you close the camera back and keep winding and clicking until your counter gets to 1. As you are shooting your roll of film, you should see the rewind knob turn as you advance your film, which is just another way to make sure your film is still where it should be. To avoid torn film, just make sure that you're not trying to put more photos on a roll than it is meant to hold and if you feel resistance when advancing your film, stop and take a second to check your film counter. You should never feel like you're forcing your camera.
4. Store Your Film Properly
Proper storage of your negatives is essential for their longevity and vibrancy. We get a lot of people in who ask us, "Why should I keep my negatives?", so let's talk about that.
Think of your negatives like a painting: You can make lots of copies, but if something happens to that original, you can never get it back. If you have your negatives scanned to digital files, that's all well and good, but what if something happens to those digital files? What if you want a higher resolution scan down the road to make a beautiful enlargement for your wall? Without your negatives, you can't do any of that. So keep your negatives and take care of them.
How do you take care of negatives? Store your film in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Using archival-quality sleeves can protect each negative from scratches and dust and prevent degradation from chemical aging caused by non-archival materials.
5. Practice Patience and Find Your Style
Creating beautiful negatives requires time and practice. It is important to be patient with yourself as you navigate this analog journey.
Take the time to understand the subtleties of film. Don't rush the process. As you gain experience, you'll start to notice the aesthetic qualities that resonate with you. For example, you might discover a passion for street photography, where you learn to capture moments spontaneously or you may find that black and white really speaks to you.
Explore different photography genres. Each area, whether it's portrait, landscape, or documentary photography, teaches you new skills. The more you practice, the more refined your technique will become, leading to better negatives.
While the internet can be a great resource for learning, it isn't a substitute for being able to ask for help in person. Your local camera shop is a wealth of information with people who would love to share their knowledge (at least that's the way we feel). Or join a local photography group! Find your people, let them help you, and you may find that soon you can offer advice of your own. Embrace the analog experience, enjoy the magic of film, and push your creativity to new heights!
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