One film exposure is worth hundreds of digital shots making it the most efficient and effective way to learn photography as a beginner.
Why You Should Learn Photography with a Film Camera.
PHOTOGRAPHY IS AN ART AND A SKILL. MOBILE DEVICES WITH BUILT-IN CAMERAS MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR ANYONE TO TAKE A PICTURE OF ANYTHING, ANYTIME. WHILE A PHOTOGRAPHER TAKES PICTURES, DOES IT MEAN THAT EVERYONE WHO TAKES PICTURES IS A PHOTOGRAPHER? USING A FILM CAMERA MAY SEEM INCONVENIENT, BUT IT MAY JUST BE THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO LEARN PHOTOGRAPHY.
MASTERING THE ART AND SKILL OF PHOTOGRAPHY IS NOT AS INSTANTANEOUS AS TAPPING YOUR SCREEN. EVEN DIGITAL CAMERAS MAKE TAKING BEAUTIFUL PICTURES EASY THROUGH AUTOMATION AND AN ENDLESS SUPPLY OF CHEAP MEMORY CARDS AND HARD DRIVES. THE REALITY IS THAT THE BEST WAY TO LEARN PHOTOGRAPHY IS TO USE BLACK AND WHITE 35MM FILM.
HERE ARE FIVE IRREFUTABLE REASONS WHY.
When you mention a film camera, the first image that comes to my mind are the disposable ones my mom used at Christmas and birthdays.
The second is the hand-me-down Single-Lens Reflex camera I got for my photography class in art school. All first-year photographers start with black and white 35mm film for the first six months.
Why? Hang tight; we’re getting into it.
First, what is a film camera?
There are several varieties of film cameras: Single-Lens Reflex (SLR), Twin-Lens Reflex (TLR), Rangefinders, and Point and Shoot cameras, among others. The Single-Lens Reflex (SLR) camera, analog equivalent to the popular Digital Single-Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera, is the most common film camera and best suited to amateur photographers wanting to learn.
SLR cameras provide settings controls and the ability to swap lenses, enabling greater versatility and command. With an intricate interior mirror and prism mechanism, the SLR allows the user to see straight through the lens, giving you an almost exact representation of the resulting image.
How does a film camera differ from a digital camera?
Photographers who have used both would likely say that what differs the most is the process.
Film photography is made exclusively for paper printing. It is a slow shooting process with an even slower developing and printing process. Additionally, there is little consideration for digital manipulation and sharing online. You have only 36 exposures in a roll of film for 35mm, so you’d best use them carefully. Film photography is also unpredictable; the results are at the mercy of correct loading and precise camera mechanics. Furthermore, you won’t see the product for days, weeks, or even months.
Contrastingly, digital photography sometimes never sees paper. You can take tens of shots per second. They are viewable immediately and edited and shareable within minutes. I have written about why you should still buy prints these days if you’re interested in learning my thoughts on that.
In the end, with digital, you can fully automate every aspect, from focus to exposure to white balance. It is instantly gratifying, thoughtless, and automatic.
There’s no doubt that there are pros and cons to both processes. Experienced photographers will work with one or the other based primarily on personal preference and style. Some will use both, each for different applications.
So, why should a student learn photography with a film camera?
Small Up-Front Cost
For this post’s purposes, I am assuming most beginner photographers do not have access to a darkroom to develop and print their negatives. There are DIY ways to make it happen, but it’s far from convenient, not necessarily cheap, and very risky.
Sadly, the cost of film and film development is rising with decreasing demand. As a result, film photography has become more expensive over time. However, for beginner photographers wanting to learn the basics, shooting with film is the most cost-effective way to start.
You can pick up a second hand 35mm SLR camera from many camera stores for less than $80. On the other hand, a decent DSLR and memory card will set you back a few hundred. Not to mention, you’d need a computer of sorts and any editing software you might want to complete the package.
Buying and developing film can get expensive. However, part of the process is nourishing each exposure with enough thought and consideration that they’re worth 1000 digital shots.
Trust me when I say that this monetary incentive to use film sparingly is not the only benefit – more on that in a minute.
A side note on buying a second-hand camera.
Like many used items, buying second hand can be risky, and there are many factors to consider. I recommend purchasing from a camera store and not a second-hand store, eBay, or other online sources. Ask the clerk to show you that each mechanism works, make sure they have a return policy, and consider bringing a roll of film so that you can test it.
Speaking of mechanisms.
The Mechanisms are Visible and Obvious
This advantage is part functional, part admirable. When you press the shutter release button on a digital camera, you know you’ve taken a picture because it will suddenly pop up on the display screen. Satisfying as that may be, it’s short-lived.
When you press the shutter release button on a film camera, you can hear the shutter move and feel the gears turning. Then, entirely manual cameras will have you stop and advance the film to prepare for the next exposure. This process is beautifully intuitive and a large part of why I enjoyed shooting on a film camera.
Moreover, those mechanics can help visual, hands-on learners like myself understand how the camera works. You load and advance the film yourself. Then, you adjust all of the settings yourself. Finally, you can hear and feel the camera’s shutter open and close as you capture the scene in front of you. Naturally, you develop a deep understanding and appreciation of how the camera works.
The Real-Life Snapshot
There are no boundaries or borders in the digital age.
– Karim Rashid
Digital photography offers infinite potential. With unlimited shots and all the editing possibilities at your disposal, the idealized images are what people are used to seeing. Aiming for that level of unnatural perfection rather than appreciating the natural imperfection of reality makes it easy to get discouraged.
The essence of film photography embraces real life; it’s a snapshot of exactly what is happening at that moment. It also embraces the potential malfunctions of a film camera. Some photographers will shoot with defective cameras intentionally. Why? Because they hope for the beautiful accidents that can happen when the light leaks or shutter malfunctions.
There are a couple of benefits to adopting this real-life mentality when learning photography.
- Firstly, mastering the fundamentals of taking a good photo is more valuable than idealizing your subject in the image.
- Second, real life has all the benefits and challenges you need to learn how to create a great shot without the pressure to make it look ideal. Its permanence and physicality are inescapable.
- Third, you can take photos of real-life anywhere: at the busiest city intersection, the neighbourhood park, on a trip to Italy, or in your basement. Translation: you can practice film photography anywhere.
FUN FACT:
FILM PHOTOGRAPHY PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN DETERMINING THE SUCCESS OF INSTAGRAM. INSTAGRAM FILTERS WERE INSTAGRAM FOUNDER KEVIN SYSTROM’S WAY TO SIMULATE THE BLURRY, IMPERFECT CHEAP FILM CAMERA PRODUCT. FURTHERMORE, IT WAS SYSTROM’S HOLGA 6×6 CAMERA THAT INSPIRED THE SQUARE, 1:1 ASPECT RATIO. INTERESTINGLY, IT TURNED OUT THAT FORCING THE CROP MADE FOR BETTER PHOTOGRAPHERS. IN SHORT, THE POPULARITY OF INSTAGRAM, ITS ASPECT RATIO, AND ITS FILTERS IS A TESTAMENT TO THE MASS APPEAL OF FILM CAMERA AESTHETICS.
IRONICALLY, PEOPLE ARE NOW PERFECTING THEIR INSTAGRAM PHOTOS DESPITE INSTAGRAM’S INTENTIONALLY IMPERFECT INITIAL DESIGN.
Manual Settings Teach – Automatic Doesn’t
Some newer film cameras offer some automation, but they’re mostly manual. Whereas, with digital cameras providing an entirely automatic mode that ensures correct exposure, the user doesn’t have to apply much skill or knowledge. You also don’t have any creative control over the result.
Back to my earlier point about nourishing each exposure with all the TLC you can, shooting with a film camera forces the photographer to be extraordinarily meticulous.
The balance between ISO (dictated by the type of film you buy – more on that another time), shutter speed, and aperture is a delicate one. This balance is what makes up the fundamentals of photography from which everything else stems. Notably, I have a post all about the Exposure Triangle that talks about using each of those variables if you want to check that out after this.
Film photography is a slow process that involves considering the subject and the entire frame surrounding it. Furthermore, it requires consulting the light meter for optimal exposure and adjusting settings to balance that exposure with the desired result.
With the most automation, a film camera could be one of two:
- shutter-priority, where you control the shutter speed, and the camera applies the appropriate aperture
- aperture-priority, where you control the aperture, and the camera uses the appropriate shutter speed.
Otherwise, they’re entirely manual, where you manage and balance both.
I could spend another 2000 words here talking about the exposure triangle, but you can head to the other post for more on that. For now, what you need to know is that a film camera forces you to learn those things, hands-on, no exceptions. That means moving you to understand the fundamentals of photography without the crutch of auto-mode.
To further drive this point home:
No Metadata
For the digital photographers thinking, “I can shoot with a digital camera in full manual mode and nourish each shot carefully and get all the same benefits.” Maybe so.
However, do you also write down the settings you used for each shot so that when you’re looking at it weeks later for the first time, you know what you did to achieve that result? Or, what you’d need to change next time?
Knowing this data is critical for film photography because, unlike digital, there is no metadata recorded for you. For those of you that may not know, metadata is invisible information recorded on files.
For our purposes, this includes the following:
- the date the file was created
- your camera make and model
- the camera’s lens
- your camera settings:
- dimensions
- focal length
- ISO
- aperture
- shutter speed
- flash settings
- the location the file was made (on cameras with GPS)
Pretty handy, right? Except you might take for granted that that information is there if you even consult it. Like following a recipe, it’s crucial to interpret and understand what you’ve done to replicate the result or fix any issues next time. It’s critical to be aware of this information.
Shooting without metadata recording means that you have to record that data manually. The act of writing it down naturally embeds that information more securely in your memory and forces you to consider it that much more.
Well, that’s that about that. In case those five reasons weren’t enough to convince you,
a few honourable mentions.
Novelty
Film cameras are novel items that many people collect and cherish more and more over time. Additionally, the good ones are built to last hundreds of years and have a handsomely antique aesthetic to them, emanating distinctive character.
There is something nostalgic about manually advancing the film, like winding an antique timepiece.
Comforting is the sound of the shutter release initiating the open and close, like pressing analog piano keys for each unique note.
Like listening to a vintage vinyl album, you relive your shooting experience fondly while studying your negatives against a window.
Modern digital cameras are incredible in their own way, but they got nothin’ on a quality film camera’s personality.
KISS
For the minimalists out there, not interested in collecting antique or vintage photography equipment, I use the KISS mantra: Keep It Simple, Stupid.
Find a quality 35mm SLR camera with a 50mm lens and some black and white film. This combination will get you through just about any photographic endeavour for your first six months at least.
The best part? You will develop a very intimate relationship with that camera. Moreover, getting to know all of its nuances will only further your understanding of how it works. Later, you can switch up the lens for more versatility or try a different kind of camera.
FOMO: Fear of Missing Out
Finally, there’s no arguing that film photography is losing popularity, and has been for years. However, some believe it still has its place.
“THE FUTURE OF FILM PHOTOGRAPHY IS GOOD. IT WILL NO LONGER BE THE PRIMARY WAY MOST PEOPLE VIEW AND SHARE THEIR IMAGES AS IT WAS IN THE PAST. THE NEW FUTURE OF FILM PHOTOGRAPHY WILL BE LIKE THAT OF VINYL RECORDS. MOST RECORDS SOLD ALSO COME WITH A FREE DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, SO THE LISTENER CAN CONSUME IN DIFFERENT WAYS. THE SAME GOES WITH ANALOGUE PHOTOGRAPHY.
THERE NEEDS TO BE A FUSION BETWEEN DIGITAL AND ANALOGUE PHOTOGRAPHY, WHICH WE ARE ALREADY SEEING. WE SHOOT AND PROCESS ANALOGUE, BUT THEN THE IMAGES ARE SCANNED, POST PROCESSED AND SHARED VIA SOCIAL MEDIA DIGITALLY.
I’M OKAY WITH THAT.
THE INITIAL CAPTURE DONE IN ANALOGUE AND THE FINAL END PRODUCT BEING DIGITAL IS PROBABLY THE FUTURE. I’M NOT SAYING THIS IS MY PREFERENCE, BUT IF FILM PHOTOGRAPHY IS GOING TO SURVIVE, IT NEEDS TO ADAPT TO THE WAY PEOPLE ARE NOW COMMUNICATING AND INTERACTING. THAT’S THE NATURE OF ANY ART FORM, SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR OR FORM OF COMMUNICATION.”
– Take Kayo
Whether or not this is the future of film photography, it has been and will continue to be on the brink of extinction. For the sake of experiencing and preserving a little bit of history, enjoy it while you still have the chance.
Photography is an art and a skill, and learning it takes discipline and a deeper understanding of how cameras work.
A film camera is the best and most efficient way to teach you the fundamentals of photography.
It forces you to not only consider factors involved in a successful exposure but manually adjust them before taking the shot, and then record them for future reference. Film photography is a slow process. Like slow fashion and slow food, this take on photography requires thought, planning, and intention. One 35mm exposure is worth hundreds of digital shots, making it the most efficient way to learn photography as a beginner.
Whether you’re an aspiring professional photographer or a serious photography enthusiast, I highly recommend picking up a 35mm film camera.
Apply the principles you already know, the tips you learn here, and things you learn along the way to your shots for at least six months.
Forget digital; try to learn photography with a film camera. I guarantee you will get more out of that time than you would in years shooting digital.
Let’s give it a shot.