Let me begin with a photo.
That photo was the 1st photo on the 1st roll of film I developed myself. It was surprisingly easy to do, except the bit where you have to get the film out of the canister and onto a spool and into the light proof tank, all in the dark! But the developing itself was a doddle. Pour some liquids into a tank for a certain amount of time. Agitate a few times. Tip out. Done. Well, there is a little more to it than that, but its not hard. When the 1st negatives where hanging up to dry, I was as excited as a Strobist at a flash give away!
Now I never really understood the lure of film, until I started playing with it myself. I blame Harry, he gave me a Canon EOS 1000F film camera and some great advice. Since then, I have scoured eBay for all sorts of filmy goodness. Some can be seen below.
It is now turning into an obsession. These things are so cheap on eBay it is ridiculous. I think the Yashica MG-1 rangefinder was the most expensive so far at $35. The next on the list is a TLR. Maybe another Yashica or Rollie, something thats is medium format so I can play with 120 film.
What makes film photography so addictive? I don’t know. I know alot of other people love film and take some amazing photos with it. I can’t put my finger on what it is, maybe its the fact that it is more hands on. It is tactile, unlike digital. There seems to be a greater sense of satisfaction with film compared to digital. I find I take my time when taking photos using film. You don’t have that feeling of invincibility that digital seems to instill in people. Its like my “What the Duck” mug says, “Shoot like hell, hope one sticks”. I don’t do that normally, let alone on film which is actually costing you every shutter activation.
Film is not for everyone. I expect Gen Y kiddies would hate it. But for people willing to give it a go, I highly recommend it. Grab a $5 eBay special and throw some cheap film in it and have a go. After all, if you don’t like it, just sell the camera on eBay and put it down as a learning experience.
If you love film, lets hear why.