I have had such a great time with my film cameras lately. Even though it’s the digital age, and I’m fully immersed in digital camera gear, there is still something so satisfying about shooting film. I’ve learned and grown so much as a photographer by using film – the persistent reminder to slow down and pay attention; the required patience while waiting for film to come back from the developing lab; the deeper understanding about exposure, quality of light, and camera mechanics.
When I first started shooting film (again… I guess I always shot film – in auto mode – up until we got our first digital camera in 2005) my images came out pretty awful. I was so used to just pointing and pressing, and checking the LCD panel to see if it looked good. Shooting film in manual mode forced me to really learn my cameras inside and out. And learn them, I did. I now shoot with a few different film cameras: a Canon EOS 5 – fully automatic 35mm film camera, that takes all the same lenses as my DSLR; a Bronica ETRS – medium format camera that takes 120 film, manual EVERYTHING and no exposure meter so I had to learn how to use a handheld light meter; and a Canon AE-1 Program – 35mm full manual focus with automatic metering. This camera gets the most use of all my film cameras, because the film is easy to find and it still feels like I’m shooting “old school”.
My images this month were shot with my Canon AE-1 on Ilford Delta 400. I learned quickly how using contrasting light caused the images to also reflect a lot of contrast as well. These images were shot inside my poorly-lit kitchen, with bright sunlight streaming in through a window. (Click on any of the images to see them larger)
this post is part of my monthly blog circle with my friends from Clickin’ Moms. We shoot a different type of film each month and share our results together! Please click through to Justine’s blog to check out her Ilford Delta 400 film work from this month!