Story and photos by Cat Cranston
Film photography isn’t dead, and although there are always rumours of its passing, film photography is here to stay.
So why shoot on film?
There is something about taking a photograph without the instant gratification of a digital camera screen to show you whether you got the shot or not. You slow down. Breathe. Relax.
More thought goes into a film photograph. Is this the best angle? How is the light falling on the subject? Could I make this better? There are sounds related to shooting film too. The manual winding on of a frame, the soft shutter sound as you take a shot. Bliss!
There is something soothing about taking your time with things, slowing down and taking time to capture an image.
In early 2023 I bought my first fully-manual 35mm film camera, a Canon AE-1. It had been years since I last shot film, and usually with my trusty Nikon F100, a much more automated professional film camera that served me well.
I wanted to capture portraits of my classmates this week, so I brought my camera to TAFE, and loaded it with Ilford Delta 100 black and white film.
These are some of the images I captured on the day:
Feeling inspired and want to try your hand at film photography?
The easiest way to get started is to grab a single use film camera, available in stores such as Officeworks, K Mart or specialist camera stores such as Digidirect or Ted’s.
If you’re keen to buy a film camera for the long term, there is a Sydney Camera Market at Newington College, Stanmore on August 4.
You can also buy film rolls and get them processed at DoFilm! In Surry Hills and Rewind Photo Lab in Alexandria. And if you’re feeling adventurous, processing your own black and white film is pretty easy.
Life is fast paced enough, and if you find that creating art helps bring you back into the moment, try film photography.
Featured photo: Marco, by Cat Cranston
