Film photography appears to be rising in popularity amongst some photographers. I've even seen some photographers shoot nothing but film. Even wet plate photography has been on the rise (something I might have to have a go at myself).
So, I had a play with film. Like in the old days! This film was a generic, photo store own brand colour film rated at 200 ISO. By the time I shot this, it was 15 years past it's expiry date. The portraits I took of my nippers, the below images I shot on a walk around St I'ves in April 2023.
I have a collection of expired film that I'm about to run through the camera, ranging from a decade to 55 years past it's use by date! For the black and white film, I've set up my darkroom to develop and print. Again, Like in the old days!
What I really like about a return to film is the quality of the image. Digital photography has been a path to perfection; sharp, clean images with punchy colours. What this old film offers is something wonderfully imperfect. It's lacking some clarity, it's grainy, it's a little desaturated. And it's just brilliant.
I'll be running some more film through the cameras. Some mono which I'll develop and print myself. Yup, I've set up a darkroom again! I have more old, expired film, including some Ilford HP3 that expired in June 1968. So film manufactured something like 60 years ago should offer some wonderfull artifacts to the finished image. (Ilford haven't made HP3 for 40 years)
When it comes to printing I do have some old papers that have been sat around for 20 years. It hasn't been kept in the best conditions (in someone's loft) and paper doesn't age as well as film (which can also age really poorly, especially slide film) so we'll have to see if it works out.
I'll keep you updated.
What are your thoughts on Film Photography? Feel free to tell me what you think on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
While we're here, I'd still like to reunite a traveller with their images. Please have a look here and share the link via the social media buttons at the bottom right of the article: Have You Lost Your Pictures?
