On Film

 You may remember a short time back I bought a film SLR camera. A Canon EOS 1000F. Something I could only have dreamed of owning as a photography student at secondary school in the 90s, and yet I picked it up with a lens for around £30 on eBay.

Mother’s Day Lillie’s using the built in flash

It sat for a few weeks while I waited for the opportunity to take it out for a test run. That opportunity came the day we decided to go to York Minster. Loading up the camera I realised I’d made a rookie error. I’d bought ISO 200 film. Not a disaster but not ideal for the overcast day and definitely not for the interior of a medieval cathedral. Nonetheless, I was determined to try this camera out, so accepted that this roll would probably produce less than ideal results.

Boring skies, but check out the definition on the building 

Once I’d finished the roll I sent it to Leeds based, Take it easy Lab, and then I waited. Oh the thrill of waiting to see if you’ve got at least one decent image from that roll of 24. It took me back. I have to say, the lab were super fast. Once I’d actually posted the film off to them, they notified me they’d received it one morning and by that afternoon I was accessing my images on Dropbox. What a perfect amalgamation of analog and digital.

Do you know what? The images weren’t all that bad! Ok, so there are definitely improvements to be made, but not bad for my first time back behind an SLR in about 15 years.

These ones of the Morris Men (ironically they were from Coventry) are by far my favourite and demonstrate the exact reason I want to return to the world of film photography. No filters, just perfect imperfection. Atmosphere and something I can’t quantify that really makes me happy.

Needless to say, the next day I was back online ordering film for my next analog adventure. 

Photogeekery

Recently, I’ve been saving for a new camera. Over the years I’ve had a number of cameras, I studied photography at GCSE and A-level and it was something I loved. Although I had access to (a heavy and cumbersome) digital SLR while I was married, I seemed to lose my interest in photography for some time, just dipping in every now and again. I’ve been thinking how I’d like a mirrorless camera to add to my collection; all the SLR settings without the weight.  

Last week, I discovered a new camera, a thing of beauty, the Fujifilm X. With a £700 price tag, it wasn’t for me. The thing that really drew me to it though was the retro film presets. I happily pre-date digital photography and still find joy in the imperfection of film photography. So I decided instead to buy a film SLR from eBay. It arrived on Friday and I’m beyond excited to try it out. I’m even looking forward to waiting for my film to be developed. I always remember the excitement of wondering how many of the 24 images on your roll would actually turn out well.

This won’t be my prime camera, but it’s a welcome addition to a collection that I think covers all bases now. I have two smaller digital cameras. The Canon power shot was the one I took to Paris last year, and whilst it captured lovely images then, it doesn’t perform so well in low light. I’ve told little Miss she’s now allowed to use that one on trips and holidays now. She likes to take photos and I’m happy for her to learn.

Then I have my fun Fuji Instax which is great for parties and candid snaps. I’m also recognising that the iPhone camera is pretty decent too. I’ve always discounted my phone cameras as not being as valid, but I’ve recently started looking more into the settings and how to get the best from it, so it’s just about selecting the right camera for the situation.

I’m not totally writing off another digital camera just yet, but for now I’m very happy with my little photography collection.