Last year was a really slow year for me, photographically. I'd become a bit disenchanted with our local area. I got more into mountain biking again. I hardly got out to shoot unless it was a mountain bike video or some birds in the back yard. I think I shot three rolls of film. This year I'm planning to turn that around. So why am I resolving to use more film in 2022? Film is motivationalI recently had the opportunity to review a new film scanner for my job at Photofocus. I decided to shoot some film over the holidays to test it out with fresh photos. I also was able to borrow a Sigma Art 35mm lens for my Nikon, so I knew I'd have some sharp photos. This led to me shooting more rolls of film in December and January than I shot the rest of 2021 combined! I went through two rolls at family gatherings. I then shot a roll of Portra 800 in the Nikon F5 with the Sigma Art 35mm. I also shot a roll of Delta 400 in my resealed YashicaMat 124G. I ended up putting my film count at eight rolls developed in January. I've also found that once I have a roll loaded in a camera, it starts begging to be shot. I can toss SD cards into my Lumix and not think about it again. However, with my film cameras, I feel the need to finish the roll constantly. It may be a bit strange, but it's an effective motivator to go take more photos. Film is forever (kind of)I work a day job in a photo lab. Between that and reviewing this scanner, it helped remind me that film is great for saving moments. I've scanned negatives at work from the early 1900's to present day. When testing my review scanner, I found negatives from the first trip my wife and I took together. That was nearly 10 years ago, but the scans look like they could've been taken yesterday. Having the physical record of film is simply nice. Short of a tragedy happening, properly stored negatives will last ages. It's also great having something tangible as a result of my photographic work. I suppose prints serve the same purpose. However, who has space to store huge amounts of 4x6 prints? A single three-ringed binder will store tons of sleeved film. The "Film Look"This subject has become a bit of a meme. However, that doesn't mean there's nothing to it. Sure, you can edit digital photos to appear film-like. They might even trick me on social media from time to time. However, displayed in larger formats, it's pretty clear to see. Film photos have something about them that's difficult to describe. I'd almost call it an organic nature. It could be that I grew up before digital was widely viable and that's how I interpret natural photos. It could be that they really do look more organic. Maybe it's something like the "uncanny valley" but for photography. (When something looks so real it confuses our monkey brains and makes us uncomfortable.) While it may be tough to describe what makes film look special, I still think it does. Beyond that, I have difficulty shooting or enjoying black and white digital much. Black and white film sort of forces a mindset change. I know my camera won't capture color, so I have to approach scenes differently. I just love filmI guess when it comes down to it, I just love film photography. Developing and scanning film can be super relaxing after a long day of work. The process of making photos on film can have the same effect. Especially with big, slow systems like my RB67. Sure, sometimes it's frustrating, but that can be said of everything. There's also something special about knowing I'll likely have memories stored on film forever. It's nice to thumb through old photos and breeze down memory lane occasionally. Lastly, as mentioned above, it's just hard to truly replicate the look and feel of authentic film photographs. How do you feel about film photography? Do you have any photo goals for the new year? I'd love to hear about all of that in the comments below. Also, check out my Flickr page for viewing my photos in high quality!
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