Getting the Best Out of Film

Although to some shooting film may seem archaic and a little-long winded, to others - myself included - it allows a time to slow down and actually think about the images we are creating. With most rolls of film costing upwards of £12, it’s important not to be too snappy happy when going out on a shoot. Below, I will talk about the methods I use when taking and processing photographs on my antique cameras.

Choosing Your Film

Perhaps the most important choice you should make is choosing your emulsion - of which there are many, but which generally fall into two categories: black and white or colour. There are other options as well, such as creative films or slide film, but film photographers usually choose between these two to begin with. As well as the “look” of the film, you will also need to choose the film speed (also known as ASA) of which you will be shooting with. Unlike modern digital cameras, film cameras’ ISO cannot be changed halfway through a roll and so it is important to know what sort of lightning conditions you will be shooting in. The most common are 100 - 400 ASA film, which will allow you a considerable amount of light when shooting. Anything higher (800, 1600 etc) will be a lot more susceptible to light and are generally accepted to low light films.

Use the Correct Settings

Once you have loaded the film into your camera (this ought to be done in subdued lighting, but if you find yourself loading in the field try to load your film in the shade), be sure that you adjust the ASA so that the light meter exposes correctly. If your camera does not have a light meter built-in, then either use a handheld meter or refer to the Sunny-16 rule when shooting. If you are using a handheld device, point it at a 45º angle to your subject, as this will allow it to see the reflective light from the ground as well as the light on your subject.

Stay True to the Box Speed

Once your film is loaded, you can’t do much to change the ASA. Of course, you could push or pull the film (shooting at a higher or lower ASA than the box speed for creative effect), but as the roll will be developed in the same chemicals for the same amount of time changing the ASA between shots will lead to under and over exposed shots. Therefore it is imperative that you finish the roll under the same (or similar) conditions as you started.

Develop your Images and Leave Them Dry

Other than actually taking the photographs, for me the most enjoyable part of the process is the developing. If shooting black and white film, it is during this stage that you have more creative control over the look and feel of your images. By experimenting with different developers you can alter the contrast, grain and luminosity of your images. If developing yourself, be sure to follow the instructions carefully and use a darkroom or dark-bag to load your film into the developing tank. Any light will destroy your images. Once you have developed the images, hang them to dry in a dust-free room for approximately 40 minutes to an hour, though any longer is always better.

Scan and Edit

Perhaps one of the greatest advantages we, as film photographers, have in 2021 is the possibility to scan and edit our images directly from the negatives. Yes, you can invest in a darkroom so that you can print your own images, but whereas these days printing and scanning devices have come such a long way, I generally prefer to store my film digitally. That said, I do have an archive-binder I keep the original acetate in as well! Once I’ve carefully scanned the negatives while wearing archival gloves (finger prints and dust are now your worst enemy) I will edit the images to adjust contrast and exposure with Silverfast, and then Photoshop and Lightroom, before saving the images to an external hard-drive as TIFF files.

Share and Enjoy Your Photographs

It’s only taken about a week, but you’ve finally finished your roll, developed your images and fixed them (if they need fixing!) in post. Now, with your images carefully stored on your computer you can print them at home, have them printed professionally, share them online - whatever you want do! Personally, I like to print my photographs so that I can stand back and appreciate (or critique) them, before sharing my work with friends and family.