Film Photography: 5 Tips for Beginners

I have been shooting film for almost a year now and wanted to share some of the thing that I have learned to those of you that are also starting your journey with film photography. Here are my 5 tips for film photography beginners.

Try Different Films

Each film stock has its own characteristics. Some films have a neutral tone, while other are more contrasty. Some films are naturally warmer than others. You might also want to try different black and white film stocks. Trying different types of film will help you find out which kind is best for the type of photography that you shoot.

Shoot A Lot

When you're only just starting to shoot film, gaining confidence in what you're shooting will go a long way. I recommend going through a trial and error process when you're starting off to learn the in and outs of your camera and the film that you are shooting. You might have to spend a bit of money to buy a lot of film, but it will save you a lot of money and frustration in the future.

Learn To Develop Film

Learning to develop your own film can save you money as you don't have to pay a lab for their time and labor. Developing your own film also gets you more involved in the physical process of creating an image; one of the beautiful aspects of shooting film.

Find a Good Lab

If you're not developing and scanning your own film, you'll want to find a lab that processes film well. Capturing a great photograph is only half the battle when you're shooting film. Developing and scanning your film properly is a large part of the process, and can make or break an image if not done properly.

Try Shooting Different Film Formats

Shooting with film give you a great opportunity to try using different film formats. When compared to digital, medium format cameras and films are dirt cheap. Some people end up preferring shooting with larger formats, but unless you try it out first, you'll never know.

I hope that these 5 tips help you guys that are just beginning your journey with film!