Shooting and processing film is not new to me. It’s something I did practically daily for 30 years (1976-2006). When I got my first digital camera in 2006, I thought I’d never return to shooting film. But here I am almost twenty years later, shooting Ilford HP-5 with a collection of of old film cameras, and processing the film at home in stainless steel tanks. This time around, though, there is no darkroom with a sink and enlargers. I scan the negatives and store the files on my computer.
Why did I go back to shooting film? I think I missed the process, the anticipation, the waiting, the physical connection with the medium, and perhaps the magic. It’s the rush you get when you briefly unspool the negatives (still in the wash) to see if they turned out well, and if there are any keepers. When I glanced at the above photo in negative form, I got a dopamine rush, and couldn’t stop smiling. I don’t get quite the same sense of satisfaction shooting digitally. Perhaps because the results are so immediate, and photos much more numerous.
I’ll still be shooting the majority of my images digitally, but I’ll have the film cameras on hand for those magic moments. Here are some recent film photos shot with a Yashica T4 and Canon AE-1.
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