Film diaries | Feb + March

I have wanted to shoot film since I began my photography career in 2010. I loved the look and feel of film, and I especially admired the art form. Such intentionality is required for each image, it is a craft that really pushes you out of your comfort zone and seemingly forces you to become a better artist because you can’t just double check your image in your view finder.

At one point, in 2012, I did pick up film. I bought a Nikon F100 (a 35mm film camera that fit my current digital lenses), and shot a couple of rolls on it. But soon after, whether due to fear or lack of practicality, or general busyness with my other business tasks, I put it away. I don’t really remember why. And I always longed to pick it back up.

This year, I finally did. Shooting film has been such a freeing process. It’s not perfect. In fact, it’s far from perfect, and I think that is what makes it interesting. I never know what I will get, especially now that I am in the learning phase. Each set of scans I get back from the lab is exciting because I truthfully have forgotten what images I have taken, and I also have no idea what they will look like.

It has been so rewarding to practice a craft I had previously hindered myself from because of fear. Because, you know what? Fear doesn’t accomplish anything. You don’t know what you could be missing out on. You don’t know what mistakes you might make, but you also don’t know what successes or what you might learn along the way. Right now, I am using film to shoot for myself again. It’s mostly images at home (clearly, this was February and March and we did not have a lot of places to go), of my kids, and food, but these images have so much depth to them that I am not used to seeing in my digital images. I do absolutely hope to eventually be at the point to incorporate film into some of my paid client work, but for now, I am having so much fun exploring and making mistakes with something that feels really exciting.