Today’s Post by Joe Farace
I didn’t think that this blog’s occasional focus on film photography would be all that controversial but it appears that it is. While a few of my film photography related posts have gotten a higher-than-normal numbers of page views, they have also generated readear questions and so today I’m going to answer some of the most common ones:
A FILM Q&A
Once upon a time, a Shutterbug reader emailed me asking, “Why do you do infrared photography, when regular photography is already so hard?” Let’s start with an email from one of several readers who asked that same or similar questions about my interest in shooting film.
Q: “Why are you shooting film? It’s so expensive.”—Ernest, Santa Fe, New Mexico, et al
A: “Expensive” is a relative term and one answer could be as my friend Rick Sammon likes to say, “it depends.” But let’s get specific: Here’s my out-of-pocket costs for a recent photo walk post that produced the below image: The used but nice condition Canon A-1—my favorite in the A-series— cost me $100.99 via eBay. The lens I used cost $75 from KEH and the film? I don’t remember what it cost, because I bought it in 2008. Processing and scanning the film was done by The Darkroom and cost $21.54.
Was that expensive? By comparison, a full-frame mirrorless Nikon Z9 body at B&H Photo is $5,496.95 plus the price of a lens and a CFexpress Type B / XQD memory card. OK, I could have saved a few bucks by comparing the cost of a less expensive Nikon mirrorless camera, like the Z6, that’s priced at 1,596.95. While you can use any old version of Photoshop, like the CS6 I work with, an Adobe Photoshop subscription can cost $9.99-20.99 a month, depending on options. As a side note and to hearken back to that first paragraph about infrared photography, I have some expired Kodak High Speed Infrared film in my refrigerator and am planning on shooting it come spring. I also have some fresh Rollei Infrared film I want to shoot. To do that I’ll need to use a Red 25A filter. Maybe a B+W 52mm filter ($49.95) or Hoya 52mm Red #25A ($29.99) or I might be able to find a used B+W or Heliopan filter on eBay at a good price.
The bottom line for me is that I’ve discovered that by shooting film I’m making fewer photographs but enjoying more opportunities to make images than I did with digital capture. I’ve also found that the photo walks I do are helping me focus my vision and are making the process more enjoyable plus give me a little bit of exercise. Based on shooting a roll a week and factoring in the cost of purchasing new film and having it processed, it’s estimated I have three years and three months before spending the amount of money on film and processing that would be equal to what a new Nikon Z9 costs.
PS: After reading any of these thoughts, I would ask that you please keep in mind that shooting film is the right thing for me to do at this time. I’m not asking you to join me because I don’t want to tell you how to spend your time and money. Instead, I would like this blog’s readers to remember that the tag line of this blog has always been: Have fun with your photography.
On the other side of the fence
Q: “I’m really enjoying all of your new film photography posts. At some point do you plan on processing the film yourself?”—Corrine—College Park, MD
A: My initial feeling is no. I’m not planning on processing any film at this time but I understand why some film photographers appreciate the purity of that process. Part of the reason is that by using different photo labs I can share my lab experiences with this blog’s readers. But one thing that I’ve learned over all my years in photography is to “never say never.” So it’s possible that my answer to your question could change some time in the near future. If and when that happens, Corrine, I will send you a personal email giving you a heads up.
Q: “How many rolls of film do you shoot each week”—Mike, Cincinnati, Ohio
A: Up until recently, I was shooting about one roll a week. But…in early January while dismantling my in-home studio, I experienced a herniated disk and without bothering you with too much information, it’s slowed down all of my photography a lot as I’m recovering.
For the past few months, I have been collecting some of the new and interesting film emulsions from Lomography and other boutique film makers and am looking forward to shooting all of this film as I recover and the weather improves. It has been unusually snowy and cold for this time of year..
And another question about film
Q: “Right now, what’s your favorite film?”—Ashley, Kansas City, Kansas
A: Using both the new and expired rolls of film that I currently have, I’ve really fallen in love with the look of Fujifilm Acros 100 black and white film. If I run out of black & white film, Acros II would be the first b&W film I’ll stock up on. The results from Fujifilm’s discontinued but beloved Neopan 400 Professional that I shot during a photo walk were acceptable but the overall results—I didn’t like the grain structure when compared to Acros—didn’t change my mind. I may play with exposure and pulling the film might help. The Darkroom only charges two bucks to push or pull a roll. I haven’t shot enough color negative so far to have a real favorite but right now I am leaning toward Kodak Gold 200 and finally got hold of a three-pack. I have a roll of The Film Photography Project’s 35mm Retro Chrome 400 slide film that I want to try but don’t anticipate shooting much color transparency film, although back in my old film days that’s mostly what I did shoot.
I am still hopeful of getting a medium format film camera sometime this year. Recently Matt Staver loaned me his Fujifilm GA645W Professional. It’s a 645 format camera and I’m looking forward to shooting a roll of CineStill BWXX Double-X 120 film with it, hopefully real soon now.
If you love/hate my recent posts about film photography, please click Contact and tell me about it. But I’m not planning on stopping shooting or writing about film, film camera and photography, at least not for another three years and three months…
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