A few of my favorites shot in film

Shooting Film

For years, I’ve been wanting to shoot in Film but never got the chance to bite the bullet until a year and half ago. It’s intimidating to shoot film: is it hard? What if I can never produce good photos in film? But all that changed Christmas 2016 when Charles got me a film SLR for my Christmas gift. Since then, I’ve been shooting film whenever I can but most especially when I travel (it seems to be much more magical to shoot travel photos in film than with DSLR).

Film selfie in New Zealand

Throughout my journey with film, I have posted film scans on my IG stories and have received DMs about film. So I’m here to tell you everything about film according to me! So hopefully this helps you out if you decide to do film!

Equipment

I can’t tell you where Charles got my film SLR since he got it for me as a gift but I’ll tell as much as I can on why he decided to buy the film SLR I have now. For my film camera, I use a Canon Elan 7E and it looks like a normal DSLR and not the vintage looking kind. The reason why he chose this was because of my collection of Canon lens that I have at arm’s reach. I use a Canon 6D with various lenses ranging from an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, EF 50mm f/1.8, EF 40mm f/2.8, and EF 85mm f/1.8 lens. The good thing about the Canon Elan 7E is that the lens that I use with my 6D can be used with the Canon Elan 7E and that was the driving force behind Charles getting me a Canon Elan 7E. Charles is a very economical guy so of course he chose the most economical decision!

So far, the lens that is currently on it is the 50mm which I use quite often. If I were to take a landscape photo (which I do a lot of when traveling), I switch over to the 24-105mm lens which is my standard lens for my Canon 6D. It’s much wider than the 50mm. It can be a hassle carrying two cameras but I don’t mind.

I think my light meter is broken as I can’t seem to get it to move so I don’t rely on it too much. I usually just focus on using light when I take photos and so far, my photos have turned out great!

Film Stocks

The fun part about film is choosing film stocks! There’s so much to choose from and if you’re all about creating photos without worrying too much about the look itself, then experimenting with film is fun! I’ve tried a handful of film but my favorite is the Kodak Portra 400. Simply the best film I’ve tried. I will say though, it’s a lot more expensive than the other films in the market but well worth it! I’ve used the cheap Fujicolor Superia 200 and didn’t like it at all but for 4 rolls for under $10, you can’t beat that if you’re starting out and don’t want to spend too much money with not enough experience. Here are some examples of photos with different films:

Kodak Portra 400:

Shot with Kodak Portra 400 film

My favorite film to shoot with is the Kodak Portra 400. The color is absolutely perfect no matter where the location is: Japan, Hawaii, New Zealand, Kodak Portra 400 is my go-to film. It’s pricey (I think I pay more than $10 per roll) but definitely worth it.

Kodak Ektar 100

Shot with Kodak Ektar 100 film

I haven’t shot too much with Kodak Ektar 100 but I feel like I should pick up a few of them and try it out in a different location. It seems to do well in New Zealand!

Fujifilm Superia 200

Shot with Fujifilm Superia 200 film

Notice the super reddish tone with this film? This is probably the cheapest roll of film out there (4 rolls for less than $10). Not a fan of the reddish tone so I haven’t stocked up on this film since the first time I’ve shot with it. BUT, I have shot with this film recently (it came with a pack of 4 and I had 1 left over) and I was surprised at how well it turned out:

Shot with Fujifilm Superia 200 film

These photos didn’t turn out so red despite being the same film. Charles and I are guessing it’s because of the darker tones already but these were just a small handful that turned out well. The rest of the roll was as red as the previous photos.

Fujifilm Superia X-TRA ISO 400

Shot with Fujifilm Superia X-TRA ISO 400 film

If I had to buy cheap film, I’ll definitely buy the Fujifilm Superia X-TRA ISO 400 over the Fujifilm Superia 200 as it came out beautiful despite being wallet-friendly! It’s not too reddish like the 200. If you’re starting out, I recommend trying these out first before trying out the more expensive film. Then once you get confident, switch over to the more expensive rolls like Kodak Portra 400.

Japan Market Film

This photo was shot with a Japan market film that I’m not sure the name

I was kind of excited about trying a Japan market film (I bought it at Treehouse – a local camera shop in Honolulu) but I wasn’t a fan of how it turned out (this was edited by the way and I’ll explain that later). I know the ISO was 100. While in Tokyo in April, I did find another Japan market film that I’m excited to try (Fujifilm Superia Premium 400).

Expired Film (Kodak GC/Ultramax 400)

Film has expiration dates and at Treehouse, they sell expired film for a discounted price. I bought an expired roll of Kodak GC/Ultramax 400 film. I was afraid of using it in Japan so I saved it for a smaller trip: Maui. I’m sure I overexposed the photos (you’ll read about it in the next section) but I liked how they turned out even though they were expired! Lesson: don’t be afraid to shoot with expired film!

Shooting in Film

The most nerve-wracking thing about shooting in film is SHOOTING IN FILM. It can be a costly hobby between buying, developing, and scanning film but trust me, it is a rewarding experience each time you receive your film scans in your inbox and they are magical! But of course, it’ll take some work to get it right because to be honest, I sucked the first time around.

First of all, do not change ISO in the middle of the film. It’s not like digital where you can switch ISO whenever you want (trust me, I did it and didn’t come out pretty haha). So for example, say I’m using my favorite Kodak Portra 400, ideally, you set the ISO speed at 400. I have mine set at ISO 350 and have set it as low as 100 (this by mistake but it worked in my favor) before. This is overexposing it which I prefer anyway. But in short, you keep it at the same ISO for the entire roll.

Overexposed

An overexposed (I’m pretty sure I left the at ISO 90) photo shot on Kodak Portra 400

Overexposing film gives you a lot work and options than underexposing it. I once used a 100 speed film and when I was done with that roll, I switched to the Kodak Portra 400 for my next roll but have forgotten to change the ISO. I didn’t realize it until midway so I made the decision to keep it at ISO 90 for the entire roll and decided to speak with someone at the film shop about my options. When I was done with the roll, I told him my mishap and he said it was perfectly fine since people prefer to overexposed it anyway. Turns out, my photos turned out great so I worried about nothing! So for me, I like to set my ISO at whatever the speed of the film is (Kodak Portra 400 is ISO 400, Fujifilm Superia 200 is at 200 and so on) or less. Typically, I set it less than the box speed.

Underexposed

When a film in underexposed, there’s no saving it!

I personally don’t like underexposing it (setting the ISO higher than the speed of the film). I can never fix anything that is underexposed so I don’t venture out that way. I heard Kodak Ektar 100 can be underexposed but I have yet to try. Trust me, I’ve tried brightening up the photo to salvage it and it was too grainy.

Richard Photo Lab does a good job explaining it so check out their website here: Richard Photo Lab: Pushing and Pulling Film: The Ultimate Guide.

Composing a Shot

Digital versus film

As far as composing goes, if you’re not feeling confident about your angles, lines and what not, try using a DSLR first and see how it turns out. Then switch to the SLR that way you can be a little more confident on the shot. A lot of times, I prefer the film shot over the digital despite it being a similar photo but at least if your film shot turns out bad, you have the digital! Overall, make sure the lines are straight, rule of thirds, focus etc.

Shadows and Light

I love to capture light and shadows in film. These are best captured in film in my humble opinion. So while shooting, try to find the light and shadows. Trust me, it’s way more better in film than in digital.

Developing and Scanning

Depending on your location, developing and scanning varies. I drop off my film at Treehouse at SALT at OUR KAKA’AKO in Honolulu. They send it out to the local lab and I pay for them to develop and to scan (I do small scans which is the cheapest option) which comes out to a little over $11 per roll. They’re pretty quick and usually the turnaround is 1 to 3 days. The local lab sends the scans to my inbox and I pick up the negatives at Treehouse whenever I can! Super easy!

Treehouse

675 Auahi Street E3-215

Honolulu, Hawaii 96813

They’re also labs you can send your film to if you don’t have access to a photo lab in your city. PhotoVision Prints is one of them. I personally haven’t used it but their photos through Instagram are lovely!

Post Processing

Original versus post process photo with Kodak Portra 400 film

Post processing film scans is really up to you. The reason why I love Kodak Portra 400 so much is that post processing is really minimal. When I say minimal, I mean, all I really do is brighten up the photos to match my feed and if it’s a little crooked, then adjusting that! But otherwise, the colors are nearly perfect.

Fujifilm Superia 200 is too red for my liking. When I get my scans, I usually lower the saturation and of course, brightening up the photo. It changes the entire photo so I love sticking to Kodak Portra 400 to keep it more original.

Shooting in film is definitely a journey for me and I’m slowly becoming confident in shooting in film. The whole process is exciting for me. Even though we live in a fast paced world, shooting in film slows you down and makes you more aware of what is around you because you don’t want to waste a shot. Not only that, you still have to drop off the film, wait for it to get developed, scan, then get sent to your email. It’s delayed gratification to the finest. I’m so excited to shoot more film when I travel soon though!

Overall, here are my tips:

• Use a DSLR to check the shot then shoot with SLR if you’re not yet confident.
• Be patient when you take a photo, don’t rush it.
• Don’t be afraid to try out different film! If you want to be safe, Kodak Portra 400 is my favorite go-to film and the one I use a lot when traveling. If you’re just starting out, the Fijifilm Superia X-TRA 400 is a good starter film!
• Practice makes perfect but don’t strive for perfection or else you’ll hate doing it. Also, you’ll be afraid to try anything new.
• That said, have fun with it! You’ll make mistakes. I do (did you see my underexposed photo?). Enjoy!

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