My journey into photography began with film. I was kind of late to the game and by the time I had ever picked up a camera, film was well on its way out. Many films were no longer in production and analog cameras were becoming hard to find. It seemed frivolous to even partake in such an endeavor.

Film is a finite resource; 36 exposures per roll seems ridiculous compared to the endless versatility of digital. More than one person on multiple occasions have told me that it is foolish to use film in a world that has nearly abandoned it entirely. All I can say is that love can do that to a person.

Film is a revelation; a secret waiting to be told. Film is a time capsule that can bring you back to a particular place or moment that you perhaps forgot had even existed. Film is one of my love stories, as crazy as it sounds.

My first film camera was a Diana F+, shooting 120 with no idea what I was doing and every time I got a roll back from processing, with even half of my exposures intact, it felt like a victory. Persistence paid off though. Through nearly obsessive research, wonderful teachers, and the very, very patient people at Nelson Camera in San Diego, I got my film feet under me and never looked back.

I’m not an expert, and even though I have been working as a photographer for over nine years, I feel hardly professional. Despite that I am still obsessed with film. Why do different films do what they do? How does the expiration and deterioration of film and its chemicals change the final exposure? How do the different sensitivities, chemical compositions, and manufacturing processes change the final images that are exposed? The more I learn, the more I want to continue learning. With each new and different film that I try, I am compelled to try them all.

So, I’ve decided to dedicate one little page on my website to film stock reviews. Hopefully, those of you that are landing on this page will find it useful and will discover where to purchase these films online so you can try them out for yourself. If you’d like to see even more of my film photography you can do so HERE.

Film stock reviews are a labor of love, and one that I hope to continue for a long time. While I believe that information like this shouldn’t be kept behind a paywall, support from my readers helps keep the lights on, film in my camera, and my business alive. You can make a small donation here to help my business stay afloat.

I wanted to take a moment to review a film that I shot a little while back. Fuji ColorC 200. I bought it on a whim one day at the camera shop because the guy behind the counter was like, “Hey, you wanna get some really cheap film? We got a great price on it and it’s super cheap.” Yes, please. Film is not a cheap date, guys, a single roll of 36 exposure film can run generally in the $10 range and then add on processing, scanning, time, energy, it adds up fast. So, yeah, it’s usually a special treat I like to give myself, and when I see a deal on film I jump on it because it’s fairly unusual. So, I scooped up a few rolls and took my camera with me on a trip to Storyland in North Conway, New Hampshire. In a year full of sadness, and disappointment, and sorrow, and weirdness, and social distancing, and anxiety, it was a breath of fresh air. It also made for a really beautiful place to take photos. All the bright colors of the rides and decor were perfect for this film because holy moly, it is so vivid. This film captures the colors and textures with such crisp detail and such a richness, I was just blown away by how these photos turned out. So, for $2.50 it was really the deal of the year and such a beautiful way to commemorate this day that we truly enjoyed.

Originally Published Winter 2021

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