Picking up a film camera today can be a little intimidating for some. Here are 5 film photography tips to help you get started.
1. Understand ISO
One of the more important film photography tips is to understand ISO. ISO describes how sensitive a film is to light. The smaller the number, the more light you need to expose the film. Once you load your film, your ISO is set.
If you’re coming from digital, you may look at the ISO or ASA setting on your camera and be tempted to change that to adjust your exposure. Don’t! Setting the ISO/ASA on a film camera is only telling the meter in the camera what film you have loaded. Match the setting on the camera to the film you’re using.
2. Learn your camera’s meter (or your external meter)
This is another one of the vital film photography tips. I’ve seen a lack of understanding in metering ruin a lot of rolls of film. Make sure the meter in your camera works. If you have a digital camera, check it against that. If not, download a light meter app on your phone and see if the camera and the app agree.
Film cameras over the years had several different types of meters. Understanding how and if yours works can make life much better. My old Spotmatic takes a hard-to-find battery, so I use a handheld spot meter with it. Other cameras like the Mamiya RB67 have no meter. Purchasing a separate meter is totally worth it if your camera doesn’t have one.
Additionally, if you’re looking for more film photography tips to do with metering, Nick Carver has an excellent class on learning how to meter properly. After all, the best meter there is won’t do you any good if you can’t read it!
3. Start with negative film
Negative film is much more forgiving than slide/positive film. If you are still working on the other film photography tips, do it with negative film. Slide film has very little latitude to get things wrong. Color negative film, however, can withstand being exposed wrong much better. Black and white negative film generally sits somewhere between the two.
With color-negative film, you still want to get your exposure as close to correct as possible. However, if you’re unsure, lean towards over-exposing it. It’s pretty easy to block up your shadows and ruin a frame by underexposure. On the other hand, it takes a lot of overexposure to ruin a color negative photo.
4. Consider starting with a newer camera
While my Pentax SF1n is certainly not as sexy as the Spotmatic, it does offer a lot of ease-of-use options older cameras simply don’t have. Plus, it also only cost $15 from KEH back when I bought it!
There’s no shame in taking advantage of the semi-auto modes that newer cameras provide. Using the priority modes can help you understand what each parameter does. It’s also helpful to watch the meter and see what settings the camera picks. Paying attention to what the camera does can help you master the other film photography tips!
Even though I’m completely comfortable with manual mode, I often find myself using aperture or shutter priority with my film cameras. It’s hugely useful since many of my newer film cameras don’t have the best control layouts. These modes are also great for dynamic situations where time is of the essence.
5. Practice with a cheap digital camera
This may seem counterintuitive since this post is about film photography tips. However, practicing with a cheap digital camera can be super helpful. Older digicams like my PowerShot G5 can be had for under $50 online or in thrift shops.
Pick one of them up, put it in manual mode or one of the priority modes, and go to town! The older CCD digital cameras aren’t nearly as forgiving as modern CMOS cameras. This will make you work on getting your exposure as perfect as possible in camera.
This will help you hone in on your metering techniques, learn how to compensate for backlighting, and much more. The main benefit of this is that you don’t have to spend tons of money on film and development as you learn. Once you start getting every shot exposed well, you’ll be ready to rock your film camera like a pro!
Also, you can use your cheap digicam to check your metering for your film camera. The old pros sometimes used Polaroid instant film in this way. You can fire off a photo with the digicam to ensure your settings are right before wasting an expensive film shot. (If it has a manual mode, anyway.)
Take these film photography tips out and have fun!
When it’s all said and done, all you can do is get out there, experiment, and have fun with it! Hopefully, these 5 film photography tips will help you get started on your journey with film. Are there any other little tips or tricks you’ve heard that helped you overcome an obstacle learning to photograph with film? Let me know in the comments!