dan on film

You have to make room in your finances for film photography. Sadly, things have been a bit tight recently, for obvious reasons, which is why I haven’t posted for a while. Despite the impending doom of a likely increased mortgage, petrol has dropped and the energy companies keep giving me money back so I bit the bullet and had three films developed.

Three Kodak Gold 200 rolls to be precise; a little experiment – more affordable compared to my previous frivolous choice of Portra – but still setting me back £8 per roll. Factor in the cost of development at £10 per roll at Exposure Film Labs in Hereford, UK, and you are looking at more than a quid per photo. But I can be comfortable with that for the time being because the learning experience and outcomes are so rewarding. Most of the time.

I am not that happy with some of the photos, many of the photos to be honest. It’s a tough, honest learning experience to be frank. Without a pang of regret, several hundred thousand out of focus/badly framed digital photos have been momentarily sent to the Recycle Bin over the last twenty years or so. But I can’t let go of my bad film photos. Even though they have been digitally scanned, they retain the ability to draw emotions out of me that bad digital SLR photos don’t. It isn’t the cost which keeps me clinging on, promise. Film just makes me feel nostalgic for a time when people had to wait for stuff to come to fruition. There is value in that.

I’ll share my less impressive photos one day but for now, here’s one I love. My wife and two of my three offspring in a bright day at the top of town in Malvern, UK. A great location with all the light from the big bright sky giving the best canvas for the main focus of the photo.