Shoot Film: a photographic guide new guest column

Suzie Chaney is debuting her new guest column today called Shoot Film: a photographic guide. Suzie only shoots with film cameras and is on a bit of a mission to get everyone into it, so she will be sharing some inspiration as well as tips and tricks.  Suzie’s columns will appear bimonthly on Mondays.

In addition to guest blogging at Indie Fixx, Suzie runs Shooting the Breeze film photography e-workshops, blogs at Black-eyed Angel and sells her film photographs on etsy as well. – xoxo, jen

photography

Hi I’m Suzie, a photographer and artist and I moved to the southwest of France 6 years ago. I only shoot film. For me, nothing beats it! It takes more time, forces you to slow down, take care to set up your shot. I think the look of the photograph and the way the light is captured is so beautiful, digital photography just can’t compare! Through this series, I will help you to explore the possibilities and potential of film photography.

In this very first post, I will give you some ideas if you are thinking about trying film photography. Firstly, you need to think about what sort of photographic style you like, do you like lo-fi and spontaneous or would you rather take a more sophisticated type of photograph?

If you like medium format, then the two options readily available are cameras that take 120 film and Polaroid cameras. When it comes to 120 film, the sky’s the limit. At one end there are lo-fi, toy cameras such as a Holga or Diana up to the big, budget-busting beauties such as a Contax 645….But let’s not go there!


photo taken using Contax 645 by Ozzy Garcia

I have a very cute little Diana Deluxe with a plastic lens that takes 120 film, I also have a little Kodak Cresta 3 that takes 120 film, a little more sophisticated than the Diana. These cameras are typical of the style of photography called lomography, a kind of casual and unpredictable type of photography. Lots of light leaks, vignetting (the dark outer edges of the image) over-saturated colours and off-kilter focusing. Hugely popular, lomo-style cameras are easily available both secondhand and brand new. Holga and Diana cameras are available here in both 120 and 35mm format.

Polaroids are quite a bit different as they take instant film. Increasingly popular choice for photographers who love the instantaneous and quite blurred and muted pictures these cameras take, their popularity is growing in leaps and bounds since the film became readily available again.


polaroid photo by Casey Holford

Other 120 options are vintage TLR cameras, box cameras and folding cameras, all easily found on eBay or elsewhere, and a good option for shooting medium format without breaking the bank.

Next up are cameras that use 35mm film, and this is what I mostly use. Whereas 120 film gives you a larger negative, finer grain and an ability to enlarge photos to enormous sizes, I love the proportions of 35mm, and the flexibility to shoot horizontally to create a feeling of space or vertically to add dynamism. I love the little compact cameras that pop into your coat pocket like the Olympus Trip, Smena Symbol or my fave, Yashica ME.

If you like street photography, and you want a casual approach but with a much better quality image, then the rangefinder type of camera would be a great choice. Really easy to focus, wide-angle lenses and a quiet shutter with an ability to shoot in often quite low light situations. But generally you cannot focus in closer than 3ft(1m) and usually the lens is not interchangeable. Ooooh, those vintage rangefinder cameras are such eye candy!


photo by Andrew James

Which brings us on to SLR cameras. These give you greater control over exposures, depth of field and interchangeable lenses. Beautiful, robust, simple. I have been lucky enough to collect quite a few, all with different characters and qualities.

So, if after reading this you are thinking, “hmm maybe I’ll get myself a film camera, give it a go” here’s what I do when I see a handsome looking camera tucked on a shelf at the brocante or lounging on a flea market table before I decide to go for it or walk away. And I do like a bargain!

Before buying a used or vintage film camera:

1. Check the camera all over for surface dings and dents, not necessarily a bad thing. My Spotmatic has a magnificent dent in the top of the prism that doesn’t effect it at all. But my old Olympus had such a big dent on the side of the lens I couldn’t fit a lens cap or filter on it.

2. Find the battery compartment, take out a coin and unscrew it. Check for corrosion. A little can be cleaned up with white vinegar or alcohol but badly corroded compartment is a real headache as the battery will probably not work and bang goes your light meter and in some cases, shutter speeds too.

3. Open up the camera back, check the seals around the edges of the door. Even if they are perished, it’s a straightforward enough d-i-y job. You can get replacement seal kits cheaply from ebay.

4. Does the shutter fire ok? Wind on? If the shutter is a cloth type, check it as you wind on for damage. Could be a costly repair.

5. If the lens is unremoveable (some rangefinders and compacts for example) set shutter speed to bulb (B), fire shutter and keep it open while you hold the camera up to the light to check the lens for scratches, fungus etc. An unremoveable lens that’s damaged; put it down, walk away.

6. Close the camera and unscrew lens if possible. Hold lens to the light and check it is clean and clear, no scratches or fungus. If all else but the lens is well and the price is good, you could consider buying a new lens from eBay.

7. With the lens still off, look into the camera body at the mirror. Check it flips freely when you trip the shutter, and check the mirror pad. (If it is sticky or perished, it is again a do-able d-i-y job.)

8. Finally screw lens back on and check the focusing and aperture rings on the lens move smoothly.


photo by hana**

Voilà! But beware. You too could end up with Gear Aquisition Syndrome and it’s sadly incurable!

See you next time with some shooting tips and tricks.

2 comments

  1. LOVE THIS!! I am obsessed with film and vintage cameras (my collection keeps growing…and growing), and so this column is right up my alley:D

  2. i am SO EXCITED about this new column! i have just recently become re-aquainted with my mom’s old olympus camera and am really looking forward to loading it up with some film. i also will be on the hunt for some vintage cameras on an upcoming road trip so the tips on what so look for were super helpful! thanks 🙂

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