Lens Through Multiple Eyes

Written By: Koli Croy

Graphic By: Mikayla Buneta

Interviewees: Jordan Leigh, Desiree Esther, and Ashlynn Sorrells

 It’s official: film cameras are making a comeback. Any event I go to, I always hear at least one person say, “Can you take this on my disposable?” “Wait, make sure you dial it all the way!” Film cameras are quickly becoming more of a norm among younger generations. Using film cameras brings back an older aesthetic that we, as young people, are gravitating towards. The second I mentioned to my grandpa that shooting on film interested me, he immediately raced up the stairs to dust off his old camera hidden in the attic. He came down with a Canon EOS Elan II and was so excited to teach me all about it. Film cameras are distinctly different from the simple point-and-shoot we have become familiar with. So, how do you break into the film camera world? What’s the lingo you need to know? And for real–does anyone actually know what aperture means?

Hoping to get to the bottom of things, I talked to some friends who are avid film photographers. Desiree, Ashlyn, and Jordan have all shot for either a couple of months or years. Hopefully, after reading this you can find something that helps you in your film journey! 

Ashlyn started shooting film around 2021 and is currently shooting on a Canon AE-1 Program. As to what got Ashlyn into film, she isn’t quite sure. She says as it started to grow in popularity, and once she saw other's work, she too wanted to learn it. 

Starting any hobby comes with lessons to learn, and Ashlyn wants everyone to know, “ it’s going to take multiple rolls before you get back any good pictures. Most of my beginning photos were pretty blurry and either underexposed or overexposed.”

Fiddling with your camera’s settings is part of the learning process with film photography. Shutter speed, Ashlyn explains, is still something she is working on perfecting.

 “The shutter speed alters how well the picture comes out in terms of lighting. With a digital camera, most manually control the shutter speed, whereas a film camera relies on the photographer to control it.” Controlling a film camera may be hard, but Ashlyn’s advice is to consult a Youtube tutorial covering your target issue. 

Desiree is currently taking a film class at Missouri State University and is shooting with the camera provided to her, Pentax K1000. Desiree chose this class to help complete her major, and as a way to learn more about film. Learning how to shoot film can be an expensive hobby, and Desiree regrets not researching and saving before. Even though this is required for her photography class, Desiree is developing her own film, enlarging the prints, and purchasing the film specific paper. These expenses can add up if you develop your own film, so make sure you budget this hobby out. As you continue, shooting film can be a little confusing sometimes. You can’t see your mess-ups, so you just have to hope you have your settings correct. Something that has helped Desiree with this problem is always knowing her exposure. Exposure is the quantity of light that is allowed to go through the camera lens and onto the photo film controlled by the intensity of light, which is the aperture (see, it wasn’t so complicated!). 

The trick, Desiree explained, is to “expose for the shadows.”  Properly exposing shadows prevents the image from getting blacked out and losing detail in the darker areas. This protects the quality of your overall image, acting as a safeguard against aspects getting blown out or blurred. Being in a film photography class at MSU has given Desiree tips she might not have otherwise known. If you can find some time to sneak this class in, I suggest doing so!  

Finally, I talked to Jordan. Jordan shoots on a Holga 135BC and has been shooting for a couple of years now. Seeing that hazy glow that disperses through the photo is what made Jordan love film. He says it “ has a natural beauty that can’t be replicated on most other cameras.” I think that’s what draws us all in. Seeing film photos gives everyone a powerful sense of nostalgia. There are so many different types of film that give different looks to your photos. For beginners, Jordan recommends buying the cheapest film you can find and shooting anywhere you can. The more you practice and play around with the settings the better! You can only learn by doing. 

Now that you have all these photos, where do you develop them? Well, in Springfield you can head to BedFords Camera and Video. They have a huge selection of film, cameras, and knowledgeable employees. 

Desiree, Ashlyn, and Jordan were all once new to film and took the time to learn something that interested them. Whether it be for a class, the nostalgia, or the popularity of it––shooting film is fun and should not be intimidating to learn. With film becoming more prevalent, I hope this article helps and makes you more eager to start this hobby. Film has so many different parts to it; from lighting and shadows to shutter speed and developing. So go into your parent's attic or ask your grandparents for one of their old film cameras, and see what you can do with it.