My Film Photography Experiance

Over the past year I have dove headfirst into a new hobby. I started taking film photographs the summer before 8th grade. I began knowing nothing about film photography, all I knew was that I loved taking digital photographs and I wanted to learn everything I could about becoming a good photographer. So in my expedition for photographic success I went out and purchased a second hand film camera, not knowing that this purchase would change my life for the better. Never having my own camera before, I was very interested in taking pictures and took my camera with me everywhere. I snapped photos everywhere from the library to the zoo, determined to get a good shot. I loved dropping my film off at the camera store and then eagerly picking up my printed photographs, sorting through each one and picking out my favorites. I learned to apply the rules for digital photography to my film photographs and slowly my pictures improved. Although I didn’t understand film photography right away. Certain things pushed me back a few paces, some things as simple as the shutter! When I first began, all my photos were blurry. I then went on to realize that when I took the photo, the loud click sound (made by the shutter) would make me jump causing me to move the camera and potentially ruin the photo. So what can I say, you live and learn. I presumed to shoot some more rolls of film (all black and white), only occasionally shooting color. Something about color film didn’t interest me like black and white did. Color film was so easy, just capturing. Black and white film was more artistic to me and I definitely enjoyed it more. I went on to take a years’ worth of film photography in school. I learned every inside and out as well as how to develop, print and mount my photos. Taking photography every day not only improved my photographs, but helped me fall in love with it every day a little bit more. Something about only having so many photos is liberating and it makes you really think about what you’re doing. I wasn’t just capturing moments anymore, I was freezing time, creating a world through photographs that I could never visit. I wanted my photographs to be contemporary and artistic and I worked hard at achieving that. To me photography was like writing, I could express exactly what I was thinking as well as making people relate it to their own lives. I still love film photography and I know that I will never give it up as hard as it can be financially as a hobby. I hope to create my own darkroom when I get to college, due to the fact that I love the process of developing my own photos. I am extremely grateful that I stumbled along the art of film photography, and I know that it will always have a place in my heart.