Stacey shoots film

Why do you shoot film, Stacey?

i started shooting film in college and fell in love with the process. film takes time and it takes deliberation. but now, the meaning has shifted slightly. i think i shoot film now because i want to make sure i am actually seeing what i am taking a picture of, it's a different sort of deliberation. but also, i'd be a liar if i didn't say that the heavy slap of the shutter makes my heart race.

You can see more of Stacey's photos in this set on Flickr.

Ines shoots film

Why do you shoot film, Ines?

I started shooting film this summer. 2 years ago I found an Olympus OM-1 in my house, it was from my father but hadn't been used for a very long time, I had to get it repaired but never did because I'm never long enough in my home country to do it. So last summer I decided to buy a Canon AE-1 in internet and since then i put my digital camera aside. Shooting digital has nothing to do with film. I so love the feeling of taking pictures with it, the shutter noise, waiting (sometimes months) to develop them, the moment where you see the result is so exciting! You never know what you will get. I love surprises! I also like the fact that with film I'm more conscious about what i shoot (I can't afford to waste my films), so I take less pictures and that makes them more special to me.

The picture I attach is the first picture I took with my camera. I got my AE-1 on a trip to Paris, the seller was from Paris so I got it hand to hand. I went home and made this picture to try it out!

You can see more of Ines' film photos in this set on Flickr.

Mary shoots film

Why do you shoot film, Mary?

I've only recently begun shooting film again after a few years of pretty much only using digital cameras. For me, rediscovering film hasn't changed too much the way I take pictures, it's been more about the excitement of the end result - the particular grain, depth of tone & hue of film. The whole process of shooting film is more deliberate & considered - starting with choosing the film, camera & lens and ending with the anticipation of waiting to see how a roll has turned out. But mostly I love that particular combination of perfection & imperfection when you get a magical result.

You can see more of Mary's photos on her Flickr and blog.

Erin shoots film

Why do you shoot film, Erin?

I started shooting film about two and a half years ago because my now fiancé, who is a complete photography geek, had two film cameras and I wanted to learn how after seeing the lovely results that film produced in comparison to digital. He surprised me with my own film camera for my birthday shortly thereafter.

The main reason I love film is because there’s something about it that just makes you slow down and really pause to be in the moment. Shooting film somehow has become a metaphor for the way I’d like to live my life- finding something in each moment, waiting and taking my time to try to get something right, and letting myself be consumed with the present moment. Also, is there anything better than that satisfying click when you finally decide to shoot? Probably, but it’s certainly a good one!

There’s also something about having to wait to see your images. I am very slow with each roll so by the time I get them it’s like opening a time capsule. Suddenly I’m flooded with memories of crouching and waiting for the sun to fill the flowers in my father’s garden or how my glasses kept fogging over when it was so cold but I so badly wanted to get that shot of the red berries shining in the orange glow of the sunset. Film, for me, is such a powerful vehicle for memories.

You can see more of Erin's film photos in this set on Flickr.

Marion shoots film

Why do you shoot film, Marion?

I shoot with my beloved daddy's vintage Canon AE1 that I named Georges, daddy bought it for my birth and gave it to me just a year ago. Therefore, everything with him is like a big adventure, we went to Switzerland, Berlin, Paris. We mostly shoot colour film but we both have a big big crush on black and white. This self portrait above was taken with an Ilford HP5.

It's truly fantastic to have a kind of companion that is following me everywhere. We love to remember the small details and the simple things of life. I've been testing some expired slide films lately and the result was pretty funky.

Shooting with analogic is such magical, you shoot, take the roll to the lab, forget a little bit what you did and then, you discover again what you did. I like the impatience you can feel, the expectations, and the hapinness or the decpetion that results. A little bit like it is for love...

You can see more of Marion's film shots on her blog and portfolio.

Jeanine shoots film

Why do you shoot film, Jeanine?

My tendency, when I use a DSLR, is to shoot at will and with abandon. Whereas with film, I am forced to slow down and think before pressing the shutter. I appreciate that analog requires a certain amount of discipline. A more conscious and intentional approach to photography.

The anticipation of getting a roll of film developed. Information travels so quickly these days that we are barely ever asked to wait for anything, which leaves little room for surprises. And though I can be the world’s most impatient woman, I do love a good surprise. I like the thrill of picking up a roll of film at the print shop after waiting for a full 36 exposures (which sometimes takes weeks to shoot) to see what the photos look like. For example, in the shot above, I had no idea that I'd captured this stranger's smile. I only noticed when I got the photos back.

The sound! Have I told you about the sound? And how there is no better sound in the world than the shutter releasing on a Pentax K1000 and the clicking as you advance the film? Swoon.

I rarely ever post process my film photos, except perhaps minor cropping or adjusting the levels. I used to go extreme Photoshop on my pictures to give them that nostalgic feel but they ended up looking like they’d been injected with Botox and covered with a thick layer of makeup. With the Pentax, my photos come out just the way I like them, strait out of the camera with a thin layer of magic on top. That glow. That blur. That grain. That thing you can’t quite put your finger on. That’s the K1000 je ne sais quoi. Unprocessed, no salt or sugar added, pure natural goodness.

I guess you could say I have a little crush on my Pentax. And I have a feeling this is the kind of love that will last a lifetime.

You can see more of Jeanine's film shots on Flickr and her blog.

Piermario shoots film

Why do you shoot film, Piermario?

I shoot film because I like it more.

A few years ago I once found myself trying to use Photoshop to give some kind of "film feeling" to pictures I shot in digital. I realized it didn't make too much sense to me, so I thought why not shoot straight on film?

I started with toy cameras, just to give it a try, and liked it. Then one day I told my uncle I was thinking about buying an old reflex on eBay. He told me to wait, and a few weeks later I got a green bag with his old Contax and a full range of Zeiss lenses.

That's where I fell in love for good.

I like to take my time to think about each shot, choosing film according to what I'm going to shoot, or even try cheap or expired rolls. I like what can't be reproduced on digital, even dirt and imperfections, light leaks, accidental double exposures and such. Shooting film makes you look at things in a different way, be more careful, learn to wait and even decide that a picture is not good enough. It's a good way of learning from your own mistakes, and smile at surprises, because you never really know if what you shot is what you're going to get.

Sometimes it's not, sometimes is even better.

You can see more of Piermario's film shots on Flickr.

Alice shoots film

Why do you shoot film, Alice?

I shoot film because there is something consummate about the experience of it all, from the photographer's original vision to its transmutation into something tangible and the often long waiting period between these steps. Film immortalizes daily moments in a way that really tugs at my heartstrings. The tones, colors, light - film portrays and interprets these in a way that is simply inimitable. Film photographs make me pause to inspect all of the elements of that frozen moment and to imagine the events that transpired there, and for some reason, film just feels more genuine than digital. Film reminds me of the way photography all started, to really look before I shoot, to appreciate the fact that not everything is about instant gratification. (I should add that Lorena Arance's beautiful film portfolio inspired me to start shooting film in the first place!)

That said... I definitely want a wedding photographer who shoots film (if/when the time comes :)).

You can see more of Alice's photos on her blog and her Flickr.

Matilde shoots film

Why do you shoot film, Matilde?

I have recently rediscovered analog cameras. It started with friend of mine whose digital camera was broken, and she had to buy a disposable camera. In the start we made fun of it, but then found out it brought us back to childhood. I searched my parents’ house for old cameras, and found my old compact camera (that still had film inside).

I like to shoot film because it's so exciting waiting for the result. I often forget what I taken pictures of, so I don't know what to anticipate. When the negatives are developed, and I look at the result, it sometimes feels like I found something that I didn't know that I'd lost; a memory of a great moment.

You can see more of Matilde's film photos on Flickr and her blog.

Silvia shoots film

Why do you shoot film, Silvia?

I love the definitiveness of film, how it manages to capture a moment in serendipity. I press the shutter, and I can relive the moment a second time once I get the developped film back. Film decelerates the way I take pictures. There is no checking the screen, there is no retaking. It values the moment for its uniqueness.

And I love the suspense of not knowing how the pictures turned out. Getting a developped film back, is a little bit like Christmas.

You can see more of Silvia's film shots in this set on Flickr.

Kristen shoots film

Why do you shoot film, Kristen?

it is impossible to narrow the reason i shoot with film into one simple sentence or word or phrase. so, here's my ramble. i shoot film because it is magical, organic, sensual - from choosing the film, loading the camera through the clunk of the shutter all the way to the surprises of processing (sadly i don't have a dark room but the memories are vivid). the soft grains, the unexpected light and shadows, the happy accidents and the even happier deliberate outcomes (as with this photo). with film, i am present in the moment in a way i never am shooting digital. it's a monastic experience, one that causes me to pause for longer periods of time considering my subject, to be discerning- framing out what i hope to capture, unsure of the real outcome but trusting in the process. there's no delete button. it's archival and permanent, connecting me to the past and grounding me in the present.

You can see more of Kristen's film shots on her blog.

Tim shoots film

Why do you shoot film, Tim?

There is no one reason why I shoot film. I love the sound a film camera makes. I love the tones, the grain, the imperfections. The anticipation and excitement you get when the film is developed. To me there is more feeling with film. You don't get instant results like you do with digital, and I think that causes you to stop and think about what you really are trying to capture. It makes the end result all that more magical.

You can see more of Tim's photos on his Flickr and blog.

MK shoots film

Why do you shoot film, MK?

I shoot with film because it kinda makes my boring photos looks so good :p The graininess, the color & saturations different films produce makes each photo unique. To me, even blurry & under-exposed film pictures seems pretty :)

With digital cameras, I often waste a lot of time taking different shots of a single object but when I shoot with film, it's just one shot. No re-shooting!

I'm having a whole load of fun testing out different films now and I'm hoping to get another vintage camera to take some black & white photos. Oh. one more thing. I l ove the shutter sound :)

You can see more of MK's photos on Sleepwalking in Tokyo.

Kristina shoots film

Why do you shoot film, Kristina?

well, i could make up a long and elaborate story of how i thought about photography for a very long time and came to the conclusion that film was the one and only medium worth wasting one’s time with if one were an artistic soul, but that would be a ginormous lie. really, it’s been a coincidence – no less and no more. some years back, my aunt moved places and gave me her old praktica LTL, a heavy, big manual camera. i started shooting film with varying success, which partly may have been due to me not really knowing what i was doing, and the added challenge of going all manual. but it was love, from the very first day. it’s been a big learning curve, in which i’ve benefited most from getting things ‘wrong’. like travelling to venice in the middle of summer and shooting with film that should really have been used indoors on a winter’s night - everything i shot outdoors looked faded and washed out. after my initial embarassment though, it turned out i liked the effect. i guess what i’m saying is: film has made me appreciate those happy and less happy accidents. it has made me more patient. and it’s for the first time that i feel i’m learning without fearing imminent judgement, i can just play and see where it takes me.

p.s.: my latest camera crushes are my nikkormat EL and a pentax ME. and i’m very much hoping to own a medium format camera some day soon. i should really tell santa, or whoever is in charge of these things.

You can see more of Kristina's photos on her blog and her Flickr.

Anja shoots film

Why do you shoot film, Anja?

Because film makes me focus more on composition and light. And because Astrid's photos from Provence inspired me, with the beautiful blue tones from the Fuji velvia.

You can see more of Anja's photos in her Flickr photostream.

Lorena shoots film

Why do you shoot film, Lorena?

Of all the virtues of taking pictures on film (or shooting film), I'd certainly say it's the way it shows reality.

It often enhances what our eyes see through the viewfinder. You never know what the outcome will be, but always anticipate that it will be equally or more beautiful than what you'd photographed.

I love the atmosphere, the intoxicating moment that magically transports you to the place in your memory, with all its elements.

I can not imagine life without photos and even less without being able to fire the shutter of an analogue camera.
Shooting film combines the perfection, the pause that involves the preparation of a photo and the enjoyment and excitement of waiting for the results.

Sometimes is like having the magical recipe to stop time in a single shot. And to remember it with all the smells, sounds and feelings simultaneously. Forever.

You can see more of Lorena's film photos in this set on Flickr.

Maggie shoots film

Why do you shoot film, Maggie?

I have so many answers to this question, but the main reason I shoot film is for the connection. There is a fixed number of shots on a roll of film, so each exposure seems precious. I take my time; I frame the moment and adjust my settings, thrilling at the sound of the shutter clicking. I don't immediately know how the photograph has turned out, so I have to trust the experience. It's a kind of commitment, as well as an exercise in letting go. With digital, taking pictures feels limitless, and I snap, snap, snap away practically without thinking--which can be perfect for certain situations. But even the most beautiful of digital shots I get that way are often devoid of the emotional connection I feel with my film photos. More conscious of the making and taking of each photograph, every winner I find when my film is developed and returned feels mindful, valuable, and earned.

In our fast-paced and disposably instant world, that's an enormously satisfying feeling to get from something as simple as a roll of film.

You can see more of Maggie's photos on her blog; Folkloric.

Johan shoots film

Why do you shoot film, Johan?

I shoot film because I like film grain.

You can see more of Johan's photos here.

Veena shoots film

Why do you shoot film, Veena?

Last year I picked up my dad's canon a1 with a new respect, having been moved, comforted and delighted by film photographs on flickr (Astrid's "light" set made me officially addicted). Since then I've come to think that, surely, film photography must be good practice for life? You know, with its accidents and unexpected highs and lows. (My first roll was like my first crush: I got up at 5am to capture a gorgeous sunset, only to later realize that I hadn't loaded the film correctly. There was nothing there.)

Now that I can load the film correctly (most of the time) I'm working on seeing whatever comes out of the whole process as a gift. I figure that as long as I'm in a creative community like flickr my technique is bound to improve, however incrementally... and as a giddy beginner, that doesn't even seem to be the point.

You can see more of Veena's film photos here.

Winnie shoots film

Why do you shoot film, Winnie?

I love how film captures light. I love the experience of taking film photographs, the creation of a physical object -- making something. The click of the shutter is real. It feels nice. And where digital photography seems to keep you from being present in the moment, something about film adds to it, makes memories more indelible, more vivid. I can't recall any thrill quite like the one I get when my pictures come back from the lab; when you do everything just right, the results are pure magic. Especially the accidental ones, like this one.

You can see more of Winnie's film shots in her Flickr photostream.