Shot On Film, But Is It Any Good?

Film photography has been making a strong comeback in recent years, even more so the last while, let's discuss.

Overlanding in remote northern Namibia can be tough going, circa July 2002 // Shot on a Nikon FM2 with a 135mm f2 prime and Fujifilm colour negative film (if I recall correctly).

As someone who learnt the craft before digital, the resurgence of film photography has both inspired and disappointed me.

Inspired?

How?

Well, in the same way someone who is into classic cars gets excited about friends getting into classic cars (or bike riding, or wine, or maps, etc.).

It’s both nostalgia and sharing the joy.

And it most certainly isn’t about practicality.

Far from it.

It’s about the process.

The journey, which is the destination.

That’s film photography, today.

Back when I learnt photography it was just the way things were done.

Imagine trying to explain to someone doing the company bookkeeping by hand in the 1960’s how the digital era and spreadsheets make things so much easier and efficient.

You get my drift.

But I digress.

You see, even in the film era, an image still had to be good.

Which brings me to what disappoints me about film photography images today.

What is it, exactly?

Most are just not good.

At all.

It seems that, these days, the mere fact that an image was made on film, it is a de facto piece of art.

Which is very strange to me.

Many of the images I see posted online as shot on film (with 1000’s of likes and comments) are absolute pieces of shit.

And would have ended up on the cutting room floor back in the day, as well as had you pack your bags as the picture editor screamed obscenities at you as you left the building (mistakes were expensive back in those days).

You see, whether film or digital, the basic premises of what makes an image good or bad does not change.

The little rectangle remains the same, as I’ve written about here.

There are technical aspects:

• Exposure (aperture, shutter speed, iso)

• Composition (rule of thirds, leading lines, etc.)

• Focus (sharpness, depth of field, etc.)

• Lighting (natural, artificial)

• Perspective and angle (high, low, top down, etc.)

And subjective aspects:

• Emotion and mood (feelings)

• Storytelling (make people wonder about what happened / is going to happen)

• Creativity (a different angle, lighting technique, etc.)

• Timing (the perefect moment)

• Personal connection (people connect more with what they know)

They remain the same regardless of old or new medium employed.

However, in today’s social media frenzied world, there are some often overlooked factors that make an image good - even if it technically is a bad photograph.

You see, an image is not an image for an image’s sake.

It was made for a reason.

To tell a story, to illustrate a point, to show a scene, to evoke emotion, to inspire, and so much more.

So, the image may be technically bad, but subjectively brilliant.

Also, people seem to forget about the power of the photo essay, these days.

The impact a collection of images about a certain subject can have - versus a single image of the same subject - is immense. An ensemble of average images that tell a beautiful story about a subject are way more impactful than one great image of the same subject matter.

Film or digital.

Anyway, before this goes on too long, I guess what I’m trying to say is this:

Regardless of which medium you use, make sure you tell the story you want to tell and share the passion you want to share, without getting caught up in the details that don’t matter.

The more romantic side of overlanding in remote Namibia with sundowners in the middle of nowhere, circa 2004 // Shot on a Nikon F3 with 24mm f2.8 prime and Fujifilm colour negative film (again, if I recall correctly).

That’s it for this week!

Any interesting stories or thoughts to add?

Simply hit reply and let me know / comment below (so we can all benefit).

Have a great week!

—

Until next time ✌🏽.

Cornelius

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