Film Photography

[thext94]

Does anybody else out there do film photography? I thought it would be cool to start a thread just posting some cool pictures we've taken (VW or not)

I'll start it out with a couple

All these were taken with a disposable Kodak

Scanned this film negative on a flatbed computer scanner

[Santaji]

Shooting with film is fun. I have two old 35mm rangefinder cameras from the '70s that i use sometimes.
These where taken with my Yashica Electro 35 GTN that i bought on eBay:

Rusty Cadillac by Santaji S, on Flickr

Rusty Cadillac by Santaji S, on Flickr

My other film camera is a Canon Canonet QL17 that i bought in an antiques store in Mumbai, i'm currently shooting my first roll with it and took a lot of VW pics!
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'78 Westfalia '63 RHD Beetle '62 Fiat 1100

[WrongWayRandall]

I'm in the process of building my darkroom in our new house, so I don't have anything new to post, but you can see some of the pics that I have scanned here). I use medium and large format and 35mm stereo cameras primarily. All of the stuff on that site was done on film, either roll or sheet, developed and printed by me in the darkroom.

- Randy

[KTPhil]

I used film for decades, starting with a used SLR and a home darkroom back in the '70s. I will probably have skin problems in my later years due to hand/tray processing films and especially prints for years.

I resisted digital for many years. First problem was resolution, but at 10MP digital is fine for enlargements up to about 11x14. The real problem wasn't resolution, it was color depth (number of shades that can be captured). Banding and poor gradation at the highlight peaks meant digital looked lousy in tough artistic lighting conditions.

But a couple of years ago I relented, and bought a digital SLR. I believe the modern DSLR (price under $1000) can compete with 35mm film in every way, producing results roughly comparable to Ektachrome ASA 160 or so. I'm not sure anything quite hits Kodachrome 25, but who really needs that?

The ability to edit digitally has made all my burn-in and dodging tools and my darkroom frivilous wastes of time. Digital makes it easy and much better. With HDR tools one can even approach an ability previously reserved for Ansel Adams' Zone System.

I'll never go back, though my old darkroom equipment remains in storage, perhaps just for sentimental reasons.

I do miss the craft. And the look of a perfectly exposed large print, with fine, sharp grain visible, is still better than any digital print, at least to my eyes.

[photogdave]

I'm a life-long film shooter. I have three Leica rangefinders, a Nikon F100, a Rolleiflex, a Fuji GA645 and a Bronica ETR system.
I also have a Panasonic GH2 DSLR (mostly for video) and a couple of digi point-and-shoots.
I could talk all day about the pros and cons, aesthetics, quality of the gear etc. but I used to sell camera equipment for a living and frankly, I'm burned out on the subject.
Here's some of the film shots I happen to have in my Samba gallery:

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89 Syncro GL Westfalia 2.1 WBX/WBXaustSS

My Westy Movies:
photogdave On Vimeo
photogdave On YouTube

Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

[thext94]

All very cool pictures! My Holga 135 arrived in the mail today, I'm excited to start messing around with long exposures, double exposures, and light leaks.

Also picked up some film developed off of my friends camera. After shooting the roll, we dropped the canister in boiling water for 5 seconds and then dried it out before developing. It ended up creating some really cool effects that I'll post up here when I get them scanned.

[dubllyou]

And they said film was gonna die and digital would be king!

I'm very glad to see people having fun shooting film. I've been working retail in the photo biz since before the "revolution" at a store that's lucky to have survived it... a lot didn't.

Digital can be technically better but it will never surpass the look of film. 25 million pixels (or however many you want) arranged in perfectly organized rows, gathering and interpreting light in precisely the same manner will never capture and reproduce an image with the same artistic appeal as a roll of gelatin based silver halide film.

Photography is art and it's all about the medium.

I use digital for a lot of things lately, because there is good quality there now and it is cheaper, but I still run a roll or two through the film cameras occasionally.... I just haven't scanned any lately.

BTW, I work at Dot Dotson's Photo, in Eugene. "Dot" Dotson opened the store in 1932, about the same time color film was starting to be used. The building we're in now was formerly Jack & Cee Motors, which I believe was the first VW dealer in Lane County. They've been there since the late '60s, I've been with them since '96. I've bought, sold and used more film cameras and talked more film photo "shop" than most people.

Enough blab, I'll go dig up (or create) something to post!
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Two wrongs don't make a right...
three lefts do.

Wade

[mark tucker]

I miss the little "out houses" in the parking lots to drop off our film at, not wally world does it and looses it from time to time.whatb were those called??? does any body remember??I know do you?

[KTPhil]

I wholeheartedly agree with all of the above, except one point:

"...it's all about the medium."

I believe it is all about the light!

There are Photoshop filters that can mimic the look of silver-based film and prints, but I haven't tried them out yet. Nik software also makes some very creative and "filmy" products to manipulate the images to be more like traditional prints. But you need really good exposures and lenses to take advantage of them.

Come to think of it, that is identical to the important parts of film-based craft!

[KTPhil]

[WrongWayRandall]

[yellow73kubel]

Great stuff! Most people seem to think you're crazy showing up with a film camera. It's been one of my favorite hobbies since I started probably 2 years ago.

I currently have two Canon AE-1's (one regular and one Program model) and an assortment of lenses, all passed down from my father and grandfather. My darkroom equipment was an ebay score: Paterson 35mm tank, changing bag, and some random accessories. I've been buying film and chemicals from Freestyle Photo. Most of it has been color film developed with the Unicolor C-41 kit, though I did one B&W experiment with caffenol that turned out pretty well (will have to find some examples). I scan the negatives on an old flatbed, which is probably the one piece that needs to be replaced.

Didn't do that Split justice, but that's what I love about film. You just never know what will come out of the soup.

DSLR's give excellent results results cheaper (no film or chemicals), but they never capture the spirit of film.

For the critics out there, yeah, my photography is far from professional. I'm only in it for the enjoyment.

[photogdave]

[yellow73kubel]

[thext94]

[photogdave]

Regular 8mm is pretty much dead.
Super8 is still available to buy and process but it's pretty expensive. Plan on spending $50 to shoot 3 minutes of footage.
I used to shoot Kodachrome Super8 until it was discontinued a couple of years ago; it was relatively cheap because processing was included.
I really enjoyed cutting in scanned film footage with my video stuff.
Check out these guys for movie film:
http://www.pro8mm.com/
_________________
89 Syncro GL Westfalia 2.1 WBX/WBXaustSS

My Westy Movies:
photogdave On Vimeo
photogdave On YouTube

Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

[yellow73kubel]

^ Thanks for the link! $35 for film and processing isn't terrible, it might be fun to try it out at some point. Definitely need to make sure the video is worth shooting before investing in it. Perhaps some fun at a VW show, or get together a few of the other guys around here with vintage bicycles.

Here are a few more that I shot about 3 years ago (lied about me getting into photography 2 years ago, time has flown since then). I need to pick up some film cleaner and re-scan a number of other ones.

I really like the colors in this one.

[photogdave]

Keep the film shots comin'!

_________________
89 Syncro GL Westfalia 2.1 WBX/WBXaustSS

My Westy Movies:
photogdave On Vimeo
photogdave On YouTube

Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

[thext94]

That is a great shot!

[thext94]

Here are some of the results of the boiled film