Even though this day in age is ruled by the digital world and social media, I often find myself shooting 35mm as much as possible. It’s not cheap, buying film, getting them developed, printed & scanned… however I feel the most reward when I see the results.

I can set my Canon 5D MKIII to burst mode and shoot a million photos just to maybe post 1 but with the Canon AE-1 Film camera I’m more patient, I wait for the right moment and usually question myself if its worth the shot. Once the moment is right and press the shutter it’s probably one of the best feeling in photography. You can feel the mechanics of the mirrors reflex and then advancing the film manually… #addiction

Not being able to see what you capture makes it even more addictive to continue shooting the rest of the film and rush to get it develop asap.

I’m a very particular when it comes to shooting film. You have to think ahead, subject, color or black & white, ISO (ASA), indoor or outdoor (both?!), grain or no grain, etc. You only have 36 images to shoot but for me, it could take weeks even months finding the right moment to shoot them.

Kodak Professional T-MAX 400 Film is my weapon of choice. I can shoot this film outdoor and  with some steady hands I can also shoot it indoor.

I also discover the beauty for shooting with a high iso film such as Kodak T-MAX P3200 (ISO3200) and shooting it at 1600 ISO or 800 ISO will give you a better contrast (stronger black and no visible noise).

Besides shooting your film, I think you should develop a good relationship with your local lab. I’ve been using the same developer for the last 5 years, he also gives me some tips & suggestions when it comest to new or old film.

If you have a $300 to spare, go buy yourself an used Canon AE-1, 3 rolls of film and go explore the world of 35mm film.

Cheers!

ps. The color film used above is Lomography ISO 100 Color Film.