Film Photographers Tips and Tricks!
Photo + Video | May 21, 2020
Contributors: Maya Stewart, Josie Murphy, and Jasmin Grant
Maya Stewart
First and foremost is Maya Stewart ( @ lemonymaya). shes a 17 year old film photograpgher who takes dreamy, soft photos and has plenty of tips to share.
Maya: One of the first things I would say is that you don’t need any fancy equipment in order to take a good photo. You can find a cheap film camera on eBay and shoot with the film they sell at Walgreens!
I personally shoot with that all the time! Also when shooting film you need to be prepared to make mistakes, especially because you won’t be able to see the photos you’ve taken until after you have them developed.
The first roll I ever shot was completely blank and it was suppperrrr disappointing, but it has never happened since! I would also do a ton of research on YouTube and find some creators whose style you find inspiring.
When shooting film photography I would say one of the most important things is paying attention to your lighting! I cannot describe to you how many photos I’ve ruined because I shot with too little light. This is definitely cliché, but I recommend shooting in golden hour if you can, because no matter what- your picture will look delicious.
Josie Murphy
Josie (@1800negs) is an 18 year old photography who shoots primarily with point and shoots. Her photos have a 90's photobook aesthetic to them and here are her tips:
Josie:
1. get yourself a point and shoot from depop, ebay or your local op shops !! (when they open)- this will reduce waste from disposable cameras and save you a tonne of money :)
2. youtube is an amazing tool for learning things about anything to do with film- from how to reload to info and ratings of the best cameras on the market.
3. inspiration is everywhere! take your camera to parties, festivals, walks with your dog, your drive to visit your mum- take a different route or try something new and it might just lead to a great photo.
4. share the experience with your friends. take pictures of your best friends in the mornings when they don’t expect it, on a coffee date, when they’re crying and when they’re ecstatic! but also remember to let them have a go taking a pic of you (as long as you trust them), it’s no fun only being behind the camera and never in front of it- you want to be able to look back and see yourself in the moment too :))
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5. KEEP. EVERY. PHOTO. save them to your dropbox. print them out. keep them in a photo album. even the blurry bathroom selfies! when you look back you want to remember it ALL, not just the highlights or ‘perfect’ moments. because the best thing about film is it doesn’t lie, there’s no ‘one more photo’. CHERISH THEM ! THEYRE RAW
6. have fucking fun with it!!!! shoot randOM SHIT
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