5 ways to shoot more like a film photographer

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Have you ever been tempted to shoot film?

Why, in this age of rapidly advancing technology, increasingly “smart” cameras, and the cost and convenience of digital are we still so drawn to film photography?

There really is something extraordinary about the tonality and color rendition of various film stocks — qualities some might suggest simply can’t be replicated digitally. But is there also something about the process of shooting with film itself that positively influences the creative approach?

Could it be that the cost, logistics, and timeline of film photography encourage a different mindset, even a different level of commitment, from the photographer behind the camera? Does the perception that every shot “counts” help us to produce better photos? Would we shoot more deliberately if the flexibility and instant gratification of digital photography were stripped away?

This month we are going to make a few changes to the way we shoot with our DSLRs in order to get a taste of the “film shooting” experience and explore how it may influence the images we produce.

Here are the Rules:

1. Set your white balance to Daylight or Tungsten.

When selecting color film, you have two color balance options: Daylight (D) or Tungsten film (T). We can approximate this on a DSLR as follows:

If choosing Daylight: Set your camera’s white balance to “Daylight” (sun icon) or 5500K
If choosing Tungsten: Set your camera’s white balance to “Tungsten” (lightbulb icon) or 3200K

In the spirit of paralleling the shooting approaches of film shooters, if you happen to have access to color filters and would like to use them, you are welcome to do so!

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Christie Kretsinger

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everyday-art-cups-in-sink-by-megan-arndt
Megan Arndt

2. Commit to an ISO.

On a digital camera, we have the luxury of changing our ISO on a whim as lighting changes or our exposure needs evolve. Not so with film — it’s typically ill-advised to change your ISO setting mid-roll, so we will be sticking with one film speed for the entirety of this exercise as well. With this mind, select a single ISO based on standard consumer film speeds: ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400, or ISO 800.

Without the ability to adjust ISO, you may find yourself working with apertures or shutter speeds outside of your norm; rather than avoiding lighting that may not seem like a good “fit” for your ISO, be open to the opportunity to experiment with shutter speed and aperture in new ways!

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Elodie Brunel

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Andrea Moffatt

3. Turn off your LCD preview.

Farewell, instant gratification. You won’t be able to zoom in to check your focus, check your histogram for exposure, or verify that you got “the shot.” Giving up the luxury of reviewing your shots will encourage you to be more careful when establishing your exposure, focus, and composition before you press the shutter button rather than correcting after the fact. You may find it especially helpful to spot meter (drawing on your knowledge of the Zone System) or to use a light meter, if you have one.

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Kelly Rodriguez

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girl-skateboarding-in-pastel-tones-by-kelly-bullington
Kelly Bullington

4. Take EXACTLY 36 shots.

No more, no less, and no do-overs. You’re working with a “roll” of 36 exposures, so there’s a cost to each shot now. You may find it helpful to turn off continuous (or “burst”) mode to be sure you don’t waste a precious shot. Press your shutter with care!

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Stephanie DiFormato

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Hannah Fens

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boots-by-door-by-gina-graham
Gina Graham

5. Wait at least 48 hours to view your photos.

Unless she has her own darkroom or uses a local lab, a film photographer typically waits several days (or weeks!) after sending off her finished roll before seeing the results. They say good things come to those who wait, and one of the benefits of the waiting period is that you may be able to view your images with fresh (and perhaps more objective) eyes if there is some distance between shooting and reviewing your images.

For the purposes of this exercise, set your card aside and wait at least two days before uploading the images.

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Seija Kenn

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Mabel Chow

Has it been 48 hours? Upload, process, and share!

You survived the waiting period, and it’s time to see what you’ve got! Upload your card, and process each of the 36 shots to your liking. What percentage are “keepers”? Does anything feel different about these images (individually or collectively) compared to what a normal set of 36 consecutive shots would look like when you shoot?

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Clara Williams

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maidenmet

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barbed-wire-in-foliage-by-Genevieve-Guerin
Genevieve Guerin

What’s the best way to improve your photography? Shoot thoughtfully and frequently! Try new things and embrace creative and technical challenges. Every month, Sarah Wilkerson posts a new tutorial and challenges our members to join in a new Creativity Exercise on the Clickin Moms photography forum. At the conclusion of the exercise, we select Editors’ Choice images from among the exercise submissions and share them here with you on the blog. Congratulations to the ladies whose photographs included in the exercise above were selected as this month’s Editors’ Choices, and thank you to everyone who participated in the exercise!2015 Editors Choice award for the CMblog

If you love these Creativity Exercises and the beautiful images they yield, you’ll definitely want to get your hands on Capture the Moment, our upcoming book from Amphoto Books (a division of Random House) in which Sarah has collaborated with over a hundred of our CMpros to produce a gorgeous, hardbound collection filled with inspiring imagery, prescriptive photo tips, and quick creativity exercises to keep those artistic juices flowing! Enter here to win a free copy, or just go ahead and place your preorder now; we’re donating 100% of royalties to Ronald McDonald House Charities. ♥

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And be sure to participate in the next exercise! Visit the forum where Sarah has posted ” A Simple Guide to Breaking the Rules (and Making Stronger Photos).” We’d love to see your work!

Sign up for a risk-free membership!

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About the Author
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Sarah Wilkerson

Sarah Wilkerson is the CEO of Click & Company and also provides mentoring services, teaches advanced Click Photo School courses on composition & creativity, and authors the “Why It Works” series in CLICK magazine. She specializes in low light photography, everyday documentary, and tilt-shift work. A former attorney and Duke graduate, Sarah resides in northern Virginia with her Army JAG husband, four children, and three dogs.

See more from Sarah at www.sarahwilkerson.com.

Recent Posts by Sarah Wilkerson

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170 thoughts on “5 ways to shoot more like a film photographer”

  5. Sue

    I loved this creative challenge! I wanted to give it a try, but missed the boat during January and February, but am going to try it for sure and maybe be brave enough to actually try film! Everyone did such a great job!

    Reply
  6. Jen

    Love this idea! I’m always looking for new ways to challenge myself and be more thoughtful in my photography.

    Reply
  9. Rachel W

    Love this article! I’ve been itching to shoot with my film camera and this is the extra push that I needed to go out and purchase some film! 🙂

    Reply
  10. Janet

    Great tips….I want to try them!!! Have already bookmarked to come back later (probably many times!!!) Thanks for the opportunity!

    Reply
  11. Jeff

    My wife is just starting out in photography (she just signed up for a year long CM membership!), I think she would love this book!

    Reply
  13. Natalie

    Love this post. Look forward to trying it. I also can’t wait to get my hands on Capture the Moment and share it with Cincinnati’s Ronald McDonald House Charities. 🙂

    Reply
  14. Amber

    This sounds like a great challenge. I am flagging it for the summer when the days are longer and I have more time to take photos.

    Reply
  16. Kendra

    I loved this blog post. I shot film years ago and remember that excited feeling of dipping off your role of film and waiting what felt like eternity to get it back! I am going to try this out!

    Reply
  18. Iris

    I so wanted to participate in this challenge and never got around to it. I think it is still a great idea to be more thorough with our selection of taking photos – more intentional 🙂

    Reply
  22. Penelope

    I do miss the days of film but enjoy the freedom of digital. This is a great way to get the best of both worlds! When I used my Dad’s film camera, I was earning $1.50 a fortnight for doing my jobs around the house so it was quite the treat to use his camera.

    Reply
  30. Caneel

    Love this! It’s been about six years since I last shot film – I think I need to get back into it or at least use some of these tips!

    Reply
  37. Nicole

    Love this!! Shooting film has been one of the hardest but most rewarding challenges so I love to see other people willingly take that challenge to their digital cameras

    Reply
  49. Karen

    I remember taking our first (hubby and I shared) SLR camera to Costa Rica, it was a film camera, we came back with 8 rolls if blurry monkeys 🙂 We promptly brought our first DSLR after that trip! I wonder now after 10 more years of experience, and the last year of me doing 2 CM courses if we would get better results with our old film camera 🙂
    This would be a great exercise to try 🙂

    Reply
  51. Michelle

    LOVE THIS! I started shooting film in high school, then I moved and went to college, leaving my old camera behind. I recently got it back and need to get a new battery!

    I’d love to think as a film photographer… With a DSLR I take multiple shots of everything because I don’t have confidence in my manual camera settings.

    This is a great creative challenge! Gonna pin this. 😉

    Reply
  56. Hildy

    I shoot film, and these tips are right on point. One I might add us to turn off auto focus, since many film cameras don’t have that feature. I mainly shoot my 2 young kids, and focusing is the toughest part! The wait for developing is, I think, so much fun…getting the images back is like a little present to yourself!

    Reply
  62. Toni Albers

    Thank you for the film tips. It seems like yesterday. : ) Would love to win this wonderful book. Thank you for the opportunity!

    Reply
  65. Leah

    I owe CM so much for getting me to where I am today as a photographer. Some of my best friends in the world are Clickin Moms. I can’t wait to see this beautiful book full of photos from my favorite people!

    Reply
  73. Laura

    This book looks great! Can’t wait to get a copy. Would love to win! Thanks! (P.S. I started out with film & love this creative exercise!)

    Reply
  77. Mae Burke

    these are all the things I have been doing the past month to help in my transition to include film into my work! this was a nice little “hey, you’re doing something right!” pat on the back affirmation for me, so thank you!

    Reply
  83. Esther

    What an awesome post! Great tips! I’ll be sure to practice them more often 🙂 And what an awesome book, I can’t wait to take a peek inside!!!

    Reply
  84. Carla lehman

    Clickin Moms is a great resource for anyone starting out right through seasoned pro. I’ve been shooting 12 years and use CM all the time as a great resource.

    Reply
  90. Elizabeth

    Thanks for sharing this great post. My husband and I have been chatting about this over the past month. This has given me the nudge that we need to try it! 🙂

    Reply
  92. Jennifer Luck

    Love getting tips through the magazine, newsletters & social media. I would love to win this! Thanks for the tips and opportunity for us to take part in winning the book 🙂

    Reply
  93. Jessica

    Waiting the 48 hours and only having 36 exposures really allows you to consider each shot. It always makes you appreciate it when it’s time to view.

    Reply
  96. Nicolette Capuano

    I love this blog post so much! Such a fun and creative photography exercise & challenge. The book looks incredible! Thank you!

    Reply
  98. NicoleS243

    My 12 year old daughter is getting interested in photography. I just found your site and I am looking forward to starting this hobby together with her. Our plan is to have her as the photographer and me as the scrapbooker. I am looking forward to our time together!

    Reply
  100. Kristin Cast

    I ❤️Click Magazine and I can’t wait for the new book to be released! So excited! Always inspired by you guys!

    Reply
  102. Suzi Bowles

    Great article – it’s good to change it up and challenge ourselves! Looking forward to seeing the book, it sounds so inspiring!

    Reply
  111. Emily Annette Benson

    I love this! I might try this exercise – especially because I tend to take a LOT of pictures during a single shoot and limiting it to 36 might make my process a lot faster and improve the quality of the photos I take as a whole.

    Reply
  113. Terri Collins

    I used to shoot film all through high school and college, but this exercise scares me! lol! It’s amazing how much I’ve come to rely on the digital advantages. This exercise is definitely worth a try though. It will get me out of my comfort zone for sure!

    Reply
  120. Elodie Brunel

    You already know how much I love these exercises. I barely miss one. If the book is as great as they are it must be beyond than awesome !!!

    Reply
  122. Kendra N

    Turning off my lcd and multiple picture with one click will be the hardest, but I think it will be a fun experience!

    Reply
  124. Danielle Finder

    after seeing this, I know that I am definitely not ready for film! but I’m certainly willing to take on the challenge!

    Reply
  127. Cheryl

    I think I too will have the hardest time waiting 48 hours to see photos! Digital has spoiled me! But I think this is a great exercise!

    Reply
  131. Natasha

    Great tips, and beautiful photos as always. I’m so excited for this book! I really want to win!

    Reply
  135. Johanne Lila Larsen

    To browse through the work of amazing CM Pros? Yes, please! What an opportunity to learn from their hard work. Thank you!

    Reply
  141. Amanda Tea

    I wish everyone the best of luck in this giveaway. Thanks for the chance to wish this great book

    Reply
  142. Sue FitzGerald

    Will bring back memories waiting for film to develop. I must admit I miss the dark room (even though mine was a tiny squashy little cupboard that barely had room to move) I loved being able to bring a piece of paper to life with an image.

    Reply
  147. Alisa Stilwell

    Nice reminder! I bought my first SLR and started my shooting back in 2001, and I had forgotten all the different elements that film “confined” us to. I’ll definitely keep these in mind for my next project.

    Reply
  154. Cathie

    This book looks absolutely beautiful and inspiring. Can’t wait to have a copy in my hands. 🙂

    Reply
  159. Amy Lindsay

    I can not wait to take a peek of the beautiful images that I know are waiting inside this book!

    Reply

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