Nowadays, taking a picture has become something so easy and effortless with a digital camera, or with your smartphone. You get to take high quality pictures, delete them immediately if you don’t like the result, and take as many as you want until you get what you envisioned. 

The beauty of modern technology, right? But like a multimedia artist that goes back to acrylic on canvas once in a while, there’s something special about slowing it down and focusing more on the process (and the details!) when it comes to photography. Let’s talk about the beauty of film photography, and why you should shoot film. 

A film camera gives you the chance to enjoy all the aspects of taking a photograph. By adjusting the shutter speed and aperture settings, you will be able to obtain different outcomes without changing your subject. We personally love the additional texture (film grain) compared to high quality digital images, a characteristic that can only be achieved with film. It is the special effect it gives to the photo, the contrast. With film photography, you can be creative in your craft without having to rely on an editing software.

Let’s be real. How many hours have you spent in front of your desk after a session? In an attempt to give more personality to your pictures, you even spent more time editing than actually taking the photographs. There is nothing wrong if you enjoy that, but that’s clearly not something we miss. Developing in the lab is more enjoyable, the whole process until getting the final product is very satisfying, and to be honest we are obsessed with the unique look of film work. There is no amount of digital alteration that can be compared to the distinctive look achieved with film.

The type of camera and the film you use will also matter. Unlike digital cameras where different brands can give you a similar outcome, shooting with film will always give you a different result depending on the type of camera and film. If your goal is to get that “film aesthetic”, remember that the larger the format of the film you choose, the better the resolution. For instance, that cool grain look will be more noticeable when shooting 35mm than when choosing a large format film. Surely there’ll be times that you won’t get the shot that you imagined, but there’s always a story behind every shot you take, there’s effort, there’s knowledge acquired. And we love that! 

Using film is a completely different and special experience. It makes you appreciate the craft even more because of its complexity – it teaches you about the value of every moment, about patience, it makes every single shot count. It is the perfect hobby for photographers that want to try something different within the field! And if you are worried about the prices, you can always thrift film cameras, and get good deals on different film stocks in our shop. The black & white films are generally cheaper but we are also seeing colour film getting price reductions every now and then. We also have disposable cameras available for beginners. (Check out the Kodak FunSaver with 27 photos + 12 for free!)

If it wasn’t clear enough... We love shooting with film! For the singularity present in every photograph, the process of loading the film, learning how to adjust the shutter speed and aperture settings, and taking the shot itself.. Everything about it is so gratifying. In addition, there’s a feeling of nostalgia every time we decide to go out and use film. Once it is out of the processing lab, it feels like those photographs could be preserved for centuries (and not just get deleted by accident on your memory card). Stepping back and choosing film over digital is actually a step forward.

The main reason to choose shooting film is because of the realness, its authenticity in portraying the real world. Street photographers are slowly becoming the leaders in the film community because that’s exactly what they’re aiming for: a true representation of life, with no filters added, just that peculiar grain look. Anyone that wants to master the field, or those who simply enjoy photography, should learn how to shoot film. Shooting film means you are choosing to be more passionate about photography, about the story behind it, about the process.

It is really fascinating to think that each photograph you take with film is unique; shooting that exact moment, with that specific film stock, and knowing that you (or anyone) won't be able to replicate that same shot — it is such a great sensation, and that’s why we are stuck in film. ;)

Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions or if you want to share your experience shooting with film! Also, don’t forget to follow us on instagram @stuck.in.film to get updates on good deals, and get the chance to be featured by tagging us or by using our hashtag #stuckinfilm.