When I began shooting seriously in 1999, film was the only practical medium available. Digital cameras were around, but they were still out of reach for a majority of the population. But when digital cameras became more affordable only a few years later, I jumped in with both feet.

It wasn’t until 2019 that I began to give film a second look. After using digital for fifteen years, the appeal of trying film again was strong. I enjoyed it and shot with it on and off for the next couple of years before finally giving it up as impractical. I mean, why was I paying for film, development, and scans when I had a perfectly good digital camera? It made no economic sense.

Giving Film a Third Look

Fast forward to the beginning of this year (2024) and I was lost when it came to my photography. I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to keep shooting. Nothing interested me. Finally, I decided to shoot a few rolls of film since I still had a bunch left over in my small refrigerator (all expired by that point).

Taking out my Leica M6 and shooting on the street was a thrill I hadn’t experienced in a long time. Did I get the exposure right? Did I get the shot of the interesting street scene? I had no idea, and that’s what brought me out of my funk. I had to work for my photography again. Become a part of it in a way that I felt was lacking using my digital cameras. I came home feeling like I had done something meaningful. It was the experience of shooting and not the final product that gave me joy. Granted, you can mimic the experience using a digital camera by shooting in manual and not chimping, but it’s still shooting “like” film. It’s not the authentic experience.

Waiting is the Hardest (and Best) Part

And one thing you definitely cannot impersonate with digital is the waiting while a lab develops your film (I was not going to take the plunge into developing the film myself. I did that in junior high school and that was enough development for a lifetime). The waiting is part of the magic of shooting film. Did my film get lost in the mail? Is it going to be a blank roll? Are there going to be light leaks? All this worry may sound like reasons to not shoot film, but I think it’s part of the wonder of analog photography.

As I waited for that email saying my scans were ready, I kept going over the pictures in my head that I remembered taking. Were they going to look like I pictured in my mind? How was the type of film I used going to alter the experience I remember? All these things go through my mind until I finally got to see the final results.

Loading a SD card into my computer and downloading the images is fun, but it pales in comparison to loading up scans of pictures taken on film. Instead of rapidly scanning through multiple versions of the same digital image, I take my time and marvel at the photographs on my screen. Each one singularly different from the shot before it (with film, you don’t take a lot of multiple shots of the same thing due to the expense). When I came across a good photograph, I felt a sense of pride, as if what I created came from me and not the technology of the camera. Another plus was the minimal time spent in post-processing. Just a few tweaks here and there and I had a final image.

Now, obviously, this is all very subjective. Photography is very personal and everyone will have their own way of feeling connected with their process and equipment. But for me, shooting with film has been a reawakening. I’m not sure how long I will continue to prioritize it over digital, but for the time being, film is here to stay for this photographer.

What about you, dear readers? Have you shot with film before? Are you interested in trying it? Hit me up with your answers or any questions you may have surrounding analog photography.

This post was originally a part of my newsletter. At the end of it, I offered the first person to respond via email a free signed 8.5x11 print of the image above (must live in CONUS). Now that I’ve made this a blog post as well, I will make the same offer. Hit me up if you want a free print!

My Film Instagram Account: @rivercityonfilm