Blog: 3 Reasons To Use A Film Camera For A Landscape Photography Shoot
Although today’s digitally-driven society is more advanced and still continues to grow, art itself continues to stay right in its roots of hard work, raw creativity, and unmatched effort. From paintings to sculptures, nearly every art field has burrowed its practices deeper into its pre-digital roots. Yet, the tug of war between digital and analog has never been clearer than in the field of photography.
The longstanding impact of film photography
Today’s shutterbugs can often be divided either into camps of digital SLR enthusiasts or film photography loyalists that both have their own preferences in the way they document their visual journeys.
With technology itself expanding towards improving the camera one add-on at a time, many still stick with film because of its distinct finish and irreplicable allure that can only be created with an old-school development. In the case of landscape photography, in particular, many feel quite a bit divided over the fact that digital cameras are becoming fine-tuned to best capture the intricacies and details of the wild.
The truth about using film for landscape photography is that going retro when you capture nature will never cease to be a good idea.
If you’ve been meaning to go back to the roots of modern photography and fine-tune your skills in the art of taking traditional photos, here are three reasons you should use film to capture landscapes:
1. For the film’s distinct look
When you compare a digitally-captured photo taken by a Sony A9 with a shot on a Pro Image 100 roll taken with a trusty old 35mm, you’ll notice right away that the latter has a distinct amount of character to it.
Now, while there may be no doubt that digital photos are a true testament to how far the world of photography has come, there’s just something about film photography that can’t be replicated. The unmistakable beauty of any subject taken on film can be simply traced back to the involvement of various chemicals and the beautiful interactions that they make to produce a distinct palette, giving the distinct look that many chase after.
2. For the concept of slowed time
As opposed to today’s DSLRs that come with 16, 32, or 64-gigabyte memory cards that can be easily wiped or edited, film cameras force any photographer to take their time in finding the perfect shot, which is crucial in capturing marvelous landscape photos.
When you consider the costs of a roll of film, you’ll have no choice but to slow down and build your photo instead of rapidly firing away at the button. By simply taking the option which calls for far more patience and planning, it will be much easier to construct better nature shots to maximize the limited amount of film you’ll have!
3. For the thrill of not knowing
Similar to the concept of memory cards and film, these olden cameras are also limited in terms of the assurance that you have in your shot quality. It may seem daunting at first, but the thrill that comes with maximizing your shots of a hill, mountain, or forest because you won’t know how they look like until you’re all the way back home makes for memorable and amazing photos.
Instead of spoiling yourself with near-unlimited shots that you can see after you take them, relying on pure skill will bring a certain level of distinction to the landscape shots that you take!
Conclusion
Using your film camera for your next landscape photoshoot unlocks a whole new realm of possibilities for your creativity in spite of how limited it can be in nature. With the use of an analog set-up, you’ll be able to teach yourself the valuable lesson of being patient and mindful enough to capture the perfect shot!
If you want to learn more about using a film camera for your landscape photography, get in touch with me to see how I can help!