I recently got a few old roles of film developed that I hadn’t touched since shooting them in May of 2013.
I’ve always found shooting film much more romantic than shooting digital. I know that sounds particularly hipster, but there’s something really fascinating about snapping a moment and following it’s journey until the final stage; becoming an image.
Back in college I was fortunate enough to have a membership to a darkroom that was extremely affordable. I could finish a roll of film and have the entire thing developed and printed in a day. It was a blast to dunk the rolls of film into various chemicals and see the image come to life on photo paper.
I can’t find a cost-friendly lab in NYC so I send my pictures to a lab to have them developed. After finishing a roll of film, which is a task that can take me a few weeks, I mail it to California and it ends up in my mailbox 5-10 business days later.
The worst thing about shooting film is not being able to immediately review the shots you take. I still instinctively look down at my camera after taking a shot and get frustrated when I see nothing.
But it’s also the best thing.
By the time I received the negatives, I have entirely forgotten about them. But as soon as I take a look, I can instantly remember the moment; the instant that the shutter went click.
