First time shooting film....

[thebasedsloth]

Finally developed my first disposable camera, Here are my favorites out of the 27:


Skating Rink by TravisChrist777, on Flickr


Dollar tree firetruck by TravisChrist777, on Flickr


Stairs by TravisChrist777, on Flickr

The last one is my personal favorite and was actually the first one I took...

Critique and comments would be highly appreciated

 

[dxqcanada]

First I would say ... drop the disposable cameras and get a reloadable film camera.
Film cameras don't cost must these days.

#1 In the first shot, I am not sure what the subject is.
#2 ... too much sky.
#3, I think you are looking at the stairs and the shadow of the stairs ... but there is too much other stuff that distracts. Possibly a different angle would have worked better ?

 

[thebasedsloth]

My aunt is actually sending me a Nikon N55 (f55) Slr really soon, I just used the disposable as a personal introduction..
And thanks for the critique Btw, I agree with what you said

 

[Timoris]

What film was inside that Camera?

This will be important in the future.

The film used in this case looks like it was Ilford or Kodak Portra.
The Portra is used for portraits (Easy way to remember PORTra - PORTrait)

These would have benefited from Kodak Ektar, gives better, more saturated colours more suitable for landscape. You can still use Ektar for portraits, but it gives a small tan to skin tones.

 

[dxqcanada]

I would guess that they are using a Kodak disposable ... that has Kodak Funsaver 800

 

[Timoris]

That name makes me chuckle.

(Fast paced Commercial voice)

NOW! Introducing Kodak FUNSAVER-800!
SHOOT! People and Pets!
CLICK! What Was that!?
THE SOUND OF MEMORIES BEING TAKEN!

KODAK FUNSAVER-800!
BUY YOURS TODAY!

 

[Sw1tchFX]

The N55 is a great camera, but make sure you dial in +1 exposure compensation. Color negative film likes to be overexposed (the cheap stuff by ALOT), and when you dial in +1 it will bring up those blacks so they're not just grain and will bump up your saturation and smooth out tonality.

 

[thebasedsloth]

Thanks for the tip man!^
I have a question though, how do you scan negatives? Idek if my scanner is able to scan em but how can you tell if a scanner is capable of scanning film?
and if its not, is there a way to open the negative in PS and turn it into a positive that way?

 

[Hussain Frutan]

old is gold i think is amazing that u try to shot with flim at this time where every thing has become digital


kepp up the good work

 

[Frequency]

i like the second....

Only if you don't feel bad..... you must select some strong subject from the millions around you... the images you have shown here are sharp and defined but lack a strong subject.....

Regards

 

[Timoris]

Have your film processed and burnt to CD. Don't bother spending to develop, it is cheaper this way and the scans will be much higher quality than with a prosumer scanner.

 

[thebasedsloth]

I should probably get 'aprosummer' scanner then!
Another question; Would it be cheaper to develop it myself? Is it worth going through the trouble or should i just pay someone 5 bucks to do it?

 

[Timoris]

I've looked through several options, and am speaking specifically for my situation.

Since my parents had their own dark room back in the 60ies, I have most if not all the gear already available (enlarger, tubs, trays, cutter, etc). The cost will go into the chemicals and paper.

You will need several different types of chemicals ranging from 10 to 20$. If you want to develop colour, you will need a different set, unless you're into the trippy cross-processing but I am getting off topic a little,.
depending on the type of paper and specific LOOK and FEEL you are looking for (cotton, matt, glossy etc) packs of 25 sheets can range from 25$ to well over 100$. These are special photosensitive papers, not the same you would use in a printer.

It is also very important to note that you can only develop Black and White in a red light environment as B&W film is only sensitive to Green and Blue. For colour, you will need TOTAL darkness, the slightest of light leaks could break and entire roll. So you will need experience.

All in all, for me, it costs more to develop on my own than to just Process the film and have the rolls burnt on CD (Again, prosumer scanners would give sub part quality compared to having a Lab burn it on CD for you), then having them printed out for 25¢ to 67¢

You wouldn't develop for cost saving, you would develop for fun, control and experience gain.

If you do decide to go the route of building your own dark room, here are some links for you:

Quick start Guide:
How to Build A Darkroom

Materials:
Darkroom - B&H Photo Video

Remember, those labs develop a good amount of pictures every week, enough for them to afford having a low cost as they buy in bulk and have big machinery (well, those that I have seen are twice the size of an office photocopier) which makes processing MUCH faster. However, not all labs are created equal and if you wish the Process and Develop black and white film, many labs have to send your rolls out as the chemicals used for B&W are different than Colour.

 

[Derrel]

The N55 is a great camera, but make sure you dial in +1 exposure compensation. Color negative film likes to be overexposed (the cheap stuff by ALOT), and when you dial in +1 it will bring up those blacks so they're not just grain and will bump up your saturation and smooth out tonality.

Sw1tchFX--how does one go about getting that totally awesome hiking-man-icon-inside-of-black-rectangle-with-white-numerals thingie???

 

[Sw1tchFX]

Thanks for the tip man!^
I have a question though, how do you scan negatives? Idek if my scanner is able to scan em but how can you tell if a scanner is capable of scanning film?
and if its not, is there a way to open the negative in PS and turn it into a positive that way?

Richard Photo Lab.

If you enjoy spending hours in front of the computer frustrated by scanning software and waiting than by all means scan yourself. I send my film out to RPL and they do just about perfect work, every time. I never have streaks, marks, spots, or scratches on my film because they use a dip-n-dunk process instead of running through a belt machine, and your photos go through about 3 people before they get back to you in order to make sure everything is perfect. I've never gotten scans back from them and thought "oh...". The proof is in the pudding, the first 3 pages of my blog link below are entirely film, mostly done by RPL. Bear in mind though, the best results are with pro films like Ektar, Portra, and 400h (which I still recommend shooting at 1/2 box speed)