Using a film SLR camera

Ship at night - Paignton, Devon, UK taken with 35mm SLR Film camera. Exposure 1min 45sec 135mm lens

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When I started a hobby in photography, back in the early 80's, the first camera I bought was a £12, second hand Praktica, SLR film camera, with a standard and a 135mm lens.

It's all I could afford! But, I was excited.

I loaded it up with film and treated each press of the shutter release with great respect; only 36 precious shots to be had!
Usually taking one shot of each subject; checking and rechecking my settings.

I would post the film off to the lab to be developed; just loving the anticipation and thrill of receiving my negatives and prints back. It would take the best part of the week back then. Every time it was like being a little kid waiting for presents on Xmas morning.

I kept a note book of each shots exposure settings; checking the extra large 5x7 prints against my notes; this is how I learnt!

The image above was taken at night, with the camera on a borrowed flimsy tripod and a cable release on the bulb setting.

I couldn't even see the silhouette of the ship, just the pinpoints of light coming from it.
I knew the ship was there as it had been anchored there during the day.

Photographers in a camera club thought it was a sunset and that a tobacco filter was used; didn't even own any filters at that time.

What they thought was the sun, was in fact the moon.

Why had the shot come out looking like a sunset, I wondered. Then I learned about the reciprocity failure of emulsion film.
No google back then. Research took a lot more effort.

It's a far cry from today's technology!