B&W Film Photography (Part 1): Risk & Reward

Introduction:

My hope through this three part blog is to spark some curiosity into black and white film photography and to share my passion for what I believe is an irreplaceable art that though endangered, is certainly not extinct. Each part will address a unique aspect to black and white film photography that I find to be particularly alluring and will feature photographs from some of my first rolls of black and white film. Everything written and seen here is created by me and I ask that you please kindly share anything you would like with proper due credit and of course, up vote if you love the blog.

Disclaimer:

Film photography is my hobby and not my profession. I am by no means a professional and do not sell any of my work (though let me know if you think I should!). All photos were taken on a Nikon FM2 camera and developed by me then scanned digitally for use here. No photo has been digitally manipulated in any way and is as raw of an image as I can provide short of the physical film itself. My guiding philosophy in film photography is to present the photo in its raw form and learn from manual techniques that can produce desired effects via physical settings, filters and processing techniques.

Part 1: Risk & Reward
(Featuring photographs from my first roll of film: Mt. McKenzie in the Adirondacks)

Does anyone remember the days of black and white film photography? Perhaps the last thing you remember using was Polaroid film. With the invention of digital photography and ever increasing advancements in storage and processing quality, film cameras and their beholders seem to have become a thing of the past. But what if I told you that there were some of us still around who refuse to move on and that surprisingly, many of us came long after the use of film photography had faded away?

There is something truly satisfying (and often frustrating) about manually setting up your shot. No, I do not mean finding the right angle or busting out a selfie-stick but setting everything manually. Today we rely on mass-storage and snap several hundred photos in a short period of time and often of the same shot. Later, we sort through them to find the best photo of the lot, add filters and post it online. In fact, many applications and burst settings will do this for you. But what if I told you that your next big adventure could only be documented in 24 photographs? Anxiety might ensue and you would inevitably begin considering the most important things that you wish to capture.

In my opinion, this is one of the things that makes film photography wonderful. Imagine trekking up a long mountain pass with only room for 24 photos and none of those photos are guaranteed to be of quality. Not only will this make you a better photographer in the long run--teaching you to choose your shots wisely--but it will also require that you learn from your mistakes post-processing lest you suffer a career of dissatisfying photos. While this certainly adds a challenge to the process of taking photos, it also provides unimaginable reward. Whereas digital photographers may instantly preview their shots via an on-board screen, the film photographer must shoot her entire roll and wait until processing later in the lab to know if she was ever on the right track.

This is my absolute favorite thing about film photography and I find profound inspiration from the legendary black and white film photographer, Ansel Adams (b. 1902 – d. 1984). Adams would often set up his camera and wait for days (sometimes months!) to take the exact photo that he envisioned. Many of his most famous works were of the American West, in particular Yosemite National Park. Adams would make long and perilous journeys often alone, and “camp out” until the absolute best weather and timing came together to provide the canvas on which he would shoot. Adams also developed the use of several different lens filters and processing techniques which he learned through experimentation. He is an inspiration to me when I find myself struggling to produce the quality of work I desire.

Now before I go any further, I understand that digital cameras can be fully manual and you can choose as a photographer to only allow yourself a few shots; however, this is only Part 1 of why I believe black and white film photography is so unique and rewarding (stay with me!). I am also aware that I could carry multiple rolls of film on me (and/or a 36 capacity roll). Regardless, the risk and reward factor is still much greater in film photography. In regards to digital, the film photographer simply cannot take as many photos no matter how many rolls of film she carries and each photo must, regardless of preference, be painstakingly planned. She will not know the results of her shot and must carefully process her film before ever receiving the wonderful reward of viewing a photograph well-taken. For these reasons, film photography can be both delightful and stressful--rewarding risk with the richest of reward.

Please let me know what you think and if there are any fellow film photographers out there, please introduce yourself. Of course, also let me know if you enjoy the photos (with the disclaimer that they were my very first ever taken and the weather was overcast the entire trip) and stay tuned for Part 2.

Best,
Christian