Shooting With Film

Shooting With Film 

For this task we have been asked to experiment with the medium of 35mm film, in order to create some diversity and added interest to our component one photography. 

We were also asked to research artists who's style which believed we could use as inspiration and I began researching styles of photography within my theme which had all been taken by film rather than digitally. I found that often photographs taken using film had a certain atmospheric mood to them which I had not encountered with digital photos and I was keen to try and replicate my own shots using this new medium.

Artist Images

The above photograph was found on Pinterest, and unfortunately the artist is unknown. However, I chose this particular image as I loved how the artist had used the natural available sunlight to make certain areas of the image stand out. The photo has a certain softness to it which suits the wild flower field where it was taken and the glare of the sun has created an aura at the top of the photograph which actually adds to this dreamlike quality. The artist may have used a special type of film and development process to create the green tinged affect to the image.

My second artist photograph has been taken by a Canadian photographer who specialises in double exposure shoots. To create this image the artist has used 35mm film to take an initial image, then wound the camera film back in order to take a second photograph which becomes layered on top. This then creates a double exposure effect without using Photoshop.  I was very interested in this technique as I have been drawn to digital double exposure images throughout my research and found it an appealing alternative.  The trees in this image again have a certain softness to them and the overlapping of the images enhances the effect of light and shade very successfully. 

My final artist image focuses on a specific tree branch within a forest. The photograph concentrates on using a dark colour palate with the orange of the leaves bringing a vivid relief to the dark forest surroundings.  I liked this contrast of colour which drew the eye to the centre of the image very successfully.  I also liked the sun protruding through the branches at the top of the shot which casts a subtle hue over the whole image and creates definition of the trees.   



My own photographs

This is the first photograph which I have chosen to use in my final three. With this being an analogue photo-shoot it took me a few roles of film to master the technique of taking images without actually being able to view them on the camera immediately after they had been taken.
Concentrating on techniques which I have admired when researching photos taken with film, I began by using trees as my initial theme. I used my knowledge of composition to try and capture the fields in the background, whilst keeping the tree on the right as an interesting shape in the frame.  I was very satisfied when the image was developed as the resulting shot has a natural vignette around the edges, which adds more depth to the overall landscape. I managed to keep the definition of the trees whilst a splash of colour from the bracken bank adds interest to the photograph. Although the image is slightly over exposed, the overall effect portrayed was pleasing and gave me confidence to begin experimenting further with analogue techniques.
 

My second image using analogue photography is again taken in the British countryside, however, this time I tried to experiment by focusing more on the sky for the subject of my image.   
At the time the photograph was taken, I was interested in the cloud formations above me and hoped that I would be able to capture the unusual shapes and shadows within my photograph by using film rather than a digital camera.
I selected this shot as my second image due to the resulting ombre effect which was created which I found appealing.  Although the cloud definition was somewhat lost compared to what I believed I could have achieved with digital, the burst of light in the centre of the frame does give a good contrast to the treeline which is almost in Silhouette.

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