Long Spoon Scraps

Within the last year I started getting into film photography. I guess I decided I didn’t have enough expensive analog hobbies? But with film I found I had a knack for it and I love how much life the photos are able to portray. I am by no means a photographer or even knowledgeable about cameras and composition, I am just picky and know when I take a photo that I like.

My current camera is the Canon EOS Rebel Ti with a zoom lens. All in it cost me $110 and I am overall very happy with the quality and functionality it provides. The main complaint I have is that it is bulky and not very comfortable to lug around all day. Now you may want to suggest that I just get one of those cheap point-and-shoot cameras off eBay, but after 3 cameras breaking within a month of me getting them and multiple rolls of botched film, I learned my lesson. In the words of my local camera repair shop guy, “Those things are pieces of plastic from the 90s. They’re living on borrowed time.” All that being said, I loved my Canon Sureshot Telemax, and with what little time we were able to spend together, I took these shots in Scotland:

Dwelling on the past does no good though.

Traveling with film can be a pain, but here are some tips to help make it easier:

1. Pack your film in your carry-on or personal item, and have it easily accessible because…
2. Most airport x-ray machines won’t destroy your film, but just to be safe I always request they check it by hand. Agents will get annoyed with you or maybe even flat-out refuse, but something that I think has helped tip the scales in my favor is having my camera and bag of film out and ready to hand over. It’s an annoying ask, so try to make their jobs a little easier.
3. Always have an extra roll on you in case you see something really sick and need to take a bunch of photos. I used almost an entire roll just on cows. I would do it again.
4. When traveling you find yourself in all kinds of settings. Dim lighting to bright sunny days and everything in between. To try and accommodate as many settings as possible, I pretty much only use 400 ISO film. I also like to have a mix of color and b&w film.
5. You don’t have to know anything. I mean like anything at all. I throw my camera on automatic with auto-focus and I just start firing away. Photography is daunting and people can be snooty about it, but as my good friend (and a very talented photographer) says, “The best camera is the one you have on you.” You don’t have to have the fanciest gear or know how to perfectly toggle every setting in order to take a good photo.
6. When you first start out, many of your photos will be crap. Unfocused, blurry, over-exposed, under-exposed, and just plain bad. But you don’t have to show those to anyone.

These ‘tips’ may seem obvious to actual photographers, but I’m not talking to you. I am an amateur, and most people out there are amateurs to different degrees. I want people to know that it doesn’t have to be daunting. It is just supposed to be fun!

Here are some of my favorite shots from my most recent trip:

*Note: A lot of my favorite photos are often of people, but I don’t feel comfortable sharing without their consent*