Photography Methods

Free course

Film photography basics

Seven modules. Read them in order if you are new, or jump to the one you need. Everything here applies to 35mm and medium format, and most of module five applies to any camera at all.

0 of 45 lessons written. The rest show their outline until they are done.

Module 1

Start here

What film costs, what to buy, and what happens to your first roll.

  1. Why shoot film nowoutline
  2. A first film kit and what it costsoutline
  3. Your first roll, start to finishoutline
  4. Reading your first scansoutline

Module 2

Exposure, the film version

ISO is locked for the whole roll. That changes how you think about the other two controls.

  1. ISO is set when you load the rolloutline
  2. Shutter speedoutline
  3. Apertureoutline
  4. The exposure triangle with one side lockedoutline
  5. Sunny 16outline
  6. Meters, and shooting without oneoutline
  7. Latitude: negative film forgives, slide film does notoutline
  8. Push and pulloutline

Module 3

The film itself

Stocks, formats, age, storage, and airports.

  1. C-41, black and white, and E-6outline
  2. 35mm, 120, and beyondoutline
  3. How film agesoutline
  4. Shooting expired filmoutline
  5. Fridges, freezers, and the gloveboxoutline
  6. Airports and CT scannersoutline
  7. DX codes and box speedoutline

Module 4

The camera

Buying used, checking it works, and what the parts do.

  1. Buying a used film cameraoutline
  2. Light seals, shutter, and meteroutline
  3. Mechanical vs battery-dependent camerasoutline
  4. SLR, rangefinder, point and shootoutline
  5. Manual focusoutline
  6. Lensesoutline
  7. Filtersoutline

Module 5

Seeing

Light, composition, and people. This part is the same on any camera.

  1. Natural and artificial lightoutline
  2. Composition and the rule of thirdsoutline
  3. Positive and negative spaceoutline
  4. Motion and exposureoutline
  5. Photographing peopleoutline
  6. Locations and backgroundsoutline
  7. What carries over from digital and what does notoutline

Module 6

After the shutter

Labs, scanning, home developing, negatives, and prints.

  1. Labs, mail-in, and what to ask foroutline
  2. Scanningoutline
  3. Developing at homeoutline
  4. Caring for negativesoutline
  5. Printsoutline

Module 7

What went wrong

Blank rolls, light leaks, strange colors, and how to tell which one you have.

  1. The roll came back blankoutline
  2. Light leaksoutline
  3. Photos came out dark or thinoutline
  4. Orange, green, or blue castsoutline
  5. Foggingoutline
  6. Overlapping or squeezed framesoutline
  7. Is the film advancing?outline