Introduction
Today, working with film photography can have historical, emotional and aesthetic value. It is a way to get to know the history of photography, to experience the process earlier generations of photographers worked with and, of course, to seek the unique aesthetic that film can offer.
But that’s not all.
Shooting on film can also have exceptional educational value for the photographer, mainly because it encourages a different way of thinking about and approaching the photographic process.
1. The limited number of exposures
A roll of film has a specific, limited number of exposures, usually 12, 24 or 36, while half-frame cameras can take up to 72 shots.
Unlike digital photography, where we can take hundreds or even thousands of shots, the limited number of exposures on film makes each shot more deliberate.
The photographer doesn’t shoot carelessly. Before pressing the shutter button, they have to evaluate the subject and decide whether it is worth photographing.
This limitation can make them slow down, observe more and shoot more consciously.
2. The inability to review a shot immediately
With digital cameras, we can evaluate a photograph right after taking it, on the camera’s screen. We can check whether the exposure, focus and composition are right and, if necessary, retake the shot with the required corrections.
With film cameras this is obviously not possible. We have to wait for the film to be developed to see the result, often several days after the shoot.
Combined with the limited number of exposures, this requires the photographer to be much more careful before taking a shot. They must check the frame, assess the lighting, focus correctly and decide on the exposure without being able to check the result right away.
In this way, observation, preparation and confidence in their own photographic knowledge are cultivated.
3. The conscious use of camera settings
Modern digital cameras offer extremely advanced automatic exposure and focus functions. Depending on the mode the photographer has chosen, the camera can take over a large part of the decisions about ISO, aperture, shutter speed and the focus point or area.
These automatic features are particularly useful, and in many cases they allow the photographer to react instantly and capture a decisive moment.
However, when the photographer relies on them constantly, there is a risk of letting the camera make most of the technical decisions.
Shooting on film, especially with a manual camera, can work differently. The photographer has to decide for themselves on the aperture, the shutter speed and the focus and, depending on the film they use, the ISO sensitivity.
This encourages them to experiment and to understand in practice how each photographic setting affects the image.
4. Assessing the dynamic range of the scene
Shooting on film can also help the photographer better understand the dynamic range of a scene, meaning the difference in brightness between its darkest and brightest areas.
In digital photography, especially when shooting RAW, there is significant room for post-processing. Depending on the file and the shooting conditions, we can recover information from the shadows or highlights and correct the image to some extent.
In film photography there is no equivalent immediate option. The result depends largely on the choice of film and the exposure. After the shot, it depends on the development and printing process, using complex darkroom techniques.
This obliges the photographer to learn to judge before shooting which areas of the scene can be captured in detail and which may be lost in the shadows or highlights.
In this way they gradually develop a better perception of light and of a scene’s dynamic range, instead of relying solely on the ability to correct the image afterwards.
5. The need to “zoom with your feet”
Another interesting educational advantage can come from using prime lenses.
Many young photographers start with a zoom lens, often the kit lens that comes with their digital camera. When they want to change the frame, it’s easy to stay in the same spot and simply change the focal length of the lens.
But this doesn’t only change the frame. Changing the photographer’s position also changes the perspective of the image: the relationship between objects, their relative sizes and the way space is organized within the frame.
Many older film cameras were used with prime lenses. Such a lens doesn’t let the photographer change the frame just by turning a zoom ring. To change the frame, they often have to move themselves.
This can force them to look for different positions and shooting angles, to move closer to or farther from the subject and to explore the space.
In this way they can gain a better understanding of both perspective and the particular characteristics each focal length offers.
6. The fully manual operation of the flash
Shooting with older film cameras can offer another significant educational advantage when used together with a manual flash.
In modern digital cameras and compatible TTL flash systems, the camera and the flash can communicate with each other and automatically calculate the amount of light required. The photographer can thus take a shot without having to calculate the flash power themselves.
By contrast, with a fully manual flash the photographer has to understand the relationship between the flash power, the aperture, the distance and the ISO sensitivity of the film.
For example, if the flash has a specific Guide Number, the photographer can calculate the required aperture based on the distance of the flash from the subject and the film’s ISO. If the distance changes, they must know how much to adjust the aperture.
Moreover, because a flash is a very brief light source and there is no way to review the shot immediately, the photographer must predict the result before pressing the button.
This process is a very good way for the photographer to understand the basic principles of artificial lighting.
Conclusion
Shooting on film is not simply a way to reproduce an older photographic process today.
Its limitations can work as teaching tools.
The limited number of exposures makes us more selective. The absence of immediate review forces us to trust our knowledge and judgment more. Manually setting the camera helps us better understand the relationship between aperture, speed, ISO and focus. The need to assess the light before shooting cultivates an awareness of dynamic range, while using prime lenses can push us to explore our position and perspective more. Finally, using a fully manual flash can help us understand the basic principles of artificial lighting in practice.
In other words, film can teach us to think more before we photograph.
And this is perhaps its most important educational value.
