The story behind the photo | A photography newsletter
Going ‘back to film’
Edition 8 - 14 December 2023
In last week’s blog, I mentioned that I’m going 'back to film.' I had just sent off my first roll of film for development, and a few days later, the scans came back. This photograph is from that roll.
The photo was taken with a Canon Rebel 2000, which has three advantages: it's affordable, has some automation features, and I can attach my modern Canon lenses to it. In this case, I also used an external flash unit pointed towards the ceiling. A lucky mismatch (between how the film captured the area illuminated by the flash and the part illuminated by ambient light) created this double exposure effect with light streaks. It's technically incorrect, but I love it.
In fact, what I love about my film photos is their imperfection. Imperfections on film just look better than imperfections on digital.
So, I will be doing a lot more film photography in 2024, and a lot more flash photography. What this means is that my personal photos will inevitably look and feel different from the photos I take during client photoshoots.
Now, here's the dilemma.
From a pure business strategy perspective, sharing my personal work on social media isn’t ideal. Prospective family clients might get confused - my 'main' style will be diluted by all the weird and quirky film/flash/blurred/faceless personal photographs which I'm currently indulging in. These photos are not commercial; they're for fun. I'm not expecting anyone to book a photoshoot based on my home experiments.
Someone suggested having two Instagram accounts: one for client work and one for personal projects. However, on reflection, I think I spend enough time on Instagram as it is. Managing two accounts just adds complexity.
I haven't decided what to do yet, and I realise it’s a first-world problem, with the somewhat arrogant presumption that people actually care about what I do and what I post - which is likely not the case!
If you're considering booking a family session with me, be assured that the photographs in my portfolio reflect the style you'll receive. For fellow photographers contemplating a return to film, reach out—I'd love to connect and embark on this film journey together!
I am a documentary family photographer based in Dulwich, primarily serving East Dulwich, Herne Hill, and Peckham, and I am available to travel across London and beyond. Get in touch if you are interest in booking a session with me.