Experimenting with Film
I have always loved the process of developing film. I don't really know the whole exact process, but I want to learn and definitely develop my own film someday. Before I got a Nikon D3200, I got a $3 35mm film camera at a St.Vincent de Paul, bought some cheap film ( have never bought any other type of film...not very knowledgeable on that subject), and then just took a bunch of random pictures!
I'm not sure what was going through my head when I was taking each of the pictures with my old film camera, I think I thought each of them were going to turn out just wonderful--because it was film! I remember zooming in on this leaf, cause I thought this $3 camera could do the job, and when my developed pictures came back to me, the one of the leaf just looked like a giant green square.
After that I was addicted, because I wanted to achieve the spontaneity that Polaroids often advertise and promote and tune that into film. I wanted the giant green square to become a leaf with greeny, chlorophyll filled-veins. I am still such a beginner, and trust me, I hardly know anything about how developing film works, but it is so addictive. You get your pictures back and they're fresh and alive! It took chemicals, people, and creative spontaneity of the right place and the right time to make those pictures happen!
After that I was addicted, because I wanted to achieve the spontaneity that Polaroids often advertise and promote and tune that into film. I wanted the giant green square to become a leaf with greeny, chlorophyll filled-veins. I am still such a beginner, and trust me, I hardly know anything about how developing film works, but it is so addictive. You get your pictures back and they're fresh and alive! It took chemicals, people, and creative spontaneity of the right place and the right time to make those pictures happen!
I digress. Anyway, I lost that $3 camera that I bought from St. Vincent, and recently went back to St.Vincent and bought a $4 camera, which is the one pictured above. It came with a little box, and said that it could zoom-in--what a treasure! Having never used it before, I took multiple pictures zoomed in and zoomed out in decent lighting, so once the pictures are developed I can see the actual outcome of each, just so I don't end up with anymore green squares. (Pictured below!!)
It took me about two months to use one canister of film, I was bound to have no more green squares show up in my film so I got patient for those great pictures to come to me. From there I decided against going to CVS or Walgreens (issues in the past), and ordered a mail form from this professional developing company called The Darkroom [Lab]. I heard nothing about the company until I googled them, and they have like, 40 years of experience, so I thought--what the heck! I requested a mail form from their website, got it a couple days later, filled it out, put my film in it, gave it to the post office (cause it had a tracking number), and off it went! It arrived from Kentucky to California in three days! Now thats friggen sweet.
I was so excited to send it in I took a little picture of it. 😎
Below are the pictures from that little film canister, and to say I am excited is an understatement! This stuff is like gold for me. Now, the pictures I took aren't miraculous or diverse, but I think the outcome is super cool. These aren't all of them, but I thought I would share my favorites with you guys. If you're wondering where to develop your film, go to The Darkroom! They're awesome (and fast!)
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Hope you guys enjoyed! I love sharing this creative process with you guys! It's something I am so passionate about, but still need to learn a lot about. Yay pictures and memories!!!!
-Courtney 😸☀★🌊