HELP!!! I developed my film today. Ok, I guessed they wouldn't be that great but only 17 out of 36 got developed as the others didn't work out. I do have the negatives though so will look on tuesday at college and see what they look like. But out of the the 17 only 3 I would say were good enough and none are anywhere near as good as I am with my digital. I feel like a complete failure. I got a free spool and bought a black and white one for more practice but now feel scared to pick the camera up again. So depressed now. The first spool I did was loads better than this one.
I find that is often the case too. You have to be so on the ball with settings, do I find it usual to have some blanks in a roll. Don't feel scared tho...best thing to do is to pick it up and go again! You may find it helps if you keep a notebook of what you did with each frame - camera settings, what is actually in the frame, light etc. That way you can compare the neg to the notes and see what did and didn't work.
@viranod@craigdtull Thanks. I took the film to Jessops, not sure if it's a UK company or if they are elsewhere but they are a camera shop so trusted them more. Usually I take them to Boots or last time it was Tesco which I swear I won't do again. It was a 1 hr service i use though. There is a professional company not far from there which I'm going to take the camera to get cleaned after the last post about my sensor being dirty on my DSLR so I'll find out if they do developing. These places are few and far between. Every other photgraphy place I knew of has shut down.
The spool was a 400 iso (Stephen's fault, I told him to get em 200 and came home with a 400). The 3 pictures I like are grainy so I'm taking it that's the iso fault. Either that or I'm wondering if it's the camera. Plus, the early pictures were me playing about so didn't expect them to work. It's the latter ones I'm more gutted about as I worked hard on them. Could the fact I used a polarising filter on them be the problem? A lot of the pictures look dark as the sun was behind subject but then I have another picture which was fine. I know I will need to think more. I'm just so used to my DSLR and even though I feel I am thinking with it I'm sure I'm probably not thinking enough of what I'm doing. So gutted. Will add the one of the better ones on here later. Please feel free to critique away and be as harsh as you need to be as I want to get it right.
I always use the fuji film online service. They're good at dealing with queries and 'strange' requests. Saves me walking to the shops too :)
Can't say I know much about polarisers, but maybe You need a faster film if you don't have enough light?
@craigdtull It was a sunny day, not a cloud in the sky. I'm not clued up on filters at all but thought I'd try it out but still don't get how some were dark and some were fine. I'll pay more attention next time and I'll write everything down for reference.
I thought it was a rule of thumb for film photographers that only 2 or 3 photos on a spool of film would be "good"? As in, ones that you would show? That's what I read about back in the days when I was learning with my first camera. The ratio of actual pictures taken on my DSLR to ones I actually like is probably at least 20 to 1. So don't be discouraged, because you are learning what works and what doesn't, right? It's all part of the creative process. Get back on that horse and don't be afraid, for goodness sake. :)
In certain lighting conditions, I auto bracketing -1/3,0,+1/3 stops just to make sure I get the right exposure (even though with digital processing you can adjust levels, correct exposure give you a wider dynamic range).
And if you use polarising filters, settings on the developing machine may try to compensate for what it thought to be underexposed shots...just my guess.
One thing though, when I switched from negatives to slides, I was amazed that many photos came out much much better than negatives. Keeper rates just go up! Since then, when I really have to shoot negatives, I always get professionals to develop.
Don't be discouraged Kirsty. Film isn't easy, and it does take practice. I do feel though that with film, almost every shot should be good, not a few (as mentioned). I actually do better with film than with digital. But I shoot it all the time. Digital can make us lazy, if you know what I mean.
Do not be discouraged. I remember back in the day when you took a photography class they always started you on black and white since you would also be developing your own film. No wonder I got discouraged with film trying to remember fstop, focus, shutter speed, and formulas to develop the film. I pretty much never managed to have the effort to focus on the subject all that much. Luckily you have the basics of composition down from digital. You should probably try black and white and see how that works out before you worry too much.
Also keep in mind how many photos do you delete from a shoot with your digital camera. I think your film ratio probably matches your digital.
Thanks everyone. I'm going to put the black and white spool in and shoot the moon tonight but I'm totally paranoid. I know exactly how to set up my digital camera but haven't a scooby with the slr. I know with my digital I'm I use iso 100, my spool is 400 (it's all the shop had unfortunately). I know then I'll need to use a slower shutter speed then but so far I've only used auto on the camera which means I change aperture it changes shutter speed to compensate. There is an M button on it but don't know how to use it. I'm going to quickly look up the manual for a look. Plus want to try out the mirror lens again. My last moon shot didn't come out. I think I had used up the spool before it told me I had as it should have been last on the film and it wasn't on it at all. Also I'm so used to using the light meter on it that when I put it M the light meter is different so I'm scared but I'm going to try anyway. At least with the black and white I can develop that by hand so I'll see for myself how it will work out.
Don't give up! I had the same problem. I have an old flexaret from the 60's, and my first 2 films didnt get out at all, my third did, but I could find just like 3 pictures. And this time, all of my pictures worked! I was so happy to discover all my photos :)
Really, be patient, it's worth it! Now I'm enjoying so much the shots with this old camera, much more than with my flexaret.
An it has good sides :)
While I'm walking on the streets, people are stopping to see what Am I taking pictures with :) So you can meet a lot of people by this way ;)
@viranod read that article and seems really good. I don't feel I'm good enough yet to set up exposures properly to trust myself to use it but if in the future I become great (haha) I may consider it. Does seem a lot better though.
@kirsty1975 It looks to me like to used 400 print film outside.Scanning makes it grainier. If you have a "for real" camera shop in your area, see if you can pick up a roll of Fuji Provia 100. You will be amazed at the difference.
Also, I never recommend shooting in the high light of the day if in bright sun. A polarizer. On a portrait shot. Never. Shoot with the sun on one side. If behind the subject, use a flash.
@moncooga The reason I out the polariser on was to reduce sun flare, Is that wrong? I hadn't really thought of it being a bad idea for portraits. I was really just playing about to see what effect I would get, didn't realise it would be so bad. I think I will leave filters alone. Was thinking of getting them for the DSLR but now not so sure. As for the film speed, I blame Stephen, lol. I asked for 200 and got 400. The new film I got today (which was free with the print) is 200 but they didn't have 200 or 100 in black and white so went with 400. Now I regret it. I suppose on cloudy days I could use it.
I was I suppose desperate to finish the spool so I think I wasn't thinking on what I was doing much and just wanting to get the spool finished. Lesson learned. I know I can do better. I have really let myself down and I'm upset about it but it's my own fault.
I shoot 400 all the time when I'm not using slide film. I guess that's another thing the digital world has done, and that's taught people to hate anything that might be "grainy." Granted, digital noise sucks, but I think film grain is gorgeous!
To me it just looks like you have low quality scans, and not a grain issue. Low quality labs will do that...
@hmgphotos Thanks Heidi. I agree, I'm one for obsessing about no grain on images and forget how in the past we had to live with it anyway. I think what I need to do is go back and look through my old photos and get back into appreciating them again.
I swithered over taking back my 400 black and white spool but think I'll keep it and practice. Just paranoid of messing up again.
You could always take both cameras, set up and take the shot w/ the DSLR and then replicate the settings with the film camera, take notes and see what comes out on film.I shot through lots and lots of rolls of film to get probably 6 or 7 "great" shots that I would and have framed. It takes a lot to figure out film. Digital has gotten us so used to seeing results and correcting for them, taking the picture and being happy with the results. If you take notes, at least you will see the difference if any in the results between the two. I think that will help you out immensly in the long run. If you can see what should happen immediately and then you figure out how to make that happen with film, it will click and things will start to work out for you! I hope this makes sense btw!!!
@shadesofgrey I was thinking of doing that but wasn't sure if that was considered cheating but I know it would be easier to do. I also need to get to know the camera too a bit better. I think I'll give that a go.
Glad to hear it. I don't think it is cheating, just speeding up your learning curve. You could sit, read a bunch of books, take rolls and rolls of film and then not understand how you got to where you did (my situation) or double the cameras, figure out what works on the digital, see if it transfers to film and understand how things work immediately after you do them. I learned a lot from books and trial and error but I understood more about photography after a month with a digital then I did when I had just a film camera.
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If you want to use film IMO stick to slides or get your negatives printed by professionals rather than some one hour labs.
http://www.schoolofphotography.com/courses/free-photography-tips-and-articles/50-choosing-film-print-or-slide.html
The spool was a 400 iso (Stephen's fault, I told him to get em 200 and came home with a 400). The 3 pictures I like are grainy so I'm taking it that's the iso fault. Either that or I'm wondering if it's the camera. Plus, the early pictures were me playing about so didn't expect them to work. It's the latter ones I'm more gutted about as I worked hard on them. Could the fact I used a polarising filter on them be the problem? A lot of the pictures look dark as the sun was behind subject but then I have another picture which was fine. I know I will need to think more. I'm just so used to my DSLR and even though I feel I am thinking with it I'm sure I'm probably not thinking enough of what I'm doing. So gutted. Will add the one of the better ones on here later. Please feel free to critique away and be as harsh as you need to be as I want to get it right.
Can't say I know much about polarisers, but maybe You need a faster film if you don't have enough light?
And if you use polarising filters, settings on the developing machine may try to compensate for what it thought to be underexposed shots...just my guess.
One thing though, when I switched from negatives to slides, I was amazed that many photos came out much much better than negatives. Keeper rates just go up! Since then, when I really have to shoot negatives, I always get professionals to develop.
Keep it up. Still want to see some!
Also keep in mind how many photos do you delete from a shoot with your digital camera. I think your film ratio probably matches your digital.
Thanks everyone. I'm going to put the black and white spool in and shoot the moon tonight but I'm totally paranoid. I know exactly how to set up my digital camera but haven't a scooby with the slr. I know with my digital I'm I use iso 100, my spool is 400 (it's all the shop had unfortunately). I know then I'll need to use a slower shutter speed then but so far I've only used auto on the camera which means I change aperture it changes shutter speed to compensate. There is an M button on it but don't know how to use it. I'm going to quickly look up the manual for a look. Plus want to try out the mirror lens again. My last moon shot didn't come out. I think I had used up the spool before it told me I had as it should have been last on the film and it wasn't on it at all. Also I'm so used to using the light meter on it that when I put it M the light meter is different so I'm scared but I'm going to try anyway. At least with the black and white I can develop that by hand so I'll see for myself how it will work out.
Wish me luck
Don't give up! I had the same problem. I have an old flexaret from the 60's, and my first 2 films didnt get out at all, my third did, but I could find just like 3 pictures. And this time, all of my pictures worked! I was so happy to discover all my photos :)
Really, be patient, it's worth it! Now I'm enjoying so much the shots with this old camera, much more than with my flexaret.
An it has good sides :)
While I'm walking on the streets, people are stopping to see what Am I taking pictures with :) So you can meet a lot of people by this way ;)
@moncooga Here are some images from the film
This was one I took with my DSLR back in january through the lens of my SLR which was this camera, so thought I may as well use it in the process
Starting to get rubbish. The girls were supposed to be pretending to be asleep
The sun was on the left but even still to me it should have been brighter so wondering if the polarising lens made it rubbish.
Also, I never recommend shooting in the high light of the day if in bright sun. A polarizer. On a portrait shot. Never. Shoot with the sun on one side. If behind the subject, use a flash.
My thoughts for the day. I like the first 2!
I was I suppose desperate to finish the spool so I think I wasn't thinking on what I was doing much and just wanting to get the spool finished. Lesson learned. I know I can do better. I have really let myself down and I'm upset about it but it's my own fault.
Watch this space next time will be better.
To me it just looks like you have low quality scans, and not a grain issue. Low quality labs will do that...
I swithered over taking back my 400 black and white spool but think I'll keep it and practice. Just paranoid of messing up again.