A return to film photography
During the past 12 months of lock downs, reduced activity and very little social interaction, people around the world have taken up numerous pastimes. Bread making and cooking, knitting and crafts, and pet adoption are only a few of the pastimes that folks have taken too.
If you aren’t making bread, what do you do?
True to form, I haven’t adopted a new pet, but a new/old 35mm film camera and have started to shoot film again. When I acquired the medium-format Fujifilm GFX 50S in 2017, I got rid of my last medium-format film camera. I haven’t shot film since then…
The pandemic helped put me back on the road to film photography. At first, I used a 1950’s Fujica 35-ML, and recently I picked up a beautiful, late 60’s Fujica Compact Deluxe. As you can see, I have remained loyal to Fujifilm and to rangefinder photography!
Unlike when I was shooting medium-format film, I am using the 35mm cameras as simple, walk-around, observational tools. Basically, I am enjoying the pace and limitations of shooting with very old equipment and the lack of immediate feedback of shooting digitally.
How long will this last, you might ask. How long do pandemics last?…
Herein you will find some of the snapshots I have captured over the past few months.
NB: Images captured on a variety of film stock, but mostly Ilford black-and-white film. All negs digitized on an Epson V600 scanner. Camera still life captured with a Fujifilm GFX 50S. The car is a 2001 Toyota WiLL Vi imported from Japan. No, it’s not electric.
DON CRAIG photography 