I recently taught an Introduction to Shooting Street Photography on Film workshop in Dubai, and I know some friends who are getting into film (which inspired me to make this recording). I talk about some basics of shooting film, including the benefits of shooting film vs digital, some common technical settings, why “push” film, my favorite films (Tri-X 400 for black and white and Portra 400 for color), and some other tips.
Film recommendations
For those of you who want to get into shooting film, I recommend just picking up any old film camera (I’m sure your parents have an old Canon AE-1 lying in the closet somewhere). If you’re really into shooting film, I would say the best “bang-for-the-buck” film camera for street photography is the Leica M6 and 35mm f/2.5 Voigtlander lens. To buy a film camera, I highly recommend my buddy Bellamy Hunt (Japan Camera Hunter). Also if you don’t live in the states I recommend “Camera Film Photo” for film.
Learn how to shoot film in street photography
- Introduction to Shooting Film in Street Photography
- What I Learned Shooting 100 Rolls of Black and White Film
- What I Learned Processing 164 Rolls of Film After Waiting a Year
- My Experiences Shooting Medium-Format Film in Street Photography
- A Guide on How to Shoot Street Photography on a Film Leica (or Rangefinder)
- Why Digital Is Dead For Me In Street Photography
- Video: Why I’m Switching Back to Black and White Film for Street Photography
