Just like a time capsule, every click of a film camera captures a moment that will stay with me forever. This is how a film camera brings joy to my life, one frame at a time.
Story, Photos and illustrations by Sim En Wei Sheryl
En Wei and her friend at Tokyo DisneySea.
Ever since primary school, I have been passionate about photography. I enjoy how it allows me to tell a story through the lens. I enjoy how it captures different memories of my life in various ways. But most importantly, I enjoy how joyful I felt when taking pictures, especially with my film camera!
However, I did contemplate for months before making my purchase. After all, I was completely new and clueless about many things regarding film photography — when to use the flash, how to take another picture, and where to develop the film. Yet, my temptations and curiosity to discover more about film cameras, coupled with the appeal of the vintage charm it offers, convinced me to get both a disposable and reusable film camera in 2022.
The disposable camera was easy to use as it had already been set up, which made it a good starter camera to begin my film photography journey. However, after developing it for the first time, I realised that I made the huge mistake of not using the flash indoors, which caused my pictures to come out too dark.
The next step was trying to use my reusable camera. It was confusing yet fun when I learnt how to manually load the film into the camera. This time it really felt like ‘My Camera’, possibly because I could reuse it again and again even if my film ran out. Now when I take pictures with my camera, I will never forget to use the flash indoors!
This challenging process has made my film camera experience more rewarding and gives me a greater sense of accomplishment whenever I get a great shot. I also realised that I have become a more patient person, as using a film camera requires me to wait for the right moment to take the perfect shot. You see, when shooting on film, I can’t simply take hundreds of pictures and choose the best one later on as I would with a digital camera. Each film contains a limited number of exposures, which means that every shot counts. It might seem like a disadvantage, but through this process, I have learnt the beauty of observation.
Shirakawa-go Village, Japan.
The way the clouds gracefully drift through the serene background, the infectious cheerfulness of my friends, and the reflection of the flash on the balloons, focusing on these small details made my pictures so much more meaningful and valuable, allowing me to be more present in the moment. Each picture feels like a memory I can revisit any time, with a certain nostalgia and charm that I find appealing. Alternatively with digital cameras, I often take several shots of the same thing and delete those I don’t like. Somehow, this makes my pictures feel more disposable and harder to fully appreciate. Taking a pause to appreciate the world around me really gave me a deeper understanding of the wonders of film photography.
A view of Mount Fuji, Japan.
Ultimately, while I enjoy the convenience and versatility of digital cameras, there’s something timeless and special about shooting with film that just makes me ecstatic. It’s a simple pleasure that brings me joy and satisfaction in a way that digital cameras can’t quite replicate. Perhaps it’s the unpredictability of film photography, never quite knowing how a shot will turn out or how it allows me to be more deliberate with my shots. Whatever it is, film cameras offer me a sense of euphoria and anticipation that comes with waiting for the pictures to be developed, and seeing the final pictures.
I highly recommend trying film cameras if you haven’t already, in which you can experience the special and rewarding nature of film photography first-hand. Personally, it has improved both my photography skills and helped me grow as a person, and the lessons I’ve learnt from this hobby will undoubtedly stick with me for life.
