Shooting and developing film can be equally rewarding and a major headache. See two photographers develop film for the first time and decide for yourself if you think it’s really worth the effort.
I love shooting on film, as it’s a very different beast to using digital. I like the way it slows me down and makes me think about the shot I’m about to take. I know when I come back to working with digital, I’m always more measured and appreciative of the whole picture-making process. For that reason alone, I think shooting on film from time to time can be a very positive thing for photographers to do. Saying all that, the world of analog does come with downsides too. The uncertainty you got the shot, the laborious nature of scanning negatives, and the possibility of catastrophic failure of the film when developing it are just a few of the downsides. This week, the team over at Corridor Crew takes on one of these issues by trying to develop film at home for the very first time. The video features Clinton Jones and Nick Laurant, who do their best to research the process and buy all the necessary items needed for the task. The guys first try developing black and white film and then move onto the more complex job of doing the same with a roll of color. We also see Jones rescuing a roll of film that jammed inside his camera, which is something I have also had to do on occasion.
This is a thorough video showing the highs and lows of developing film and is well worth watching if you’ve haven’t seen film developed before. By their own admission, they say they are not experts. For this reason, the video is best used as a starting point rather than a comprehensive demonstration. I have to admit that although I shoot a lot of film, I have never developed it myself. After seeing this video, I have a new appreciation for the amount of work involved in the whole process.
Do you develop your own film? Think you ever will? We’d loved to hear your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.