My First Roll of Film

The first experience is always an exciting one.

1.

I'm a cheapskate. I shoot frame 00.

It was way back in 2009, but I still vividly remember the day when I bought my Nikon FA, I was so excited. As I'm the type of person that does a lot of research before buying something, I already know all the operations of the camera prior to receiving it. So, immediately I popped my 50mm f/1.8 on my new camera and tested the basic operations. 

2.

Coconut trees. Pardon me for the lossy compression.

3.

Fuel prices were skyrocketing in 2009.

Then, it was time to load the film.

4.

天堂鳥，Bird of Paradise. 
(Busy bokeh from 50mm f/1.8.)

What film would you choose for your first try in film photography?

Sensible people would choose an inexpensive colour negative film as their virgin roll, due to negative film's generously wide exposure latitude (or "forgiveness", if you prefer) and relatively cheap developing costs compared to slide films.

5.

Rich colours from Velvia.

But I'm not a sensible person.

6. 

For my first ever roll of film, I used Fujifilm Velvia 50. Yes, you read that correctly. An expensive, slow, demanding and very unforgiving slide film for my first try in film photography in a 30 years old camera that I just bought from a stranger. I must be mad. 

7. 

Penang.

In fact, I didn't know that E-6 processing is SO expensive until I finished shooting the whole roll and went to develop it- it really cost me dearly. I seldom shoot slide film after that, partly due to the price & also the inconvenience- the only photolab that develops slide film is located at a very busy area in the city centre- and I'm sure that I'll get lost before even reaching there. However, when viewed under a light table, slide films give incredibly rich colours and tonality that no print film could ever match.

8.

Looks like a person who'd fallen over.

So here is it. My first ever roll of film.

9. 

My personal favourite: Sunset at Bangsar.

Thanks for reading.

Film | My First Roll of Film
Nikon FA, Fujifilm Velvia 50

Flying through the Woods

Skytrex at Skytrex Adventure Park, Shah Alam, Malaysia.


January 2010.

Like a ninja.

Digital | Flying through the Woods

Hat Yai, 10am.

Street of Hat Yai, January 2010.
合艾大街，2010年1月。

冷清。失落。

Film | Hat Yai, 10am
Nikon FA, Fujifilm Superia 200.

Tasmania 2010

During my mid-year holidays last year, my parents visited me and we embarked on a 2 weeks tour around Tasmania. Dissimilar to the wild, majestic landscapes of Europe, Tasmania has some unique rainforest and sceneries that can't be found in other place on Earth.

There are still a lot (more than 3000) of photos in my hard-disk and I really don't feel like going through, filtering and processing them. It's too darn troublesome. Anyway, these photos are some of my shots that I got to process, sprinkled with some film goodness as well.

Enjoy.


1.

Macquarie harbour, Tasmania. (Film)

2.

Seagulls, at Strahan.

3.

Cradle Mountain national park.

4.

5.

Peaceful morning.

6.

7.

Clear water.

8.

9.

The "grain" is caused by loose compression.

10.

The great escape.

11.

Waves.

12.

Cradle Mountain, Tasmania. (Film)

13.

My parents. (Film)

Film + Digital | Tasmania 2010

Fantasy | 夢幻

My friend commented that this photo looks like a scene from Avatar. Now when I look at it, it really does look like a shot taken in Pandora.

Digital | Fantasy | 夢幻

Clouds

 云，变幻莫测。

我被它的千态万状深深地吸引。
各种各样的形状，锻炼我的想像力。
你今天是否已
抬头仰望那创意无穷的天空了呢？

Film + Digital | Clouds

A little bit about Film

I shoot film. I love it. However, if you ask me to point finger to whichever parameter that demonstrates film's superiority I'd be clueless, because for me, there's not a definite, quantifiable way to explain my preference for film. Art can't be measured. It just looks better. And that's all that matters.

Unlike most film shooters who started shooting long before the digital revolution and continued till today, I actually first experienced film after digital gained popularity for a decade and well into the mainstream. In fact, I learned all my basics in photography with digital cameras and they're really perfect for the job. Snap, review, adjust & learn, and snap again.

Film, though, is totally different. When I just got my Nikon FA and started shooting film it was a whole new experience. It changed the way I see things, and I learned to appreciate the art of photography because I learned to think, be patient and careful when taking a photograph. And the results are often rewarding.

Here, again, are some photos from my archive. I recently reformatted my computer and lost some of my processed photos, but luckily I have backup of the scans and I processed it according to my current taste.

Enjoy.

Sunset at Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.

My parents at Cradle Mountain, Tasmania, Australia.

 Cradle Mountain, Tasmania, Australia.

Film | A little bit about Film
Nikon FA, Fujifilm Velvia 50, Fujifilm Superia 400.