All That MsJazz: StainColored Thoughts Photography: Final Portfolio and thoughts on my Film Photography Class

December 18, 2017

StainColored Thoughts Photography: Final Portfolio and thoughts on my Film Photography Class

My film photography class

So my class ended on December 12th and I must say this was one of the best classes that I EVER had in my life. I'm not sure where to even begin. Learning about the Darkroom is an intimidating experience at first but one you have been in there a few times, it just becomes a part of you. I found it so relaxing to not only develop my film but also to make my prints. There is something about film in general that makes the experience of taking photographs much more intimate.

When I first began in the class I wasn't sure what to expect. I did do research on the type of camera that I wanted to use. I already had some film cameras prior to the class (Pentax K1000 and a few others) but I knew that I didn't want to use a manual film camera for the class. I still wasn't comfortable with loading film in my Pentax so I decided to do some research and find a Canon full frame film camera that would be compatible with my lenses that I use on my Canon Digital cameras. My research paid off when I found the Canon Elan 7ne. I used the camera for the majority of my class until I unfortunately broke the LCD screen up top, but then I used my backup Canon Elan 7 for the rest of class. The Canon Elan 7ne has an Eye Control option (which I didn't use) while the Elan 7 does not. Beyond that feature they are pretty much the same.

my camera and photogaraphy book for the class (which we never used LOL)

My teacher was amazing. My classmates were awesome. I looked forward to going to class. I couldn't wait to see what kind of pictures I would have. The amount of print paper I went through was something else. I can definitely appreciate using test strips before using a full piece of paper. With using film the biggest challenge I learned was having to slow down and actually think your shot through. Was I perfect with this every time? Hell no, but I did get better with it as the class progressed. We also learned about dodging and burning which I definitely had to do on some prints.

This is just the back half of the darkroom

We had 5 different shooting assignments that were due throughout the semester which then finalized with a test and turning in our final portfolios. We also did some night time photography out in downtown Kirkwood.

What I loved about this class is that it really pushed me to really think my shots through. Was I a hunter (someone who went looking for a shot) or a gatherer (someone who created a shot). I felt that I was a bit of both. I'm trying to really find my creative style and find my certain niche. I really can't praise this class enough. If you are interested in film photography. PLEASE check out this class with Ms. Stocker (my teacher). You will not regret it.