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Writer's pictureVictoria Shamrock

Film photography at Shamrock Space Studio.What's It All About?Should You Try It?

Updated: Oct 31


Film Photography at Shamrock Space Studio

Ah, film photography. What's it all about? Should you try it? Welcome, dear seekers of visual alchemy, to the enchanted realm of Shamrock Space Studio. 📸 Here, each photograph is a spell, each frame a potion. Today, we're journeying through the mystical world of film photography, focusing on the medium format's crown jewel. Through the lens of our legendary camera—the only camera to have visited the moon, the jewelry in the film photography world—her majesty, the Hasselblad 503 CW.

The Mystique of Film Photography: An Overture for the Eyes

Film photography stands as the members-only club in the world of visual arts—selective, enduring, and teeming with personality. This is no mere snap-and-go affair; it's akin to an artfully assembled exhibit that elevates your visual palate, all wrapped in a veil of vintage charm and sophistication. It's a rich mosaic of cutting-edge optics and mechanics, the arcane chemistry of film, a choreography of luminance and obscurity, the artisan's expertise and enthusiasm, your own emotional tapestry, and that ineffable essence that escapes articulation but resonates within us all.

The Organic Essence

Make it shorter: In a world that has leapt from divine delusions to marketing illusions, film photography serves as a grounding force, a touchstone that transforms the everyday into the extraordinary. It's the mindfulness of the photography world, a contemplative exercise that reconnects you with the essence of life. When you think about how digital photography is based on human-engineered pixels, while film photography taps into the natural world at a molecular or even atomic level, it raises an intriguing question: where would you expect to find a more organic, natural, and authentic outcome?


The Selective Society

Film photography isn't for the masses; it's an acquired taste, much like a vintage Cabernet, cherished by those who grasp its intricacies. It's tailored for the discerning individuals who can debate the merits of Monet and Van Gogh while sipping on a glass of aged Merlot. Consider it a private gathering for aficionados who revel in the nuanced craft of immortalizing contrasts of luminosity and darkness.


The Who's Who in Film Photography

The Artists

  • Annie Leibovitz: A modern icon in film photography. She's the epitome of artistic brilliance. Source

  • Greg Miller: An American fine art photographer who swears by the magic of film. Source

The Trailblazers​

  • Dan Rubin: A luminary in today's film photography scene, adept in the arts of both 35mm and medium format Source

  • Toby Harvard: A distinctive voice in the film photography sphere, celebrated for his singular artistic flair. Source


The Platforms

  • Shotkit: A platform that celebrates the most famous film photographers of our time. Source

  • Expert Photography: A journal that keeps the film photography conversation alive and kicking. Source

The Technical Marvels

Color Accuracy

Film emulsion gives you natural and organic colour consistency and dynamic range, making your photos look like something out of a famous artist's portfolio. The Darkroom reckons the same. Even the flashiest and most high-tech software is still trying to catch up when it comes to mimicking film colours. When digital colours will match the film look is still up for debate among the pros. But for me, it's not gonna happen anytime soon, even with all the AI help in the world. I reckon that's 'cause film colours have got soul, while digital colours are just numbers on a screen.

Dynamic Range Performance

Film naturally excels at capturing a wide dynamic range, gracefully highlighting the fine details and contrasts between light and dark. Masterclass can back that up.

Resolution & Details

Medium format film cameras, especially our iconic Hasselblad 503 CW, provide a level of resolution that leaves digital cameras in the dust. While digital sensors rely on artificially engineered pixels, film photography operates on a molecular or even atomic scale, thanks to its silver-based chemistry. It's no wonder then that a digital counterpart to our Hasselblad, even with a medium format sensor, maxes out at around 100 MB. In contrast, a 6x6 medium format film can yield anywhere from 400 MB to 800 MB, and sometimes even a staggering 1 GB of rich, detailed information. Expert Photography confirms this.

The Price of Magic: Time, Money, and Skill

Film photography is a maestro's performance. It's not designed for mass consumption or for those looking to save a buck; it calls for time, skill, experience, patience, and an attention to detail that digital photography often overlooks. Imagine it as the crafting of a secret, marvellous elixir; each ingredient is meticulously selected, each step executed with precision. And the end result? While it may defy expectations, it's invariably a work of art—pure magic, in fact.

Conclusion

Film photography stands as the pinnacle of grace and refinement. It's crafted for those unique individuals who appreciate the stories that unfold behind the scenes and who feel emotions that words can't quite capture. And that's precisely the point. This is for you—the selective, the discerning, the connoisseurs of aesthetic beauty. So, are you prepared to become a member of this exclusive circle of visual magicians?

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