10 years of shooting film
How it started and why I do it
The story dates back to 2015, when my parents got me my first analog camera for successfully finishing elementary school (I know, what an accomplishment :)). It was a Nikomat with a Nikkor 50mm f2 lens. I am looking at it right now as I am writing my first blog. It is still by my side, still close to my heart. Anyway, it was in 2015 when I shot my first roll of film. A roll of Kodak Double-X with 20 exposures, bulk loaded by my father. He knew how to get me extra excited to shoot XX; He explained that the opening scene in one of my favourite movies at the time: James Bond Casino Royale, was shot on that same film stock. And so my journey in film photography began…
Photo from my first roll of film, 2015. Nikomat FT-2, Kodak XX
Me and my Nikomat FT-2, 2015. Nikomat FT-2, Kodak Tri-X
I slowly started understanding the process of shooting film, exposing for (mostly) B&W negative and using the sunny 16 rule to expose without a lightmeter. Soon, I went on my first street photography trip to Ljubljana and fell in love with that genre of photography. Passion was growing and in 2017 I shot just short of 50 rolls of film.
One of my first street photographs I really liked - shot in Croatia, 2016. Nikomat FT-2, Kodak XX
After that I slowly started shooting less and less film as I was moving to digital after purchasing a digital camera. During my years at the Faculty (BA level) I fell in love with studio work, focusing on product photography and completely forgot about film photography. I even wrote my diploma thesis about using AI in product photography. In 2022 I only shot 1 roll of film.
Then came autumn 2024 and everything changed once again…
I rediscovered my passion for analog photography. I cleaned the dust off my favourite film cameras and just started shooting. In the first 3 months of 2025 alone I shot 27 rolls. But this blog post is not about how many rolls of film per year I shoot, but about WHY I shoot film at all…
Žale, Ljubljana, 2025. Nikon F3, Ilford HP5+
For me, the feeling of shooting film is the most important. It is about disconnecting from the digital world and reconnecting with the real world. It is about the feeling of using fine machinery in my hands. I don’t get that when using the newest and greatest digital cameras. Don’t get me wrong, digital cameras are still great - they fit very well for most of my commercial work (especially product photography), but they don’t fill me with satisfaction as analog cameras do.
(Disclaimer: Most of my film cameras are manual focus and manual exposure, so I am mostly describing shooting with that type of cameras)
The feeling of loading the film, closing the back of a camera, pressing the shutter and, for me, one of the best feelings in the shooting process, advancing the lever, are just unbeatable. And you get a different experience using different cameras, which is even more fun. The loud bang from a Bronica S2a shutter/mirror that would get you in trouble in an airport sounds and feels completely different than using, for example, a tiny Rollei 35 T. And the choices are endless…
A very important reason I shoot film is also that shooting film feels like you are a part of the physical process. You are involved. You are touching the canister and the film itself, when you load the film, you advance the film, you change the aperture with your fingers… It is a physical process and I love that.
Furthermore, I develop my own B&W film to be even more involved in the process. I mix the chemicals, I put the film on spools, I twist the canister every minute, I make the difference. It makes you feel like you accomplished something when you pull the strip of film from the spool and hang it to dry as you just take a sneak peak at some of the photos to remember what you shot on that roll.
Slovenia, 2017. Nikomat FT-2, Fuji Pro 400H
C41 and E6 type films I don’t develop at home, but nowadays I do scan every single film (B&W or color) myself, which is also a big joy in the process. When you see your negatives turn into positives on the screen for the first time it feels amazing (if the pictures don’t look horrible, of course). To complete the analog process, I would love to make prints in the darkroom more often, but time and space often don’t allow me to. But I will try.
Also, did I mention that film is magical? It is like a woman that plays hard to get so you want to get to know her even more; You can’t see what you just shot, you have to wait and be patient and patient. The happiness is greater because you have to wait.
A whole other reason why I shoot film is the result. The texture, the feeling of an image. When I started shooting film, I was seeking grain-less look and perfect, almost digital-like image. But after experiencing and using digital cameras, I realised the film is not about perfection, it is about character. Now, I love me my grain on my B&W film. It is real. It is not perfect. It is life.
And don’t get me started on the color. Beautiful skin tones, contrast just right and pastel colors, you just can’t beat it. And usually with really minor tweaks on the scanner. Sure, one might argue that you can get almost the same or the same colors, textures and contrasts in post-production with digital cameras. I agree. But it is so not about that. It is about the whole process and the joy of experiencing the physical medium. Even more now when technology and AI is taking over.
Slovenian coast, 2017. Nikon F3, Kodak Portra 160
Nowadays, I am going even a step further, or should I say backwards, because electronic film cameras are starting to “bother” me. I want to go all mechanical. The film camera I’ve used the most is my Nikon F3. Beautiful, elegant, amazing to use, reliable. Everything is perfect. I bought it 8 years ago after seeing one of my favourite photographers of all-time, John Free, using his F3 for his amazing street photography. Back then, I did not understand or believe my father, when he said that the F3 is great, but… It has an electronic shutter. “You will understand one day”, he said. I do now. I think it is starting to bother me a bit. I want the complete feeling of freedom that comes from using all-mechanical cameras, such as Nikon F or F2, Leica M, Nikon FM etc.
So, to conclude my first blog post, I would like to sum up by saying that in the world of digitalisation, where technology and AI are taking over and instant dopamine is fuelling the young generations on Tik-Tok, film photography is a great escape and pure joy.