Does Shooting Film Make You A Better Photographer?

In today’s photography world it’s easy to get caught up in all things digital. I have, however, seen a surge of interest in film photography the past few weeks. We’ve seen digital photographers like Brian Auer discuss cross processing and a flickr favorite of mine the_wolf_brigade, who of course shoots film, getting highlighted all over the photography blogosphere. So this raises the question. Does shooting film make you a better photographer?

The short answer is yes it can!

While we could argue that by shooting film you have to use your camera in manual mode so you must have your camera set up properly and not to over or under-expose the images, we won’t. While that may be a good point, the truth is that some film cameras have sensors that allow for an automatic mode, and many digital photographers are already using manual mode anyway.

Here is why film can make you a better photographer.

By limiting the number of images per roll, you instinctively become more aware of each image as an overall composition. If you don’t, you’ll find your wallet empty much faster.

Yes, I know it sounds simple, but sometimes these things truly are.

If you don’t already have a film camera and you don’t want to break the bank, I suggest getting a Holga which you can purchase here. They are super cheap and create some really beautiful and artistic images.

Now go out there and be creative!

Photograph Overview by nihiels who also has a wonderful photoblog borrow a view, go check it out.

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