What is the difference between film and photographic film and how to shoot with it?

Recently, we have seen a surge of interest in analog photography. Amateur and professional photographers experiment with film and film cameras, practicing in the genres of portrait, landscape and various formats of creative photography. Beginners and experienced masters are captivated by the "tube" character of the picture, the "warm" film grain and the ability to convey the depth of the composition with the help of analog noise, which is inaccessible to the digital format.

Film is also becoming increasingly popular among photographers due to its higher quality, fine grain, wide dynamic range and “cinematic” color – rich but natural tones. Is it possible to take photos on film? What is the difference and what are the features of this process? Let’s try to figure it out.

Different formats of photographic and cinema films

Photographic film is a light-sensitive material on a flexible polymer base, coated with a light-sensitive emulsion with silver halides. The material is used to shoot static shots.

Photographic film can be black and white, color, and slide. Black and white film transmits colors in shades of gray and contains silver halides, which darken under the influence of color during development. This material has a wide dynamic range and good detail. The film is easy to process and can be used and developed even at home by a novice photographer.

Color negative film has three emulsion layers sensitive to three primary colors – red, blue and green. After development, it provides an image in additional colors, which are converted into natural ones during printing. It is used for a wide range of tasks – shooting portraits, landscapes, reportage shots.

And finally, slide film immediately after development produces a positive color - a transparent image suitable for projection. It is used in professional photography and slide projection.

The most common formats of photographic film are 135 (35 mm) and 120 mm (medium format). The first one – 35 mm wide – is a popular standard, widespread and suitable for simple processing and photo printing. In addition to its versatility and wide range of varieties, it has its drawbacks – low detail and limitations for wide-format printing.

120 film (61.5 mm wide) is characterized by a larger frame and high image quality, good depth of field, but loses out to its 35 mm “sister” due to the high cost, size and weight of the cameras.

Film is also a light-sensitive material on a flexible base, but with perforations along the edges and intended for high-speed recording of moving images. Its main formats are: 35 mm, 16 mm, 8 mm.

The first is the most common, with various frame side combinations, and has been used since the beginning of the last century and remained the main "workhorse" of cinematography until the 2000s. Now this format is used to shoot art house or advertising. 16 mm (medium format film) is a balance of price and quality, recommended for beginner filmmakers and educational works, and 8 mm is a more outdated and simple format and is now used to give the material a special pre-digital aesthetic.

In short, film is designed for movement, and photographic film is designed for static images, which determines their technical characteristics. Video material is distinguished by a greater degree of detail, as a rule, a wider dynamic range.

The main differences between film and photographic film

The main differences are primarily in the process of exposure and development. Photographic film, due to its static nature, has greater freedom in exposure settings, while film is limited in this sense by the fact that it is used in motion with a fixed shutter speed and, as a rule, low ISO.

The first one involves a simple development process (for example, C-41 or b/w processes), while the second one is distinguished by a complex development method ECN-2.

The general composition of the emulsion of the two films is similar, but the film uses 10-20 layers (versus 3-4 for photographic film), uses rem-jet, fine grain and has a clear division into Daylight and Tungsten. Film material is most often optimized for color temperatures of 5500-6000 or 3200 K, which corresponds to sunlight and artificial lighting.

Film stock produces more cinematic (muted greens and reds) colors and low to medium contrast. It is produced on a stronger, thinner base to withstand fast motion, has a greater dynamic range, and is less sensitive.

Film often has a Remjet - a remjet layer, which is located on the back of the film, consists of gelatin and graphite and performs a number of functions to improve the image and facilitate shooting. Remjet is a big problem during development, as it requires professional and very careful removal. Not all laboratories provide film development services, but the Karmir photo lab in Yerevan is one of the few in the CIS that performs full development with remjet removal.

Is it possible to take photos on film?

It is not only possible to take photos on film, but also necessary! However, it is necessary to take into account that its use requires taking into account a number of features. These include, in particular, the correct choice of material, taking into account the features during shooting and the difficulties during development.

Popular film stocks among photographers include, for example, Kodak Vision3 250D or 500T. They need to be reloaded into standard 35 mm cassettes. And the problem of removing the remjet can be solved by Cinestill 800T - a film devoid of it and adapted specifically for photography. Independent brands that produce film for photographers are also worth paying attention to. These include, for example, Cinestill 800T, Karmir 500T, Reflex Lab 800.

When shooting, the photographer should take into account the features of film - a unique color rendition that is unlike photographic materials and a wide dynamic range, which provides better elaboration of shadows and light. Remember, it has fine grain and provides good detail.

The difficulties include the difficult and highly experienced development of film with the removal of rem-jet.

How to Shoot on Film: Practical Tips

We will give some practical advice for a novice photographer mastering a new material – film.

First of all, choose the "right" film (Daylight or Tungsten) taking into account the specifics of your shooting and its conditions. Landscapes, street photography, sunny days or situations where pure, cold colors are required are conditions for "Daylight".

Interiors, concerts, rooms or dark time of day – work for “Tungsten”. If you doubt which film to choose, buy one cassette of each type and compare the results.

Use a 35mm camera, select a film taking into account the ISO for the required shooting conditions, set the shutter speed to 50-100 to avoid a “digital” picture (with a shorter shutter speed) or motion blur (with a longer shutter speed), set the aperture taking into account the required depth of field and shoot. When setting the exposure, keep in mind that film likes underexposure of about ⅓ stops - it preserves details in colors better.

When shooting with incandescent lamps on Tungsten film, remember that you may need to use an 85B filter or perform scanning correction.

A special stage is finding a professional laboratory working with ECN-2. The result of the entire process depends on the right choice. Poor-quality development in the laboratory, as well as independent home development, can negate all efforts and all work. Similarly, scanning film requires skills and professional knowledge due to its complex emulsion and color profile. It is necessary to choose the right color profile when scanning, manual color correction and contrast correction, use LUT presets and LUT packs. The scanner model also affects the color and contrast, requiring professional correction.

Examples of famous projects or photographers who shoot on film

Thanks to its unique color rendering and interesting cinematic aesthetics, photographers actively use film in their work. One of the main areas of application remains fashion photography and portrait photography, where with the help of different films, masters achieve special skin tones. Documentary photography is also popular, due to the high dynamic range of film and the unique transmission of details in contrasting scenes. Traditionally, film is also in demand among art photographers who use the features of shooting and processing to achieve creative effects.

Famous works shot on film include photographer Tom Wood’s book People, which collected his work from 1973 to 1999, shot largely on film. Tom proved that inspiration is better than perfectionism, capturing life in London and finding subjects right on the street.

Also famous is photographer Nick Mayo with his small-circulation homemade editions of street photographs called "Zines", where he worked using film and proved that the texture of the film can itself act as a separate type of design.

Jason Lee and his books about travels to Texas are also worth mentioning. And the master’s series "Texas Photographs" became a hymn to this southern state, celebrated by Kodak film and its coarse grain.

Film remains an unusual but very interesting way in photography, giving the photographer the opportunity to realize himself through the use of analog material and obtaining unique works of art.
The format requires great professionalism of the master and high-quality processing of the film, but is ready to provide truly limitless opportunities in creating your own creative uniqueness.