Despite digital camera advances, there still are many uses for 35 mm film.
Professional photographers started relying on 35 mm film as the film itself improved and when the first true system 35 mm single-lens reflex (SLR) camera came into existence in 1959. The basic design did not change after that, and has continued into digital SLRs. The system camera meant that a wide variety of accessories, including lenses and flash units were made for the camera, which gave pros the ability to shoot under many circumstances. The 35 mm cameras were also lighter than their predecessors. Consumers started buying more 35 mm cameras as the prices came down in the 1960s and 1970s. You can use the 35 mm film in many ways.
Instructions
1. Think landscape. Cameras that use 35 mm film, primarily SLRs, are designed specifically to take landscape or horizontal photographs. That means you can get a family reunion image as well as a wide shot of the Grand Canyon. You can increase this horizontal perspective by using wide-angle lenses that will widen your horizontal image area. The negative size will remain the same, but you will gather more image on the left and on the right. Horizontal images can gather wide areas such as cityscapes and river valleys. You also can make interesting portraits this way by placing your subject traditionally in the middle of your frame or less traditionally by moving her off to one side or the other.
2. Think vertically. Even though SLR cameras feel more comfortable in your hands when held as designed, consider turning the camera 90 degrees to get vertical shots. You can shoot tall buildings or close-up portraits. More of the person's features and details will appear in the shot if you close in with a vertical perspective. Shoot things vertically you normally would not see that way. For example, instead of shooting an image of a forest, turn the camera sideways and take a long shot of a tall tree. You can enhance this effect by using a wide-angle lens. Even though the manufacturer may have intended the lens for wide shots, you can increase your vertical image area on the 35 mm film when you turn the camera sideways.
3. Get a panoramic camera. Because 35 mm film is a long strip, you can use it in cameras designed to produce panoramas. This typically will take the same space on the film as two or three normal frames, but can produce stunning panoramas of natural wonders and even widely scattered people at an event.
4. Use infrared 35 mm film. This type of film focuses using a different light than normal, the infrared, and can produce unusual images. You will need to use the "R" on your lens. Focus normally, but before you expose the film, shift the focus to line up with the "R." The result, in black and white, can surprise you. Anything that gives off heat, such as a tree or sun-lit grass or a person's face will turn into a soft, white glow. Colder areas will produce deep, rich blacks.
5. Put filters on the front of your lens to alter the reality coming through your lens to your 35 mm film. For example, if you put a red filter on your lens with black and white film, it will deepen the blacks and accentuate the whites, creating a dramatic effect. Clouds will "pop" in the image while the ocean will gain a menacing, deep black look.
6. Use different types of 35 mm film. For example, get some film with an ISO film speed of 1,600 or 3,200 and shoot without a flash at night. These fast films gather more light quickly, illuminating areas in an unusual way. This will usually add grain, but this itself can add to the surreal look of the images.
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