Category: Free Inquiry

Thank you!

To Rich, our professor of Technology Innovation in Education. He has provided us valuable experience with digital tools and ethical debates about the implementation of tech in the classroom. As well, he has crafted this enjoyable project that spurred me to improve my practice of film photography, and make videos that could help others getting into film by making it a little less daunting.

And I cannot forget my readers! Your comments online and in-person spark fun conversations and help me stay motivated. Thank you.

Growth

Through this inquiry, most immediately I’ve learned that a blog is a good way to display learning that involves multiple media. I made videos, wrote creatively, and posted some film photos all within WordPress . This project motivates me to craft projects and inquires in my teaching career that can be displayed through this personal shareable site.

More specifically about film photography, I first learned how the film speed displayed on the roll connects to my shutter speed and aperture. When setting up for shots, I think I was consistently setting my film speed as lower than what was actually in my camera. This can effect the image captured, and I’m very happy that I made a point of doing my second inquiry blog post on that function because it made most of my inquiry roll usable shots (34/36).

I learned how to use my self-timer! This isn’t super complicated but I had never tried it before, so this inquiry project evidently motivated me to try something new! I also used my tripod, which had previously collected dust in a closet before this adventure.

I also worked on my style as an artist. By committing to taking different types of shots in week 6, once the roll got developed, I had a variety of photos that act as tangible evidence of learning throughout the term. Making and following a plan and witnessing the results was an empowering as a photographer! I consider myself more than a novice now.

Finally, this inquiry has challenged me. Moving forward, I want to tailor the film I load into my camera to the situation that I plan on capturing. This is another level of planning, because I will not be able to remove roll once it’s loaded. I want to try shooting at night, therefore requiring a higher film speed with greater light capturing ability (see above). I have never done this and I am very curious to try and see the results. Maybe I’ll get an external flash and look the part.

As I stated in the above video I made, film photography isn’t completely new. Taking an academic approach to studying my process however, made it a completely different experience. I was shooting with a goal of making neat blog posts, not just catchy Instagram photos . . . I mean, I will post them on social media though, because I like likes. Follow me @kevychase_ on Instagram if you’ve enjoyed following my Free Inquiry!

Infused in this final post are a few more pictures I’ve taken in 2022 while I’ve been engaged with this project. I think the close up holly is a beautiful photo—the lighting and my focus setting was perfect to show the sharp edges of the leaves. I’m proud of that one, taken without a zoom lens. Also, the black and white photos taken at the Kinsol Trestle are beautiful. I had no specific plans, but I was pleasantly surprised to see how well the fog was captured on B & W film.

I have many examples of photos that didn’t turn out when developed, and I will try my best to diagnose the cause. I remember being annoyed that some scenery shots were too dark or otherwise compromised, but I also have a few examples of photos that I love precisely because they have a mark that is unique to my camera. This resource helped my figure out what was wrong, and still helps me to this day.

I was in New York a couple of years ago and I felt like a true artiste toting around a film camera as I strolled through Manhatten and Brooklyn. Once I returned and had the film developed, I knew I had to 2) figure out my shutter speed and 2) repair my camera to stop light leaking in. Here are two photos show the issues.

Shutter speed too fast

So this was supposed be Central Park, but all you see are some tree tops. The black bar at the bottom is actually my shutter. I must have set the shutter speed too high and it was coming back to resting position before the film was fully exposed.

Light leak

Notice how on the foot of the photo on the right there is a faded beam of light extending from the edge of the frame. That is because light is leaking into the back of the camera. The next photo below is a hot mess of both of these malfunctions. However, since this is a mural of ODB’s Return to the 36 Chambers album cover in his hometown of Brooklyn, NY, and considering the raunchy style of the album, I think this is a great photo—10/10.

Flare

Lens flares are also a neat part of photography, not only film but digital as well. They occur when light is reflecting and refracting within the lens, usually because the photographer is pointed towards the sun and the light is a little too much for the camera to handle. I try my best now to shoot with my back to the sun; since I had the foam replaced in the film door of my camera to prevent light leaking in, more of my recent photos are mark-free. (See final photo at the end of this post).

Did not match film speed with scene brightness

The above recommended film speed for each condition is from a handy source that I used for my composition blog post as well. I took this picture (below right) in Mexico during a winter getaway (yas) and I realize now that 400ISO was not ideal because it was very bright and sunny; I think I overexposed many of my shots. The higher the film speed, the more light gathering ability the film has, so I should have been using a lower ISO (100-200, instead of 400).

It didn’t help here that I was shooting directly into the sun—I should have been setting my subjects so that the sun was shining on them, rather than on me—but I think I should have planned to bring a lower ISO to Mexico. I guess I’m just used to shooting the cloudy PNW. Although, a couple of photos did turn out amazing if I may say so (see one example below). And I think I know why. This one was shot at dusk with the sun providing the most indirect, natural light. The background is a nice contrast as well; I wonder if that makes a difference?

Scanning error?

This is a neat photo I took a while ago and it has a very unique mark that isn’t visible on any other photo I’ve taken. Down the right side of this photo appears to be a sort of fissure, almost like the film is splitting apart. I still have no idea what caused that, if anyone reading this has any ideas please leave a reply in the comments.

My camera is repaired and recent rolls have been free from light leaks. I enjoy snapping pictures in Victoria; I really like the colours of this Coastal First Nations art that is permanently displayed in front of the Royal BC Museum downtown.

Hello readers! I am still going through the 36-shot rolls of film. Sometimes it is hard to find time to shoot because carrying a film camera around isn’t always easy. I definitely don’t take it out if it’s raining because film cameras—or any camera, probably—do not like water! Sometimes I just have a bag or some other personal object in my hand, so stopping to put my things down while I take a photo kind of makes it a chore. And, finally, doesn’t everyone wish they had all the time in the world to engage with a fun hobby?

As I continue to shoot, I will try use this resource to compose my photos. Doing this will ensure that I have good variety and will help make the most of every roll. I find that as I look through my collection of past photos, I like capturing landscapes rather than an isolated subject. I think I have a good concept of the framing my shots, and I can reference a picture in my archives.

Here I am in False Creek looking towards the Granville St. Bridge in my hometown of Vancouver. Like the article suggests for framing, I think I did well here to capture objects outside the water and frame the centre of the scene, so that the viewer’s eye is drawn to the bridge as the focal point.

I think this is a good example of using the rule of thirds, which is the primary tip in the article. This rule states that a photographer should position the important elements of the shot along the lines dividing the scene in thirds (see image in article for visual of this). I love the way the clouds appear in my photo above. They define the top third of the image, leaving the outcropping of rocks to define the middle, and the waves the bottom third. Then my eye is drawn to the driftwood and the ship in between and around these natural divisions.

Another resource I found advocates for a diversity of shots. See the ‘Step 3: Take your shot!’ in this article to see what I mean. In my coming roll I want to try an example of repetition, where the whole frame is filled with a pattern. I’ve never thought to get up close and personal with a cool pattern or texture, so I’m curious to see if I can capture that well. Comment if you know some good locations in Victoria to capture and I’ll see if I can make it happen!