Film photography is seeing a renaissance. Many people want to learn about photography and there is no better way to learn than getting right back to the roots of film.
This course is aimed at those who want to try film photography, particularly black and white.
The course, delivered over six 90-minute online sessions (Zoom), will teach the basics of using a film camera, film, exposure, composition, processing and scanning.
The six modules cover:
- Introduction to black and white photography; the history of photography, use of film cameras, film stock and processing
- Black and white film exposure; the basics of exposure calculation, under and over-exposure, pulling and pushing film, creative effects
- Seeing in colour but visualising in black and white; rules of composition, Gestalt composition, advanced exposure control using the Zone System
- Creative film photography; understanding film dynamics, further use of the Zone System of exposure, using neutral density filters to control exposure, abstract photography
- Processing film; the basics, the ‘bucket of water’ technique, film stock, and processing chemicals
- Post production; scanning the negative and some basic post production techniques
The course is run over six weeks, one session per week. At the end of each session, delegates are set an assignment to try. Assignments focus on landscape, abstract and fine art genres.
On completion of the assignments, you have the option to send the film to me for processing. The scanned negatives are sent back to you via WeTransfer and the negatives posted back to you. Alternatively, you can process your own film if you prefer.
After you have competed your assignments and received the photographs, feedback is provided on a one to one basis where we can discuss your work.
The course fee for the six-week course is based on two packages. Package One is the fee for the six-week course and includes a one to one follow up session to discuss your photographs. Package Two includes everything in the first package, but also includes four rolls of Ilford Delta 100 Pro film, processing the film, scanning the negatives, transferring the photographs via WeTransfer and postage of negatives.
Don’t worry if you don’t have a film camera. I have plenty of cameras, mainly the Olympus OM-1, which was a ground-breaking manual 35mm SLR camera. I also use the East German Praktica MTL, which is a robust and fantastic 35mm camera.
If you are interested in this course please get in touch. I will send the full course PDF brochure.
Norman Thomson Photography 