Bored with the Basics? Four Ways to get Experimental with Film this Summer
Think you’re over film? We get it - while shooting film offers a raw, irreplaceable authenticity way that archives moments of life, it's not always effortless. Lugging your camera around, removing the case and lens cap, and setting up the shot can feel like a chore, especially compared to the instant convenience of a phone camera. Over time, documenting your life on film can be tiring and even frustrating. But before you store your camera away for good, hear us out - there are still ways to spice things up. Here are a few creative and experimental approaches to help you beat those film blues this summer.
Film Soup
Going out with the intention, setting yourself a fun, low-pressure activity is the best way to overcome boredom. Why not experiment with something new like film soup? This is a sustainable and cost-effective way to infuse your photographic memories with interesting texture and colour.
So, what is film soup exactly?
Film soup is an experimental technique that involves taking a roll of exposed film, soaking it in a homemade mixture of liquid, often using household ingredients you have lying around. The film's reaction to the soup alters its emulsion, creating wild distortions, unexpected colour shifts and dream-like textures. The type of results, however, can be dependent on the film's expiry date, the ingredients used and how long you soak it in the solution for.
If you are worried about ruining your film, do not stress, there are now many local workshops which offer hands-on sessions to guide you through film soup, also teaching you how to develop your film safely.
However, if you are on a budget or feeling bold, here's a basic general run-through to try an at-home method of film soup, but be sure to do your research before trying:
Using a bowl of boiling water from a kettle, let it cool slightly before adding a mixture of your chosen ingredients. This could be a combination of lemon juice and lavender tea or a mixture of hand soap and salt. Drop the entire film canister into the solution and let it soak for 1 to 24 hours, depending on how intense and distorted you want the outcome to be. Once you are done soaking, rinse the film in cold water for 10 - 15 minutes to stop the chemical reaction. Allow the film to dry completely - this could take anywhere from two days to a week. When it is completely dry, it is now ready to be developed. If you are sending your film to a lab, be sure to ask whether they develop ‘soup’ film, as the chemicals can affect their equipment. Then await the results!
Expired Film
Expired film is the perfect way to experiment and challenge your photographic skills, while also being a more sustainable and often cheaper way of producing photography. Much like film soup expired film can yield unexpected textures, colour shits and light leaks providing your images with a dreamy and nostalgic quality. The outcomes of expired film can be very dependent on what year the film expired and how it was stored. Shooting with expired film forces you to adapt, adjusting your exposure settings, sometimes overexposing by a stop or two. Expired film is the perfect material to get super experimental with if you want to simply try out new ways of shooting. Combining expired film with film soup will make an unpredictable and dramatic outcome. Why not give it a go? While there's always a bit of trial and error involved with expired film, its unpredictable nature is exactly what makes expired film so rewarding. Find out selection of expired film here
Lucky Dip
Continuing in the realm of expired film, if you are ready to experiment but overwhelmed by the choice, why not try one of our lucky dip boxes? They are a perfect way to dive into the world of expired film, without the fuss of deciding what to pick. Each box includes a random section of expired rolls, giving you a fun and unpredictable mix of film that you might never have considered on your own. Lucky dips are a great way to broaden your creativity and see how different films age. We offer a variety of sizes to suit your needs - choose from boxes with 2 to 5 rolls of expired film and start experimenting today. Find our lucky dip selection here.
Double Exposure
Double exposure is an interesting and unique way to create depth and contrast in your photos by layering two separate images on a single frame of film. The ability to shoot double exposure depends on the camera you're using. Many 35mm SLR and medium format cameras like the Nikon FE, Canon AE-1 and Mamiya RB67 feature a built-in multiple exposure function, which prevents the film from advancing. But if you don't have such cameras, you can still create a double exposure manually. Using your SLR, shoot the full roll as normal. Rewind the film, but stop before the leader disappears into the canister. Then reload the film and shoot it over again, creating the double-layer effect. Note that the first few frames will most probably be burned due to being exposed to light during the reloading process.
So, will you try out these different film experiments this summer? Be sure to give it a go and share your results with us on Threads using the hashtag #vintagecamerahut