My First Roll of Film – Guest post by Eve North

Do you remember your first roll of film? What camera you shot it with? What feelings you had?

Mine wasn’t that long ago. A few months ago I asked my father for a film camera. He’d already set an example for me with art, music, writing and now photography.

I used to shoot digital. I got my digital camera a couple of years ago. I made short films about rain, I loved shooting nature after rain. When I was 2 years old I had to leave New York and go to Moscow, where I live now. 10 years later I went back with my father with my good Canon. It rained the first night we landed. We wandered around the city taking pictures. Looking back at the pictures I took I didn’t feel anything from them, I didn’t have a connection. Then, I asked my dad for a film camera. My dad, the ”Leica lover” was surprised, but happy.

I received my first film camera on my 12th birthday. Most of my first roll was shot in New York City, my home away from home – Moscow. When I took the last shot on the roll, hearing the film rewinding in the camera was very satisfying. Some days after that we went to the local film lab. I waited over the weekend for the roll to be developed, I was very impatient.

When I saw scans of my photos I was very much excited. I paid a lot of attention to the details of my pictures. In the process I learned a few new photoshop lessons about color correction and cloning out scratches. In a couple of hours my pictures came to life. I was very proud that I was able to do something like this. I liked almost all of them, but my personal favorite is one of a newly-wed couple in the subway. It was incredible how well it came out with so little light down there.

It was pretty random – what I took pictures of. It was just whatever interesting thing I saw. I’m very proud of what I’m able to see and happy I can save what I see. I was shy taking pictures, especially of people. I’ve learned that if you really want the shot, you’ll find the confidence.

I look forward to making more art. This is something I take seriously, I treat my pictures with attention and care.

Thank you, Hamish, for letting me submit to this blog.  All of these pictures were shot with the a Contax G1, a Zeiss 45mm lens and the film is Kodak Ektar 100.