Author name: Sroyon

I'm an amateur photographer who likes making images with pinhole cameras, smartphones and everything in between. I do have a special fondness for vintage film cameras... but who doesn't! I also enjoy working on collaborative projects, alternative processes, and developing and printing in my makeshift home darkroom. You can see more of my work on my Website and Instagram: @midtonegrey.

Spectral Sensitivity of B&W Film – A Deep Dive into Orthochromatic, Panchromatic and All the Rest

By / / Processes, Tutorials & Guides / 33 Comments

Even if you’re new to film photography, you’ve probably heard about the various types of B&W emulsions which are out there: orthochromatic, panchromatic, infrared and so on. If you’re a bit more experienced – or just a nerd – you might even know what these terms mean. They refer to different spectral sensitivities – how sensitive the film is to different wavelengths (colours) of light.

The term spectral sensitivity might sound boring and/or scary – the kind of jargon which photography veterans use to bamboozle and discourage newbies. In this article, I’ll try to demystify the term, and to explain how an understanding of film characteristics can help us get the kind of results we want.

There are so many different types of B&W film out there. Exploring their variety and complexity can expand our creative options. Besides, it’s fun!

Celebrating Ten Years of 35mmc – Ask Us Anything!

By / / News & Events / 12 Comments

This May, 35mmc will turn ten years old! (the screen grab above is from June 15th 2013 – courtesy of WaybackMachine) 

For anyone who is new to this site, 35mmc is a community-authored blog about photography and cameras. It is edited and published by Hamish Gill, along with a small team comprising Molly Kate and myself (Sroyon). 

The very first 35mmc article was published on 1 May 2013.

Photography Words in Other Languages

By / / Philosophy & Reflections / 7 Comments

I guess we all know about bokeh, originally a Japanese word but now very much part of the English-speaking photographer’s vocabulary. I’m into both photography and language-learning, so I started thinking about interesting photography-related words in languages other than English. The five words which I talk about in this post may not have the viral potential of bokeh, but I think they offer interesting insights into other cultures, and perhaps suggest new ways to think and talk about photography.

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