This isn't what I planned for my first blog post, nor is it exactly the topic I wanted to tackle. Still, I should address it since it comes up so frequently:

"Why do you shoot film?" or "Why don't you shoot digital?"

I hear these questions constantly—and hey, they make for good SEO too! :D

Many of my friends assume I absolutely loathe digital cameras and would never touch a sensor, but that's not quite accurate. If Ricoh released a GR4, I'd probably consider getting one (as a backup camera of last resort, of course). So why do I love shooting film so much? And why haven't I incorporated digital photography into my workflow?

I hate charging batteries

Let's start with the practical stuff. A camera without batteries means one less thing to charge—and I've already got my phone, AirPods, flash batteries, and portable charger eating up outlets every night! My first camera, a Pentax K100D, was decent but the battery life drove me crazy. Even carrying spare batteries didn't eliminate that constant worry about running out of power during crucial moments. That's why I love my M6 - there’s batteries to power the light meter and I only need to change them once every six months. I’m sure battery performance has improved a lot since the K100D times, but you never know.

You can print in a darkroom

As Steven Spielberg once said, "Digital photography is science, film photography is a chemical miracle." This miracle unfolds before my eyes in the darkroom. I'm fortunate to have had access to a darkroom both in high school and now in Hong Kong at Photo Spectrum. Silver gelatin and chromogenic prints have a depth and character that digital simply can't match. It's pure magic watching an image materialize in the developer tray under the safe light, seeing rich tonal ranges emerge in a well-crafted print. The process itself is part of the art—each print becomes unique. Even from the same negative, subtle variations in exposure time, chemical temperature, and paper choice create distinct qualities that make every print one of a kind. I truly believe a photo's ultimate destination should be a proper print, and one crafted in the darkroom makes it all the more rewarding.

Image of photos printed in a darkroom — *Some photos I’ve printed in the darkroom.*

Film feels more intentional

Digital cameras make it easy to snap hundreds of photos without thinking. With film, every frame costs money and requires careful consideration. This deliberate approach has made me a better photographer - I spend more time composing shots and thinking about what I want to capture rather than relying on burst mode and hoping for the best.

Plus, you can’t see the photos you’ve taken! There's something special about the anticipation of waiting to see how your photos turned out. When I get my developed rolls back from the lab, it's like unwrapping a present - sometimes there are surprises, both good and bad, but that's part of the magic. This delayed gratification adds an element of excitement that's completely absent in digital photography.

Limitations foster creativity

The limitations of film also foster creativity in unexpected ways. When you're limited to a fixed ISO (quite often below 800), how do you adjust for low light situations? Do you slow down your shutter speed, open your aperture, or do you reach for your flash? They're decisions that you can choose to make on a digital camera, but you're not forced to. These constraints make you think more deeply about exposure and lighting, often leading to more thoughtful and creative solutions. Sometimes, the limitations even push you to embrace imperfection - the grain when you’ve underexposed, the motion blur at slow shutter speeds - turning technical "flaws" into artistic elements that give your photos character.

Image of people leaving a boat with motion blur. — This scene was dark enough for me to have to decide between slowing down the shutter speed or opening the aperture wide. I opted for a slower shutter speed to increase the motion blur, especially after seeing all the people wearing red coming out of the boat.

The film “look”

And let's be honest - this is actually a moot point. Fujifilm's digital film emulation recipes are so good that I often can't tell digital photos from actual film. Even so, maybe I'm just wearing rose-tinted glasses, but there's something about film grain that just feels so damn good.

It’s just damn FUN

And really, that’s all there is to it. Some people might get their kicks from taking banger after banger photos, but not me. I enjoy taking it (relatively) slow, finding happy little accidents when I receive my scans, and having something I can hold in my hands (the negatives). Everyone has their own way of finding joy in photography, and for me, that joy comes from shooting film.

So there you have it - my reasons for sticking with film photography. It's not about being a purist or rejecting modern technology. It's about finding a medium that resonates with my creative process and brings me joy. Whether you shoot digital or film, the most important thing is that you're out there making images that matter to you. For me, that just happens to involve a bit more silver halide and developing chemistry.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some rolls to develop...

Why I shoot film