Film Photographer of the Year 2024 - Discussion

[Kell]

I've almost given up on it TBH due to the lack of interest in previous months! Gone are the days of 20 + entries . There is huge talent in this section it would be awesome if more members would take part, I love the images produced by them, so talented!

I'm concerned about film, it appears the resurgence is well & truly over, film has become stupidly expensive and colour chemicals are difficult to get.

The other evening I went on a long exposure workshop and I took my 6 x 6 film camera, I didn't even set up as it wasn't worth it due to the cost/frame and my expected results.

Very sad about it all.

I've only just got back into shooting film, and rarely check this part of the forum.

Also, I don't really have that much of a back catalogue yet in order to submit stuff.

Weirdly, my (current) favourite way to shoot is a blend of both. Manual, film era lenses and digital body.

The process of slowing down to manually focus feels more rewarding (to me), but the bonus is seeing instant results and benefit of being able to shoot multiple frames with no cost.

Very similar to this, I have a really good digital camera but to me it's not photography; I hate lightroom & Photoshop which is where digital is at. Unless you are an expert at those editing suites your pictures will always be average.

I love film and at the moment I feel it is close to be coming so expensive I might as well pack it all in

Personal opinion, but Lightroom is so called because most of the things you can do in it could have been done in a darkroom. Only it doesn't have to be dark.

I totally get that some people love to see the results SOOC. But very few of the basic techniques are things that couldn't be accomplished by film photographers. Pushing film speeds, creating masks, even retouching negatives. In fact i remember one car photographer I worked with back in the day using a plate camera and pulling one side of the plate to elongate the boot and make the car look much more appealing*. He was so good at it, that some people turned up to showrooms and said "that's never the same car!"

*This was about 1996 and the car was a Suzuki Baleno (one of our clients at the time). It was a saloon, but the boot was really stunted. By elongating it, it had proportions more similar to a Rover 620.

 

[Jammy Dodger]

I've only just got back into shooting film, and rarely check this part of the forum.

Also, I don't really have that much of a back catalogue yet in order to submit stuff.

Weirdly, my (current) favourite way to shoot is a blend of both. Manual, film era lenses and digital body.

The process of slowing down to manually focus feels more rewarding (to me), but the bonus is seeing instant results and benefit of being able to shoot multiple frames with no cost.



Personal opinion, but Lightroom is so called because most of the things you can do in it could have been done in a darkroom. Only it doesn't have to be dark.

I totally get that some people love to see the results SOOC. But very few of the basic techniques are things that couldn't be accomplished by film photographers. Pushing film speeds, creating masks, even retouching negatives. In fact i remember one car photographer I worked with back in the day using a plate camera and pulling one side of the plate to elongate the boot and make the car look much more appealing. He was so good at it, that some people turned up to showrooms and said "that's never the same car!"

Hi Kell, I have had photography as a hobby for 40+ years and the majority of it was with film and manual everything.

TBH I get so sick of the arguement about you could do everything in lightroom in the darkroom...........................eerrrrrrrrr yeeeeees but it was bloddy advanced stuff!

Developing your own film gave you kudos, making your own prints elevated you yo being advanced. colour processing and printing made you god like then dodging and burning was very very advanced.

Only extremely good printers could do this not your average Jo.

 

[Kell]

As I say, horses for courses.

I'm slightly spoiled in that I also started with film (maybe not quite as long ago - but I studied photography at college in 1990). After that, my job (I work in advertising) was working with professional photographers and seeing them use these techniques regularly, so maybe I see them as being a little more common than maybe they are. But I definitely remember doing experiments in college to (attempt to) correct perspectives by exposing angled prints and cutting out cardboard masks to help get the correct exposures for skies (for example).

One of the things I think people forget when they shoot only digital is how much pre-production goes into shots when it's film. Mostly because it was so hard to correct it in the darkroom, that it was better to try and get it right in camera. As you say, they were skills that not everyone possessed.

Whereas it's a lot easier to experiment with post-production (for some people) in digital.

And certainly, I think re-engaging with my film camera has taught me to slow down and think about my digital shots a little more.

They both have their plusses and minuses. Personally I like having a foot in both camps.

 

[Jammy Dodger]

Well done @FishyFish

 

[sirch]

So far this year with May's results

 

[sirch]

The thread for June's entries is available

Film Photographer of the Year 2024 - June Entries - Seen from afar

Post your entries on the theme of Seen from afar in this thread by 23:59 on 30th of June. Voting will be open for seven days afterwards. Entries must be SHOT ON FILM, and must be TAKEN ON OR AFTER THE 1st DECEMBER 2023. The rules and themes can be found >>>here>click here for the discussion thread

www.talkphotography.co.uk

 

[Cluster]

I had a break from photography for a year, maybe it was started by a miserable and dark winter. Now, I've made a few camera purchases (super cheap stuff), I had planned to join in this comp where I can.
Reading this thread, it is seen as a pity that more entrants aren't joining in, but really, some themes seem to me to be too specific/restrictive. For some of them, I can't think of a scene to use. This slightly puts me off entering any of them, as I can't imagine entering every month. It would be a shame, because the need to try something new has, in past comps, made me try things that have resulted in some very nice images (for me) that I wouldn't have even attempted otherwise.
In past rounds of voting, I am guilty of only casting one or two votes from time to time, as a need to vote for three, however many entries there are, forces me to vote for images that I may not think are worth a vote.

 

[Jammy Dodger]

I had a break from photography for a year, maybe it was started by a miserable and dark winter. Now, I've made a few camera purchases (super cheap stuff), I had planned to join in this comp where I can.
Reading this thread, it is seen as a pity that more entrants aren't joining in, but really, some themes seem to me to be too specific/restrictive. For some of them, I can't think of a scene to use. This slightly puts me off entering any of them, as I can't imagine entering every month. It would be a shame, because the need to try something new has, in past comps, made me try things that have resulted in some very nice images (for me) that I wouldn't have even attempted otherwise.
In past rounds of voting, I am guilty of only casting one or two votes from time to time, as a need to vote for three, however many entries there are, forces me to vote for images that I may not think are worth a vote.

Hi Dave,

I don't find the themes that restrictive and quite often enjjoy 'stretching' the theme then shooting or building a shot that suits the theme - I used to do this frequently in years gone by. I find the 12 themes make me think.

Biggest problem I have is time - there is no way I will have time to shoot & develop 12 themed images

 

[sirch]

June voting is open

Film Photographer of the Year 2024 - June Entries - Seen from afar

Post your entries on the theme of Seen from afar in this thread by 23:59 on 30th of June. Voting will be open for seven days afterwards. Entries must be SHOT ON FILM, and must be TAKEN ON OR AFTER THE 1st DECEMBER 2023. The rules and themes can be found >>>here>click here for the discussion thread

www.talkphotography.co.uk

 

[Jammy Dodger]

Well done @Cluster

 

[sirch]

Standings for the year so far

 

[sirch]

The July entries thread is open.

Film Photographer of the Year 2024 - July Entries - People

Post your entries on the theme of People in this thread by 23:59 on 31st of July. Voting will be open for seven days afterwards. Entries must be SHOT ON FILM, and must be TAKEN ON OR AFTER THE 1st DECEMBER 2023. The rules and themes can be found >>>here>click here for the discussion thread

www.talkphotography.co.uk

 

[sirch]

July voting is open

Film Photographer of the Year 2024 - July Entries - People

Post your entries on the theme of People in this thread by 23:59 on 31st of July. Voting will be open for seven days afterwards. Entries must be SHOT ON FILM, and must be TAKEN ON OR AFTER THE 1st DECEMBER 2023. The rules and themes can be found >>>here>click here for the discussion thread

www.talkphotography.co.uk

 

[Marino]

Well done @Kell for last month’s theme!
What about emerge? Am I the only one struggling about interpreting the word emerge?

 

[Kell]

Ooh. What happened?

 

[Marino]

You got the most votes for julys theme “people”. I’m pretty sure the voting is closed by now haha

 

[Kell]

Ah cool.

Thanks for the heads up.

I find it hard to keep up with the various monthly threads.

 

[sirch]

Apologies, I was away all weekend, I'll get the points done later

 

[sirch]

Points for the year so far

 

[sirch]

The August entries thread is open

Film Photographer of the Year 2024 - August Entries - Emerge

Post your entries on the theme of Emerge in this thread by 23:59 on 31st of August. Voting will be open for seven days afterwards. Entries must be SHOT ON FILM, and must be TAKEN ON OR AFTER THE 1st DECEMBER 2023. The rules and themes can be found >>>here>click here for the discussion thread

www.talkphotography.co.uk

 

[sirch]

August voting open for 7 days

Film Photographer of the Year 2024 - August Entries - Emerge

Post your entries on the theme of Emerge in this thread by 23:59 on 31st of August. Voting will be open for seven days afterwards. Entries must be SHOT ON FILM, and must be TAKEN ON OR AFTER THE 1st DECEMBER 2023. The rules and themes can be found >>>here>click here for the discussion thread

www.talkphotography.co.uk

 

[sirch]

The standings so far


Its still all to play for.

 

[sirch]

The September entries thread is open

Film Photographer of the Year 2024 - September Entries - Clutter

Post your entries on the theme of Clutter in this thread by 23:59 on 30th September. Voting will be open for seven days afterwards. Entries must be SHOT ON FILM, and must be TAKEN ON OR AFTER THE 1st DECEMBER 2023. The rules and themes can be found >>>here>click here for the discussion thread

www.talkphotography.co.uk

 

[Kevin Allan]

The standings so far
View attachment 433325

Its still all to play for.

my 11 points from "emerge" are missing from the August result. Not that it matters.

 

[sirch]

my 11 points from "emerge" are missing from the August result. Not that it matters.

Apologies Kevin, I'll fix it later

 

[Kell]

I took a couple of film cameras away on my latest holidays, so hopefully I'll have some more shots in the bank to choose from in the future.

 

[sirch]

September voting open for 7 days

Film Photographer of the Year 2024 - September Entries - Clutter

Post your entries on the theme of Clutter in this thread by 23:59 on 30th September. Voting will be open for seven days afterwards. Entries must be SHOT ON FILM, and must be TAKEN ON OR AFTER THE 1st DECEMBER 2023. The rules and themes can be found >>>here>click here for the discussion thread

www.talkphotography.co.uk

 

[sirch]

It's still all to play for at the top

 

[sirch]

The October entries thread is open

Film Photographer of the Year 2024 - October Entries - Games of chance

Post your entries on the theme of Games of Chance in this thread by 23:59 on 31st October. Voting will be open for seven days afterwards. Entries must be SHOT ON FILM, and must be TAKEN ON OR AFTER THE 1st DECEMBER 2023. The rules and themes can be found >>>here>click here for the discussion thread

www.talkphotography.co.uk

 

[Kevin Allan]

my 11 points from "emerge" are missing from the August result. Not that it matters.

It still doesn't matter but they are still missing. @sirch

 

[sirch]

It still doesn't matter but they are still missing. @sirch

Sincere apologies, I thought I done that and I will fix it later

 

[sirch]

Updated to include @Kevin Allan points for August

 

[sirch]

There's still time to get those October entries processed and entered

 

[sirch]

October voting is open

Film Photographer of the Year 2024 - October Entries - Games of chance

Post your entries on the theme of Games of Chance in this thread by 23:59 on 31st October. Voting will be open for seven days afterwards. Entries must be SHOT ON FILM, and must be TAKEN ON OR AFTER THE 1st DECEMBER 2023. The rules and themes can be found >>>here>click here for the discussion thread

www.talkphotography.co.uk

 

[sirch]

Standings for the year so far

 

[sirch]

It's getting to that time of year where we need to start thinking about next year. To be honest interest seems to waning are folks interested in FPOTY next year?

 

[sirch]

November entries thread is open

Film Photographer of the Year 2024 - November Entries - Literary

Post your entries on the theme of Literary in this thread by 23:59 on 30th November. Voting will be open for seven days afterwards. Entries must be SHOT ON FILM, and must be TAKEN ON OR AFTER THE 1st DECEMBER 2023. The rules and themes can be found >>>here>click here for the discussion thread

www.talkphotography.co.uk

 

[lindsay]

Please continue the FPOTY. There seems to have been a few new film fans joining recently, and (although I say this every year) I really do hope to start doing more togging next year!

 

[FishyFish]

I wonder if we simplify the themes then it might draw more entries. I've struggled to come up with something for some of the themes this year myself (what's even worse, I think they might have been subjects I suggested! ).

I know it's a little clichéd, but perhaps having more approachable subjects like Trees / Silhouette / Reflections etc. might mean more people participate? It still allows scope for creative interpretation, but while remaining approachable for most.

It's a lot more fun with more entries.

 

[Kevin Allan]

I wonder if we simplify the themes then it might draw more entries. I've struggled to come up with something for some of the themes this year myself (what's even worse, I think they might have been subjects I suggested! ).

I know it's a little clichéd, but perhaps having more approachable subjects like Trees / Silhouette / Reflections etc. might mean more people participate? It still allows scope for creative interpretation, but while remaining approachable for most.

I agree. I'd be happy to contribute to a competition where I might feasibly have an image already available, but I'm not sufficiently driven to arrange my photography around someone else's list of topics.