Last Feb 22 I got invited by Vintage Camera Market on their Film Photography Workshop as a blogger and. I was a little bit nervous because I haven't really tried doing film photography, though I have experience in digital photography I still felt like a noob going there, I still went since I wanted to learn and get out of my comfort zone.
As soon as I got there they asked me for my name and asked for an ID then they asked me which camera I would use, they have a lot of cameras so you will just have to pick a brand you fancy, or you can also ask them which do they think is better for you or you can also suggest giving something easy to use or lighter to carry around.
Vintage Camera Market is a community for film camera enthusiasts to gather, share and preserve the art of film photography. Their mission is to make film photography fun and for people to try and do something new and different in this world of all things digital.
I found them via Facebook and just recently found an online community where you can buy and sell cameras and camera accessories.
VCM offers camera rental services to everyone, they have a wide range of camera selections from point and shoot , SLR , and Rangefinder. You will experience using Vintage Camera's for as low as Php. 650 which includes Camera Rental includes: 36 Shots of 135 mm; processing; scanning and uploading.
Vintage Camera Market will be holding a workshop for Introducton to film Photography by Aries Balanay on March 14, 2020, 2:00 pm.It will be a combination of lecture and a photo walk.Camera rental package are available for rent at Php. 1,000 only which includes SLR Camera, 135 mm film - 36 shots, film developing, scanning and fb uploading.
VCM also hosts workshops to people who are new to Film photography and also to enthusiasts, but from what I learned I think they are focusing more on to people who are new to film so that they can share it more to people who are just starting on film, but if you are an experienced in film photography I think you can also tag along and bring your camera if you have one.
The workshop consists of fundamentals of film photography from different types of film cameras to technical parts of it. They will also teach you how to put your films on the camera correctly and the do's and don'ts while using the camera. The stall staff was also accomodating, they were such a good help when it comes to what aperture, iso, etc that they think is nice to use or other technical things we can ask.
 |
| They also sell some camera's and camera accesories. |
My camera was the Cosina CT1 SLR Camera sir (the stall staff) told me that it was much easier to use and it was much lighter. I don't know how he knew I wanted something really light but I'm glad he gave me the lightest one because I enjoyed carrying it around. YES!! I recommend you to try this camera because it was so easy to use.
we also had to put the film by ourselves with the instructor so that you will know how to put the film on your camera the right way.
The venue of the workshop was a little bit small since the day we had the workshop was when there was an exhibit, but good thing we did the workshop early before the whole stores opened and we had the place all to ourselves.
I was so giddy holding the film camera, it felt different compared to my DSLR camera maybe it's because of the screen at the back that I'm very dependant on, it's a different feeling now it's gone it's like I'm a little kid without their parents for the first time and doing everything alone.
After the simple workshop lecture, we finally got to try and use our cameras and I'm glad I found this bunch because they made my first film photography experience fun and memorable!
We started out going around Escolta then went to Polland and to try some tasty foods.
Me and my group decided to really fully use the time and just enjoyed, we also asked Kuya if we needed to come back on a specific time because from what I've experienced in some workshops like this, is that they always have a time limit, but surprisingly ours didn't so we really used up our time just chilling hanging out and just enjoyed taking photos.
 |
| shot by my batchmate |
Here are the shots I took with the Cosina CT1 camera
(this is the raw photos from the scan. No edits yet)
Here are some of my classmate's shots from our film Photowalk.
REVIEW and REALIZATIONS
VCM did a very good job with being informative and hands-on, but I would just like to comment that I wish they could've also had a Film Photographer with the Instructor so that when people have some other questions there is someone who can answer some technical questions, and I hope they should have a permanent space to hold their workshops where it can accommodate a lot of people since I think for sure that people in groups or couples will surely try this, and also I hope they can email or send a link of the digital copies of the photos since going to Escolta again was a little too tiring since some people who have attended the workshop found it hard since some live far from Escolta and that FB makes the quality of the photos low.
I know it seemed like I'm being a bit too much with the comments but all of my comments are just suggestions so that they can make the workshops better for the next batches since I'm also very supportive of this.
Always check the IOS, Aperture, and lighting I had a few mistakes with the shots I took since I was too excited and kept taking photos, I fully consumed 36 shots but some shots were all white and washed out but I'm glad I had more photos that turned out great.
I've learned so much from this experience it made me look at the surroundings more than just looking at my viewfinder, I also managed to make some friends and it was fun. I've always been around Chinatown and Escolta but this experience with VCM completely changed it and it made me wanna do it again and just explore a lot of places with just a film camera. I'm not sure what's different with it compared to my digital cameras but it was just refreshing.
If you're also new into Film Photography like me here are some tips
- Be ready to carry a heavy camera. Most film cameras are a little heavier than your point and shoots, but you can kindly ask the staff from VCM which cameras are lighter if you're not picky on the brand of camera you will use.
- Bring only the essentials when going to this workshop, I also recommend for you to bring a backpack plus a fanny pack and to not bring expensive items in your bag since you will be doing a Photowalk. There will be instances that someone might pickpocket you so be careful!
- Wear comfortable clothes and stay hydrated!
- Make the most of your first 36 shots. We had a theme ESCOLTA or about Escolta (I'm not sure I couldn't remember because bad memory) But for me, I made the most out of it by just taking shots of what I like taking. I just went around with it and didn't pressure myself.
- Be open and make friends. I know this is hard even though I'm an Ambivert it is really scary to meet new people and sometimes it scares me or it doesn't but if you are an introvert it is a good way to test your social skill sand join groups or people also joining the workshop. Make friends like yeah really! If you're a Multimedia Grad/Professional like me or a Student I highly recommend for you to mingle and make friends in this workshop, because it helps you build a network or your brand PLUS! It’s always nice to share best practices and tips with your colleagues.
- FOR BLOGGER AND VLOGGERS: If you're interested in trying Film Photography and documenting it its best to have a plus one to help you with it! Since I found it hard to juggle, taking film shots while taking phone shots and snippets on video for my vlog.
- Have fun and just enjoy, at first me and my group were very nervous and we kept coming back to the stall to ask questions so that we won't make any mistakes, but along the way we just decided to say fuck it let's just enjoy and pretend in our minds how everything will turn out.
If you want to see the edited version you can check it here on my Facebook Page's
VCM ALBUM
Intro to Film Photography with Vintage Camera Market
I highly recommend for you guys to try and visit
DISCLOSURE
My reviews are based on my experiences and personal opinions.
The products I review are either sponsored or personally bought, If sponsored it will be stated on the post.
Please always ask permission when using other peoples photos
DON'T STEAL and use my photos without any consent. Photos that are not mine are credited to the owner.
Thank you for reading!
0 comments:
Post a Comment