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Putting aside all the hype that film photography had gained since few years back. Believe it or not shooting film isn't all just about the hype of jumping into the bandwagon or getting that retro feel for your photos or some may say just apply VSCO filters. If you look at it from a deeper perspective, it does help you to improve your visual sense one way or another. With the crazy advancement of technology, we are now blessed with a real time LCD display that shows the exact setting effects preview of the final image even before we click the shutter. Combining with the intelligent AI softwares, everyone is capable of delivering decent image so long you have the "art sense". So what does "art sense" translate into?
Art sense exactly translates into your visual language. And visual language determines how you interpret your visual into a medium that communicates with others. As much as people hate to admit there is no such thing as being born talented, its more on how you cultivate your visual strength through the process self discovery. As the famous saying goes, your first 10,000 photos will suck which I strongly believe it is an understatement in current generation. Putting aside the fact that you are "inspired by" the shot that others have created. Trust me, photography is more than just being "inspired" or having a portfolio full of "inspired" shots that gains high engagement and publicity. It is a value you develop for your ownself to be able to perform when you are not "inspired". That is what makes you, you.
This process of self discovery these days are being heavily blurred between getting that "inspired" shots and famed to influence than to truly discover and understand the process of creating art. The discovery process was easier back in the film days where photographers pre-visualise before shooting as there is no instant preview for your product. Pre-visualisation is such an important step in photography as it allows you to understand and know your frame even before you are able to see it. It allow you to understand your visual strength which ultimately developed into your own art.
A general tips for those who are getting started with film, screw up your first few rolls of film to understand the colour and mood that it brings and keep that in the back of your head. The next time you are out shooting, try curating your story around it (one roll one story). You will find yourself shooting much more meaningful photos than merely just getting "inspired". At the very least the process is genuine and this is what makes you special when you are using your visual strength as a medium for story telling.
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