Contact sheets are a fantastic resource for film photographers, and can also be used by digital artists – although applying these ideas to a digital workflow can often distort the result (but I’ll come back to this later).
Author Archives: Simon King
Simon is a London based photographer and photojournalist. He is currently working on long term personal projects, and has been shooting on 35mm film since late 2016.
You can follow his work on Instagram, or read his personal blog, both linked below.
Posted inOpinion
Is black and white photography “real”?
I recently wrote an article about the way I find the film process is an asset to an honest approach to documentary photography. This is a topic I feel quite strongly about, especially in the current media climate where the veracity of many aspects of media reporting, from video to photo to interviews require scrutiny […]
Posted in5 Frames..., Articles
5 Frames… Cropped square from 35mm film
I’ve always found the limitation of image format to be fairly arbitrary, and have enjoyed using “alternative” crops (where possible) in my work. I enjoy using the Hasselblad XPan for its panoramic field of view and almost comic-book double-spread feeling, and I like the work of Fan Ho, especially the ones where he cropped down […]
Posted inOpinion
Embracing winter conditions in my film photography workflow
Winter 2018 was when I really buckled down and took black and white photography seriously, as a response to a few uninspiring grey-feeling colour rolls. I wanted to take command of that grey aesthetic, and quickly went through pushed ILFORD XP2 Super, Delta 3200 Professional, Delta 400 Professional, and even some SFX 200, looking to […]
Posted inOpinion
A Day in the Life: London Street Photography with the Leica M6
This article is part diary, part camera review, part lens review, and part film review, all based around my average day-to-day exploits as a film-based street photographer and photojournalist in London.
Posted in5 Frames..., Articles
5 Frames… Printed on ILFORD Multigrade IV RC Satin in the darkroom
Although I’ve played around in the past I’ve never really had the motivation to seriously print my film photographs. My usual workflow involves scanning my negatives, and then releasing them digitally. When I’ve sold prints in the past I’ve used my local labs drum scanner for high quality results which are then printed in the same […]
Posted inArticles, Film stock reviews, Reviews
Film Stock Review: FPP RetroChrome 400 (EASTMAN EKTACHROME High-Speed Daylight Film 2253) – by Simon King
FPP RetroChrome 400 is the name given to a stock of 35mm Kodak EASTMAN EKTACHROME High-Speed Daylight Film 2253 (PDF datasheet) that expired in 2004 and is bulk loaded and sold by the Film Photography Project. The film was apparently very well cold-stored, meaning that it is still very useable without needing to change anything […]
Posted inArticles, Opinion
Some more of my favourite film photographers
Last year I published a short list of analogue photographers who were valuable (at least to me) in some way; ones who offer either inspiration or education. The response to this was very wholesome, and people in the comments seemed to enjoy both the concept of the list and my selection. I thought it would […]
Posted in5 Frames..., Articles
5 Frames… With JCH Street Pan (EI 400 / 35mm format / Leica M6 and 90mm APO)
I recently travelled to New York – the second time in my life, but my first visit as a photographer. I intended to shoot the entire trip on film only, and decided to take a roll of something I’d never shot before to have some results that would be a bit different to what I’m […]
Posted inArticles, Featured, Opinion
The Honesty in film photography
After some recent discussions with my peers, I’ve started to feel that “honesty” is an underrated quality in many genres of photography. I’ve given the topic a lot of thought, in order to take some personal steps to ensure my integrity, especially when it comes to what is shown in my images. When it comes […]
Posted inFilm stock reviews, Fujifilm Film Stock Reviews, Reviews
Fujifilm Pro 400H: The Best Film I’ll Never Shoot Again
A lot of my early digital work was rooted in colour theory, and as a result (despite wanting to limit my film photography to black and white) I have shot through as many different colour films as I could find.
Posted inArticles, Featured, Opinion
Using a contact sheet to actively curate an image
Contact sheets are an incredibly useful tool when it comes to reviewing and learning from your own approach to photography, and when curating a series of shots down to one final “keeper.” I am an advocate of constant review
Posted inOpinion
How to: Get over early hurdles in film photography
Film can be daunting for some, but I find it is worth the investment of time and money, as long as you understand exactly what your expectations are from the medium.
Posted inArticles
Why did it take me so long to start shooting Kodak Tri-X?
There are a few reasons it’s taken me so long to become comfortable with shooting Tri-X, and I thought it might be useful to share these, both so that I can understand my process more coherently (as with most
Posted inArticles
Why shoot film part 3: ILFORD XP2 Super report
Although I’ve been experimenting with a few different films, using ILFORD Delta 3200 Professional at LFW, some Fuji Neopan for Street, and some CineStill for low light nights, I am yet to find a film stock I am consistently
Posted inArticles
Why shoot film part 2: Seeking the Hasselblad XPan
It has been a couple of months since my first post, on Why I Shoot Film, and I thought that now would be a great time to provide an update.
Posted inArticles
Why shoot film part 1: the Leica CL
Although I’m still only starting out with my exploration of film photography I have a few images already that I feel indicate where my style and taste will arrive.
The images I shoot on film are very distinct from my
