Free course · 8 steps · A weekend of shooting, plus time at the lab
Shoot your first roll of film
Choose a camera and film, shoot a full roll with confidence, and get it developed.
For complete beginners. If you have shot film before, mark the steps you know as done and skip ahead.
What you need
Steps
1Choose a camera and film
A simple, reliable camera and a forgiving film make a first roll far easier. Budget cameras can be excellent, so you do not need to spend much.
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Read the guide to affordable cameras and pick one that suits how you like to work. Then use the film finder to narrow down a film.
Checkpoint: You have a camera and a film chosen, and you know why they suit a first roll.
2Run the first roll checklist
Most first-roll disasters come from problems you can catch before any film goes in. A short check of the battery, shutter and light seals saves a lot of disappointment.
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Work through the checklist with your camera in hand. Note anything that looks worn or does not work, and decide whether to fix it or accept the risk.
Checkpoint: You can now check a camera is ready to shoot before you load film.
3Load the film
Loading is the step where most beginners lose a roll, because the film can fail to catch without you noticing. The method differs between 35mm and 120 cameras, so it helps to know which you have.
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Follow the loading guide for your type of camera. Check the film is advancing before you close the back.
Checkpoint: You can now load a roll and confirm it is advancing correctly.
4Get the exposure right
Exposure is how much light reaches the film, set by aperture, shutter speed and film speed working together. Once you see how they trade off, the settings stop feeling arbitrary.
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Read the guide, then try the Sunny 16 calculator to see what settings suit different light. Set your camera's film speed to match your roll.
Checkpoint: You can now explain how aperture, shutter speed and film speed combine to give a correct exposure.
5Meter a scene
A light meter measures the scene but can be fooled by very bright or very dark subjects. Learning when to trust it and when to adjust is what makes exposures consistent.
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Point your camera meter, or a phone meter app, at a few different scenes and compare its suggestion with what Sunny 16 would give. Try the exposure triangle tool to see how alternative settings give the same result.
Checkpoint: You can now read a meter, spot when it may be misled, and choose settings for a scene.
6Focus
You cannot check focus after the shot on film, so it pays to know how your camera's focusing aid works. Different cameras use different methods.
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Find out which focusing method your camera uses and practise with it on a few still subjects. Look for strong vertical edges to focus on.
Checkpoint: You can now focus your camera quickly and with confidence.
7Finish the roll and get it developed
A roll is only finished once it has been rewound or wound off and handed to a lab. Choosing a lab you trust, and knowing what to ask for, gets good results back.
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Shoot to the end of the roll, then wind it back or off as the loading guide describes for your format before opening the camera. Find a lab in the directory and ask for development with scans.
Checkpoint: You have shot a full roll and sent it for development.
8Look at what came back
Your first scans will show what worked and what did not. Most problems have a clear cause, and finding it is how you improve quickly.
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Go through your frames and pick your favourites. If anything looks wrong, such as streaks, dark frames or blur, use the fix tool to find the likely cause.
Checkpoint: You have reviewed your first roll and know what to change on the next one.