Nina | Nikon 35mm Film

I inherited my Nikon F3 from my grandfather. He was from the Philippines and made his way to the US and was a respected doctor in my hometown. But he took up photography as a hobby. As kids, my sister, cousin and I would spend hours in his office going through dozens of photo albums, soaking up every childhood memory and laughing at our parents’ weird 70s hair.

Some of my favorite memories with my Lolo were when he saw me taking an interest in photography at 13 years old. He sat me down and taught me about exposure and lighting and composition. At the time, it didn’t really mean anything since I never thought I would ever take up photography as a career. But now, I realize what meaningful moments they were.

I’ll be honest.  I’m not one of those photographers who learned in the darkroom. I took one black and white photography class 7 years ago. I didn’t have a film camera at the time, so I just used my digital camera. Halfway through the class, I got my Lolo’s NikonF3 and decided to learn to shoot and develop film.

I shot one roll and spent one Friday in the lab and learned how to process my film. But as soon as I had to step foot in the tiny, pitch black room to roll my film and prep it for the fixer, I panicked. Small spaces plus the dark aren’t a great combination for me, so I never tried again.

Years later, I took an interest in film again. With it’s growing popularity, there is no shortage of photo processing labs to choose from. But part of my concern was retaining my style. Most film photographers have a bright and airy look that, while beautiful, does not fit my brand. I wasn’t sure what that meant for me or how to achieve the specific look I wanted…or if it was even possible.

I chose Pro Photo Connection in Irvine and they took the time to match my scans to my style and I am SO happy with the results. They also gave me some feedback on how to get better at shooting film, and I really appreciate that. I feel inspired and encouraged to shoot more film (so if you want to do a film session, get in touch with me).

These are from my photo shoot with my friend Nina. I shot them with my Nikon F3 and I used Ilford HP 400 for the black and white, and Kodak Portra 400. Both were pushed two stops.

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