Last fall I wrote a post about my small collection of vintage cameras, and at the time I was determined to start shooting film again. Inspired by recent posts from fellow ViewFinders Valerie, Stacie, Maite, and Laura, I finally got out my old 1970s Canon AE1 (the same camera that I learned on in college), loaded it up with Ilford black and white film, and went out walking on a gray late winter day.

I love the moody darkness of the images, the graininess of the film, the imperfect focus. I like the surprise of getting an image back from the film processor after a few weeks of anticipation. And I enjoy the discipline of trying to get the shot right the first time rather than shooting multiple images of the same scene. I’m looking forward to experimenting with different types of film, and perhaps investing in a different film camera.

Do you have a favorite, affordable film camera and preferred type of film? Let me know in the comments.

See you soon … and happy summer!

–lucy