5 Ways To Find Magic In The Mundane (With Your Film Camera This Weekend)

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You’re feeling uninspired and not even sure if you want to pick up your camera. Taking monthly trips isn’t feasible (can we blame capitalism for that one?) and you want to have that same creative energy outside your own backdoor that you feel in a new place when you’re on vacation.

I know this sentiment all-too-well.

It was during those early days of COVID that I leaned hard into experimental photography, because I was taking the exact same walk twice a day, every day, and I. Felt. Trapped. Physically and creatively. I needed new, fresh ways to encounter the world using my camera, and I needed them STAT. Thankfully, as a film shooter the options for play are seemingly endless.

Today I will give you five tips that will leave you feeling excited to pick up your camera this week. They’re ones I have embraced and now use on the reg, as they provide me with the jolt of inspiration I need whether I’m home or away.

FILM SOUP: YOU’RE THE SCIENTIST NOW

Bless film soup. This was a MAJOR technique that helped pull me out of my rut like the absolute champ that it is. In fact, I love this technique so much that I started a film lab dedicated to processing film soup for other photographers and it caught Lomography’s eye enough to write an article about my experimental style.

Why did film soup affect me so greatly? Because I could take the exact same pictures as before, but get completely different results each time I souped my film. The tactile nature of film means we can do all sorts of things to mess it up and get unique results, including soaking the entire cartridge in the concoction of our choice.

When my kids were younger, they would often play “scientist” in the kitchen. I’d find them standing on top of the counters, pulling down ingredients like baking soda and food coloring, and making giant messes in the process. This is the exact spirit you need to draw from when making your own film soup. You’re now the child standing on the counter, playing scientist. (Unfortunately, in this role reversal, my children refuse to play “mom” and clean it all up. Womp womp.)

Grab some ingredients you have on hand and toss them into a jar with your film (do you have salt, baking soda, dish soap, and/or lemon juice? Perf. You’re all set.) Top it off with boiled water. Soak for a few hours. Rinse. Dry for a couple weeks. And develop it yourself or send it to a lab that accepts film soup (V IMPORTANT. DO NOT SEND THIS FILM TO JUST ANY LAB).

Will we suffer through a shameless plug? Yes? I have my own little lab that specializes processing and editing film soup and would love to handle your film for you! After running my lab for over 3.5 years, I have refined my process and will give you the best results around. Visit me at filmlab135.com!

BLIND DOUBLES: POP OFF

Blind doubles are a fave because the less you think before you shoot, the more you seem to be rewarded. Think less AND feel like a champ? Pretty much a life goal. My caveat is: the highs are high, but the lows are low, and you will have winners and losers on each roll you shoot. I most often have at least a few to which I exclaim “Holy crap, #filmknows” and then some total bummers that will at least give me a good laugh. So if you have a sense of humor you basically win either way.

For these, go out, and blow through a roll within an hour or two. Just photograph whatever. (seriously). Find some sand in the sunlight and make it out of focus. Or do the same with water. Finally photograph that weird sign you walk by every day. Look up at the sky and take a picture of the cloud that looks like a dragon. Basically act like a child who has been given a disposable camera. No need to make it make sense. The math doesn’t need to math.

Rewind your film, load it back into the camera, and repeat.

Or do like I did, photograph once through, mark it as having already been exposed, then shoot again months later, and end up with THE RADDEST IMAGE YOU’VE EVER TAKEN. (Yes. This was a blind freaking double. I’ll say it again: #filmknows)

OVERLAYS: DREAM IT AND DO IT

An overlay is the fun girl who swoops into a room and gets the party started. No one was dancing before, but you’re all dancing now. In fact, you’re all now wearing boas, glitter cowboy hats, and have blow-up guitars that you’re pretending to rock. She gives you permission to add play to your vibe and just let loose. Add pops of color in unexpected ways and places. Get that party started.

*I made this overlay to look like a light leak* 💅

I think of overlays as photographing something from a screen (most often color swirls, shapes, or random strokes of color) before or after shooting a “normal” image. You can pull up a psychedelic swirl video from youtube or make your own using Procreate on your iPad. The sky's the limit here. Whatever shape or color you want to use, you can either find or create.

USE A DIFFERENT FORMAT: SOUNDS BORING, BUT HEAR ME OUT

After film soup, blind doubles, and overlays, I’ve come in with…..use a different format? Did I really just kill the whole vibe with this one? Before you click away from this tutorial, hear me out.

Using a different format can really push you to be mindful of your composition and think in new ways. This technique might make you a little uncomfortable, but it will have you flex a new muscle, and that means you’ll grow. AND it might even give you an excuse to pick up a new camera (go ahead and blame it on me)

via GIPHY

When I want to use a new format, I often opt for square, half frame and/or overlapping frames. And there’s one camera that does all of these: enter the Diana Mini. Another bonus is this camera is so tiny and light that you can wear it anywhere, and people will inevitably ask if it’s a camera or a necklace, so you might make some new friends. We’re not just taking pictures, we’re forging relationships here, people.

Of course there are other cameras that do square and half formats, I just love that there’s one that does it all.

Square format is really uncomfortable for me to shoot, but when an artist understands how to use this format, the images are always powerful. Square format doesn’t encourage the viewer’s eye to go side-to-side or up-and-down, but in a CIRCLE around the frame. This means eyes are flowing around the frame, which makes for an extra compelling image.

When I photograph half-frame, I ALWAYS (always, always) scan the roll so that the images end up two on a scan, which makes for diptychs. Diptychs are one of my very favorite storytelling methods, so when you’re photographing through the roll, you can pair images together to set the scene, show movement, or juxtapose elements.

The Diana Mini has you advance using a wheel, so you don’t have to fully advance between frames, meaning you can also overlap your shots for even more storytelling effects. The first time I realized just how much I loved overlapping frames, I will admit the camera jammed and the overlap wasn’t on purpose. BUT, I thought it was so fun that I now do it intentionally. A LOT.

MIX AND MATCH: BE EXTRA SPICY

This might be the most freeing thing of all: you can do multiple techniques with a single roll. I love mixing and matching to end up with something even more unexpected. It’s not uncommon for me to shoot diptychs and then soup my film. Or do blind doubles and then soup my film. Basically, souping my film acts as the funky, spicy, little cherry on top of already rad images. (Because it’s fun to do.) So don’t be afraid to play around with multiple techniques (In fact, I just caught inspiration to do half frame AND overlays…how fun would that be?)

I will say, I recommend keeping it to two techniques at a time or else your images might get so muddled that they move from cool to confusing. At least for now, while you’re finding your new, experimental voice, keep it to one or two. (But also, rules are meant to be broken, and go where your heart is leading you.) Also give yourself grace as you embrace new tools. It will take time to figure out how to maximize each tip to suit your needs as an artist. It also might take time to figure out what kind of scans or edits fit your newfound style.

SAY GOODBYE TO ENNUI

When play is the point, you feel empowered to try and combine methods without fear of “failure”. It’s all data collection, and is meant to push you out of your comfort zone and build pathways to create images that feel new and fresh, made right from your old well-worn paths. Allow these techniques to make you feel like a visitor in your own city as you get excited about going to your old haunts and seeing them with updated eyes.

These methods have helped get me out of serious ruts and create work that became part of my new signature style. I could have never imagined that dropping film into a jar with lemon juice would have been a gateway to owning a lab and connecting with people around the world. But here we are. Everything builds on everything else, and giving it a go without expectation just might lead to somewhere unexpected.

Does this mean you have to love your images or make these part of your own artistic voice from here on out? Absolutely not. But trying new things is how we make forward movement. You might discover something along the way that DOES become your new thing. Or you might learn more about what your voice doesn’t consist of. Those lessons can be just as helpful.

As Ben Franklin said, “I have not failed 10,000 times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those 10,000 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work.” (According to the internet this is true. Which means it’s definitely true that he said this.)

If you want to learn exactly how I soup or do overlays, click here to register for DIY Film Effects. In this course, I teach film soup, light leaks, hand fogging, and overlays, and give you my personal fogging and overlay files. I also give video instructions on each topic so you can see me at work!

Whether you sign up for the course or take these suggestions here and run with them, I hope you feel inspired to grab your camera and let your inner child play this weekend. Pop out your door and feel free to play and make art. And please share with me when you do!