Why I’m Starting to Shoot Film (And No, It’s Not for the Money)

Some decisions in photography make perfect sense. Others… well, they make your wallet sweat.
Starting to shoot film again firmly sits in the second category.

Recently, I picked up a Mamiya 645J, a beautiful, all-metal, medium-format tank that weighs about as much as a rural Iowa mailbox post in a windstorm. Why? Not because it’s cheap. Not because it’s practical. And definitely not because film is the financially responsible choice. (Spoiler: it isn’t.)

I’m doing it for the creative spark I’ve been missing.

“Sometimes creativity needs a little friction to catch fire.”

The Cost of Creativity… Literally

Let’s get this out of the way:
Shooting film in 2025 is expensive. Like, “should I take a picture or buy lunch today?” expensive.

• A single roll of 120 film? Around $8–15 depending on the stock.

• Getting it developed and scanned? $40+ per roll.

• Every press of the shutter? Roughly $3.

“Film photography is the only hobby where you hesitate before taking a picture of a sunset because you’re calculating the price per click.”

And yet—here I am, willingly stepping into the world of film. Because sometimes the cost is part of the magic. It forces you to slow down, breathe, think, and mean it before you hit the shutter. There’s intention built into every frame.

“Digital gives you freedom. Film gives you intention.”

Fun? We’ll See. But I’m Hopeful.

Medium format is a different beast.
One I’m excited to wrestle with.

There’s something refreshing about not being able to chimp on the back of a screen, not being able to fire off 187 frames in 12 seconds, and not being tempted to “fix it later” in Lightroom.

Film demands presence.
Film demands decisions.
Film demands patience.

“Film slows me down in all the ways I didn’t know I needed.”

Will it be fun?
I hope so.
Ask me again after my first batch of scans comes back.

Research, Rabbit Holes, and the Hunt for Affordable Film

Shooting film also means diving headfirst into a world of:

• grain structures

• color profiles

• scanning options

• labs

• availability issues

• and the eternal hunt for “Where can I buy this film without selling my camera bag?”

It’s a scavenger hunt, a deep-dive obsession, and a reminder that photography used to require getting your hands dirty—literally.

“The more I learn about film, the more I realize how little I need to control—and how much I need to feel.”

I Miss Photo Pro

If Photo Pro were still around, I’d probably have a permanent parking spot out front.
Buying film, dropping off rolls, talking shop, maybe crying a little at the register—our usual routines.

But times change, stores disappear, and now my medium-format adventures mean online orders, mailers, and probably a side quest to build my own scanning setup.

Why Film? Because Creativity Needs Shaking Up

Truth is, I’m not shooting film for nostalgia or street cred.
I’m doing it because creativity thrives on friction.

Film is unpredictable.
It doesn’t give you instant gratification.
It doesn’t let you delete mistakes.
It isn’t supposed to be easy.

And maybe that’s the point.

“When every frame has weight, every frame has meaning.”

I want to see what happens when each frame matters.
I want to feel that little jolt of adrenaline when I advance the film.
I want to reconnect with the craft in a way that digital sometimes smooths over.

This isn’t about being better.
It’s about being awake.

“Film doesn’t just make photographs—it makes photographers.”

So here I am:
medium-format camera in hand, wallet crying softly in the background, creativity buzzing again.

Will it work?
Will film bring that spark back?
Is it worth $3 every time I press the shutter?

We’ll find out together.