Why Shoot Expired Film?
Back in the 1990s the concept of shooting on expired film seemed crazy. You would buy or drink an expired carton of milk? Nuts, right?
The digital photography explosion has pushed traditional film photography out of the spotlight and into the underground, where a rising cult of film shooters grows daily.
With the advent of Lomography and other companies promoting fun, plastic cameras, the new breed of film shooter seems less rigid and has embraced shooting expired film for the various funky colors and effects it can produce.
So, you ask…why shoot expired film and where can I purchase it?
Both retailers and private shooters alike are literally dumping their refrigerated stock on e-bay as they convert to digital. This is an excellent way for you to save money as well as being able to pick up some film stocks that are no longer produced.
FILM TYPES
Before buying or bidding on expired film, lets talk about film type. Color Print Film (processed in C-41), Color Slide Film (processed in E-6) and BW film (traditional BW processing) are the most common auctions. You will see auctions for instant films and for unique stocks like infrared film. Use “The Google” to look up stocks you might not of heard of before to make sure that processing is still available.
THE BAY
Door # 1
What to look for when buying film on "the bay" ( http://www.ebay.com/ ) are professional photographers that have switched to digital and are cleaning out their fridges & freezers. These auctions are GOLD. Film could be 15+ years old and still great because these guys stored it properly. Most of these films were also “batch tested” by the seller. As I mentioned, these are the best auction for purchasing expired film.
Door #2
The 2nd type of auctions I look for are guys selling bulk CVS, WALGREENS or other off-brand films. Most big pharmacies are liquidating their 35mm film and are selling for well under the $5. per roll sticker price. Most of these films are stored at room temperature so, don't buyer beware if the expiration date is pre-2007.
Door #3
The 3rd type of e-bay seller is the “I don’t know nuthin” guy. These sellers state that they know absolutely nothing about the product and have no idea how it was store or where it came from. This film was most likely stored in basements, attics and sock drawers and probably tortured in high temperatures. Buyers beware!
Regardless of what type of auction, don’t be afraid to ask the seller questions and/or try to find how the film was stored.
Of course, if your into weird or funky film and want to take a chance on the “Type 3” e-bay seller, you might find that tortured film yields a desired effect!
Above: One of my images shot on poorly stored, expired 110 film
Have fun shooting and feel free to drop me a line to tell me about your shooting experiences!
- Michael Raso / Podcast@FilmPhotographyProject.com
Latest content
Latest Podcast
Comments
Personally I love shooting on expired film, and often I get wonderful results with properly stored film, and even on improperly stored stuff the results can be..well a surprise, and who doesn't like a surprise?
I've shot on Velvia that has expired five-six years ago with the same great results I've come to expect from it, even b/w film that expired in the 1970s has given me great results also.
Not to be preachy or anything, but I shoot mostly fresh film. It's all I can really do (other than talk on the internet about it) to show the surviving film companies that their product is worthwhile and that they shouldn't close their doors yet.
That being said, expired stuff is great, and if I ever come across some at a decent price, I love shooting it, especially the older "pro" films. I shot a roll of Panatomic X that expired in 1979 and it was fantastic!
Post new comment