Jon Firth Photographer LSWPP
Film Photography Experiences, Tuition and Consultations

 

Film is Back ! Film ‘Analogue’ Photography grew in popularity through the covid years and is currently at its most popular for some time (remember what happened when Vinyl made its comeback after so many threw out their records) _?

Creatives, Professional Imagers, and Amateurs are enjoying this immersive way of Photography. However, it is not cheap, and a lot of newcomers have very preventable bad experiences, while others find it hard to know where to go for higher levels of expertise and development.

I am a Qualified Professional Photographer and earned my living exclusively from photographing for two decades, before a career change. (Never have felt the same about digital capture) I gained my Photographic Qualifications using Film, and prior to that worked in photographic retail from high school age, in Sussex, London and Lancashire, including in one of the UK’s largest specialist second-hand photo retailers as an equipment consultant back when Film Was King ! I also operated colour machine printers and worked as a black-and-white film developer, and hand printer at different times.


I am offering three services to Film Photographers to help folk along their journey, sharing my decades of knowledge, and meeting you in our shared passion.

Learning, Having Fun and Being Creative - it doesn’t sound like IT because it’s not !

 

Consultation Hour Long Online £40


Use web enquiry form saying concisely what you want. I’ll ring you by phone to discuss/clarify for 5 minutes, then we book an appointment for an hours zoom video call.

This is as likely about Kit, as Photography,- either is OK with me. You might be thinking of buying a camera / film kit, and need to know which models are likely reliable / good or best value. Which shops are helpful / offer good support or Gtee’s. You might have bought kit, and not sure how to use it, or suspect it might be faulty, or have had a blank film or other bad result. (Out of six items I bought one week I had to return five, one not as described/bad repair attempt, four faulty).

Honestly, I do not think most of the problems would have been spotted by someone new to film cameras/lenses…….Black and white darkroom advice / problem solving welcome. There are a lot of nice genuine people in camera shops, but they sometimes simply don’t have the historical depth of knowledge of the older (film) cameras they are selling to know if all is well _

If you buy an Experience or Tuition from me after a Consultation, £20 off either.

 

Film Experiences Three Hours Long. In Person. £150.00 Fri - Sun only, by appointment.


Want a good result from your film photography by being supported by a Pro - ? Are a Pro and want to incorporate Film into your photography package (and simply need to make sure you get it right with your film camera) ?

I will meet with you and support you to photograph. Ideally use your own kit if you are sure it’s working correctly. If you haven’t got your own camera I’m happy to provide a basic outfit. Camera and three lenses - a Standard lens, a Wideangle and short Telephoto (Portrait) lens. You can choose from 1970’s metal bodied, 80s or 90s cameras which go from the start of electromechanical cameras, to auto focus cameras. ‘Metal’ cameras are very different from most modern cameras, it’s a much more ‘felt experience’.

Also a great way too see if you like working with film before spending out what can be quite a chunk of money to get going, or simply as an experience ‘to have done it’ Try it - you might like it !

I ask you supply your own fresh in date film, which must not be damaged. I’m happy to go to your home if spacious or have a garden or studio, a local park, seaside (but we won’t be changing lenses near prom, or getting close to salt water), or urban. Brighton or London are as far away as I want to go, so this South East bit of UK. Please note travel is included in price but not time so you’ll have three hours with me. I will require £10 extra if heading into London or Brighton due to cost of train / parking now.

Use the enquiry form to say a bit about what you’d like to shoot / where, I’ll ring to discuss / clarify for 5 minutes by phone, and then we can make a booking via email.

I will only work with individuals /couples/ pair of pals, Small groups at my discretion. If you are out of my area meeting in London is very viable - there is the excellent Photographers Gallery (link on links page) which has the Soho Photography Quarter space outside, there are lots of camera shops and other exhibitions too. I’m not affiliated to the Gallery, it’s simply really cool, and sells film at decent prices, along with lots of photography books.


https://thephotographersgallery.org.uk/soho-photography-quarter

 

Tuition Two Hours. In Person. £100 Wed am’s, Fri - Sun all by appointment only.


More of a ‘how to’ meeting. You’ll need your own kit for the learning you want. This is probably more suited to folk closer to home for me - Tunbridge Wells, Rye, Battle, Robertsbridge, Hastings, Tenterden, Ashford etc.

A couple of hours of more specific learning than a Film Experience. IE - using a Light meter / Flash meter. Setting up for Still Life / Macro Photography. Principals of Portraiture. Reflectors. How to optimally expose different types of film. Tripod Usage (if you shoot film, most likely you’ll need a tripod). Understanding Lenses and Perspective.

Here are my photo’s - HELP !


Here are my grey flat darkroom prints - HELP !


If you don’t already have a basic understanding of Aperture and Shutter Speed, I’m OK with an hour of how a camera works, loading a film, what films to choose, holding a camera correctly, (will bring a practice film if you don’t have) and an hour of getting something photographed.

Use enquiry form, write what you want to learn / achieve, I’ll ring you to discuss / clarify for 5 minutes and we’ll make an appointment via email.

AA