Creating An Affordable Film Photography Workflow 

Creating An Affordable Film Photography Workflow 

While 35mm Film photography equipment has remained affordable, the price for film itself has dramatically increased in recent years. I want to shoot film for a documentary project that I’m currently working on, but I’m not looking to break the bank. I think I’ve created a workflow that will really work for me. 

One of the first things I personally like is easy access to film. I hate having to order film online, and I love to walk into a store to get my 35mm film. Fuji 400 fits the bill. I can get a three-roll pack of 36 exposures of Fuji 400 for around 28.00 at my local Walmart. That works for me. 

I always make 8×10 prints of every image that I’m considering for publication. Walmart fits my workflow wonderfully for this as well, as I can get 8×10 prints for under $3.00. 

The problem for me comes with developing. Having Walgreens or Walmart send my film out for development is problematic because they do not return negatives. All you get is a digital thumb drive of your photos. That is a dealbreaker for me, so I have my rolls developed at a local lab.