Getting Started with Photography: Film vs Digital for Beginners

Photography may seem daunting at first. With so many options for learning, and cameras available, vocabulary to master, and images to capture, questions about the best method for starting out arise. One major question newcomers have is whether to learn with film or digital photography first. Both have their pros, and a lot depends on what the newcomer seeks to gain from photography and how they'd like to grow.

Learning Differences

Digital photography enables feedback. One can take a photo, look at it on a screen, see what's good and what's bad, and retake it quickly. This loop of instant gratification provides an easier context for learning what exposure, composition, focus, and other settings do with the look of an image in a quicker capacity. New learners have the freedom to take as many photos as possible without concern for wasting film or waiting days to see what happens.

With film, there is no preview. There's a need to trust the exposure settings and only after the film rolls are developed can one see the results of their work. It's a slower approach where each image must be thought out and planned, framing established. While many may be frustrated by this slow process since it's a longer learning curve, others appreciate having to consider how it may look before taking the image.

While beginners can learn technical aspects quicker with digital photography thanks to an instant feedback loop of taking and re-taking photos, film challenges one's patience and ultimate ability to consider options before spending exposure on something. It doesn't render one necessarily a better photographer, it just helps engrain different habits.

Price Factors

The cost of entry for digital photography is higher than that of film photography. However, once a digital camera is acquired, taking pictures is free aside from the memory cards needed and one can take thousands of photos without concern. This makes it easy for someone eager to practice without worrying that it will cost them every time they press the shutter.

With film, there's an expense for developing every roll used with minimal images (usually 24 or 36) and each image one develops will cost $3-5 on average, depending on the developing site. Some people even opt for at-home kits but every roll still requires someone to pay for it through the development process.

There's also a middle ground that's emerged, digital cameras that capture the nostalgic feel of disposable film cameras without the ongoing costs. Options such as Retrolens or similar reusable digital cameras offer that analog aesthetic in a more accessible and eco-friendly format. These types of cameras appeal to beginners who want the vintage look without dealing with film processing or the environmental impact of disposable cameras.

Creatively

Digital photography has tremendous flexibility. One can alter images to no end; colors can be shifted, mistakes can be erased with proper editing software, and shooting in any lighting condition with a high enough ISO allows minimal limitations when capturing images.

Film photography is different. There's an aesthetic grain/quality that comes from working with film stocks that many people appreciate. Different types allow distinct levels of color palette and softness that are difficult to mimic digitally. In addition, there's something about the ability to shoot film or black and white film that gives it a natural feel and a nostalgic vibrancy that cannot be compared with digital efforts.

Digital creates options, one can take one hundred photos of the same image hoping one works. Film creates a different kind of creativity through constraint and careful consideration as to what actually gets chosen for that next twelve images on the roll before they finish.

Practical Considerations

Digital is convenient, a battery will last hundreds if not thousands of pictures, a file can easily be transferred to a computer/phone for sharing, and digital photography makes it easy for people who want to share their personal work with friends or social media accounts almost instantaneously.

Film requires more effort, once a roll is filled it's off to get developed and then either scanned or printed out for physical images. This can take time and money if one chooses not to develop pictures in their own dark room. But it's nice when something looks so great as a printed rendition.

Storage is also critical as digital photographs require file space on computers/hard drives with backups so they don't get lost. Negatives are tangible items that need proper file systems but do not require a digital backup or fear of corrupted files.

Making The Choice

Ultimately the choice between film vs digital does not have to be permanent. Many photographers use both, depending upon the situation or creative endeavor they're undertaking.

For starters eager to learn quickly with countless available captures without concern for cost could benefit from digital easily. For those who are more aesthetically driven, self-contained in their decision making process, film may be better as a starting point, or at least developing thought patterns that appreciate that method of learning beforehand so they don't waste images.

Some even start with both. An inexpensive digital camera for learning how to do the basics in a quick manner, and an inexpensive film camera to explore the advantages of that process. There's no right or wrong answer why someone should start with one over the other, especially in the beginning when they're still gaining understanding of what avenues work best for them.