Hey everyone,

I know this is an age where the digital media has taken over and we are losing film left and right. Kodak is no longer producing kodachrome, and polaroid is in serious danger. My personal opinion is that film is super important to understanding how cameras really work, and if anything ever happened to the world (whether it be zombie apocalypse or the end of the Mayan calendar or whatever) I know one thing for sure: I would leave my DSLR at home and pick up my film camera and all the film I have in my house.

There are some websites that are trying to fight the dying age of film, and I think it’s because even a digital camera with 36 megapixels (like this one) can’t compare to the detail you get with large format film cameras. So I wanted to link you guys to some of these websites dedicated to film & keeping the tradition alive.

Bostick and Sullivan:

These folks are awesome. They make kits for all sorts of alternative processes. All of the kits come with instructions. My personal favorite alternative process is cyanotype, but they also offer salted paper print kits, palladium & platinum, and even gum bichromate. If you are in the market for alt chemicals, they’ve got ’em. Plus they have awesome phone support for your order because they are a really down to earth & appreciate your business. What’s your favorite alternative process?

The Impossible Project:

These guys make instant film for Polaroid cameras. The company started with 10 employees from a Polaroid film manufacturing company and the Impossible project began in 2008 when Polaroid announced it would be withdrawing from manufacturing instant analog film. One of the things I love about their website is that under the “Classic Camera” tab (found under the Camera dropdown menu) you can find the model of the camera that’s been sitting in the back of your closet & tell you which film they make is compatible (talk about a selling point). And, not only do they sell the film, they sell the cameras as well. They can be a little pricey, but for the money you are really getting some quality film that you might not be able to find anywhere else. Of course, there is always that yard sale down the street…

Lomography:

As cliche as lomography has become, I’m not too proud to admit that I have a Diana F+ camera at home, and honestly enjoy the light-burned images it produces. At the very least, I can say that they have awesome Photolab section, where you can look up local Photolabs in your area, and so far they have 522 labs listed. The downside to this, however, is that unless you live in a major city it can be hard to find one close to you. But don’t be discouraged, I personally found two labs near me in Dallas that I know to be good ones, and a lot of places will allow you to ship your film to them. Aside from the PhotoLab center, you can peruse the latest lomo cameras and films, and although Lomo has saturated the market, some of the cameras are really cool (my personal favorite is the Fisheye Baby Bauhaus).

So there are three sites to get your film experience started, I will be posting more when I find some worthwhile sites for you.

Have an awesome week, everyone!

Photo Credit: Travis Hornung