Birth Photography on 35mm Film
For my last two births, I purchased a small disposable camera to bring to the hospital.
I am someone who cares deeply about memory keeping and finds an unreal amount of joy in documenting my family. Taking and editing photos that help me remember with gratitude truly makes me giddy.
A few years ago, I purchased my first disposable camera to bring to the birth of my third daughter. My husband and I had so much fun snapping a few images during those first 48 hours of her life. It felt like Christmas morning when I got the images developed and got to see what memories we captured.
Every since that moment, I was hooked on 35mm film. I have since taken hundreds of photos on film and I always get a massive dopamine shot every time I get and email from my developer saying “your images are ready!”
This week I got my images back from two deposable cameras and one roll of film. Most of the images were from the birth of my son.
Here is the reason I love film photography.
It’s nostalgic, the colors are true to life… but the best part? The images are stunningly imperfect.
Film photography feels like capturing memories instead of perfection.
I realize film photography isn’t for everyone, it can be expensive and the learning curve sometimes feels steep. But if you’re drawn to the nostalgic old time vibe—I cant recommend it enough!
This hobby has brought me so much joy over the past two years.
If you’re interested in starting, here are my recommendations!
Buy this disposable camera from Walmart for $15/camera.
To get the best images, use a flash on the camera 100% of the time inside or when it’s cloudy outside!!
After capturing 36 images, send your camera to the Find Lab, or drop it off locally if you’re in Utah! Expect to pay about $15/ disposable camera you drop off!
If you’re ready to try a film camera, here is my recommendation!
Find a used film camera on Facebook marketplace, or better yet ask your parents or grandparents if they have one you can borrow!
Purchase film on amazon. This is the film I always buy.
Watch a few YouTube videos about your specific camera. They’ll show you exactly how to load your film and set the right settings. Don’t be overwhelmed by the settings! Step 4 will help you nail your settings every time.
Download the light meter app. It will tell you how to set your shutter speed and aperture. Note: the ISO should not be changed and should match the ISO on your specific film, the one I linked about has an ISO of 400.
After capturing 36 images, send your camera to the Find Lab, or drop it off locally if you’re in Utah! Expect to pay about $15/roll of film you drop off!
If you try this out, I would love to hear how it goes!!!
