My First Attempt
This gallery is my first experience with taking black and white 35mm film. I used a roll of Agfa HP5 400 film, loaded into my new to me Canon AE-1 camera, equipped with a 50mm f1.4 lens that I bought on eBay for $125. It had been thirty years since I last tried black and white photography, but something I have wanted to do since taking a basic photography class in college.
As a true beginner, things like balancing aperture, shutter speed, and ISO settings, was nebulous and I think it shows in these initial photos. Even now, I’m not convinced that I’ve fully mastered these skills. However, thanks to the wealth of information available online and the community of photographers who share their knowledge and experiences.
These shots were at the Des Moines Botanical Gardens, where I captured various plants on film until I finished a couple of rolls. More than anything I was eager to develop the film, which honestly made me a bit nervous. Despite researching developing and enlarging techniques, I was unsure if I was doing everything correctly. My first attempt at developing film was a steep learning curve, but it was also an enjoyable experience – you can read more about it here.
