Issue #3 · May 28, 2023
Greetings, film fanatics. Welcome to the latest edition of This Week in Film. For the Memorial Day weekend in the U.S., we’re celebrating by recapping all the news in the wide and amazing world of film photography. If you have any news to share or gossip to spread for next week, please hit us up. And if this is your first time here, feel free to catch up on the previous issues if you’d like.
In the News
An interview with celebrity portrait photographer Brigitte Lacombe. Her secret to getting extraordinary shots of extraordinary folks? “I let people be themselves. That’s the essence of a good portrait.”
Documentary/street photographer Tom Wood is having an exhibition, Photie Man, at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool. It comprises 50 years of his work and will run until January 2024. Our cover photo this week is from the Tom Wood archive.
And even more Tom Wood. This is a chat with the man himself about photography and how to photograph a community. In the article, he quotes James Joyce and the poet Patrick Kavanagh, but he also throws down some wise words of his own: “Every time I take a photograph, I’m asking a question. I don’t know how it’s going to turn out. And if I knew how it would turn out, I wouldn’t be interested in exploring life with my camera.”
We lost Tina Turner this week. Check out a selection of (mostly film) photos from the icon’s incredible life in music and popular culture.
A photo exhibition of men in love from the mid-nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century. It will run will from June 8 to September 24.
Remembering Inge Morath. Lots of words about and lots of photos from the first woman to become a full member at Magnum. Definitely a must-view this weekend.
If camping is your thing, the totally incredible Analog Forever magazine is hosting a photography retreat in the Sierra National Forest. It’ll take place from September 1 to September 3, 2023. The campsites will be free, but space is limited and offered as first-come first-served.
Know-How
An overview of 120 film at Field Mag.
Don’t have a darkroom but want to develop your own film? SlashGear can get you started.
A review of the Polaroid Lab, which converts iPhone pics into instant prints.
Feels and Funsies
Not a week goes by without a feel-good story of a lost camera or roll of film finding its way home. This time, it’s about a Pentax point-and-shoot compact in New Zealand.
For 30 years, this dude worked as a film runner at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
A photo of a topless woman in 1982 is directly responsible for the casting of Ewoks in Return of the Jedi. Seriously.
Something Old
If you have just started exploring film photography, you might want to check out the YouTube channel World of Photography. The channel posts 5- to 7-minute clips from a TV show that aired during the mid- to late ‘80s. Although the show’s production values are hilariously outdated, many of the techniques are still relevant and interesting, and the interviews with famous photographers—Annie Leibovitz and Dean Collins, for example—are totally great. Plus it’s a hoot to see all the old camera gear in action (the show must have had an endorsement deal with Olympus).
Something New
Fujifilm 400 color film in 35mm is finally in stock at B&H. The 3-pack will set you back $35.97 (or $11.99 a roll). Quantities are limited, so don’t wait if you are a Fuji shooter. Fujifilm 400 is the ostensible replacement for Fuji’s much-loved (and erstwhile inexpensive) Superia 400.
Deals
Want to buy Capture One Pro for processing your scanned film? You can get 50% off until May 31. Use code MAYSALE23 at checkout.
Film shooters love backdrops too! Replica Surfaces is giving 20% off until May 30. Use code MEMORIAL20 to get the discount.
Every item in MagMod’s store is discounted by 15% until May 30. If you purchase more than $200, MagMod will take off another 5%. No code needed.
FIA updates
We’ve added some new stock photos shot on expired Fujifilm Superia 400. All of our stock shots are free to download and use in any commercial or personal project.
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