DOUBLE EXPOSURE

PORTRA 400 / POINT + SHOOT

Once your film exposures have all been shot on and used up, it is time to get your images developed. Like mentioned before, unloading film can be a delicate process and if done incorrectly, can result in film stocks that don’t even process. After your final exposure in the camera, you should rewind the film back into its barrel. On point and shoot’s it is pretty simple where pressing the tiny button on the bottom of the camera will automatically do it for you. On the other hand, manual SLR cameras are a bit harder where you must rewind it by hand and make sure the exposures are within the barrel so that nothing is exposed to light or ruined.

A mistake that I made the first time I shot film was opening the back of the camera before rewinding the film so a few exposures got ruined and didn’t develop properly. Sometimes this accidentally happens and depending on the amount of light that hits the open film, the images might turn out but with a light leak or other discoloration instead. Sometimes nothing happens at all, depending on the amount of light that hits the film and for how long.

There are different options when it comes to developing film and these usually are chosen based on when the images are needed back or how skilled a person is who could learn to do it themselves.

There are kits for sale online which can be used to develop film at home or if you have access to a dark room or know people who can do this, asking for help is for sure an option. I’m sure with time and experience, developing film by yourself or through people you know can be a cool process to learn about and do. It would probably save money as well because you wouldn’t have to pay for the service everytime, just the equipment once.

Although it is a goal of mine to learn to develop film, as of now, I mail my film to a lab in California that I have worked with in the past and love. There are options to get film developed locally but each comes at different prices and wait times. The one that I send my film to is family owned and they send back film within a day or two which is crazy good.

Places like Walgreens and Walmart also do film developing but they tend to take a bit longer and aren’t as high quality based on experience.

Again, doing research on local businesses that develop film can help you decide how you want to do this.