A compact rangefinder film camera, a roll of 35mm black-and-white film, and a refreshing dip in a cold natural spring with family and friends. This is how every weekend should look.
Recently, I’ve realized that I’ve been posting a lot of black-and-white photos, and there’s a good reason for that: I ran out of color film. But then again, not every photo needs color to show its beauty. It’s also my first time shooting with a new black-and-white film stock, the Kentmere Pan 100.
I’m no stranger to Kentmere films. I’ve used Kentmere Pan 400 before and loved the results. It’s more versatile thanks to its ISO 400 speed, but I’ve heard that Kentmere Pan 100 produces sharper images with finer grain and higher contrast. And looking at these photos, I can see why people say that.
To be honest, I don’t care too much about those things. I just want to save a few bucks and shoot. Kentmere Pan 100 is around Php 100 ($2) cheaper than the 400, which might not seem like much, but I tend to buy film in bulk, so the savings add up quickly.
Whenever I’m going on an outing with family and friends, I tend to pack my most compact setup. The Ricoh 500G rangefinder camera, a tiny manual flash, and a roll of film is all I need. I want to enjoy the moment with everyone and take photos whenever something catches my eye, without having to lug around a bunch of equipment.
The flash is important here since Kentmere Pan 100 has a low ISO rating, and it’ll come in handy in low-light situations. Plus lately, I’ve been fond of using direct flash in my photos. It gives them that look like they were taken by your uncle back in the ’90s.
By the way, the spring we visited was Agua de San Juan Spring Resort in San Pablo, Laguna. It’s not as popular as Bato Spring Resort, but places like these can get really crowded, especially on summer weekends. Luckily, that wasn’t the case when we visited. We got to enjoy the nature in peace and get some much needed R&R.
Another priceless memory captured in photos. And this is what photography is all about. It doesn’t matter if you shoot digital or film, black and white or color. What’s important is that you keep shooting and capturing these memories. I just wish I’d taken more photos during this trip, but I’ll make sure to take more next time.
Of course, we ended the night with good food, cold drinks, and lots of stories and laughter shared among friends.
