Grain & SilverFilm Photography · Belfast
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New to film? Start here.

Camera
quirks
& film
basics.

Light leaks· Film grain· Vignette· Motion blur· Double exposure· Worn cameras· Aperture, shutter, ISO
light enters through a worn seal
01
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Quirk 01

Light leaks

Looks like:  Red & orange streaks  Colour burn on edges  Unpredictable
silver halide crystals reacting to light
02
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Quirk 02

Film grain

Looks like:  Sand-like texture  Visible in shadows  More grain = more ISO
light falls off toward the edges of the lens
03
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Quirk 03

Vignette

Looks like:  Dark corners  Edges fade to black  Eye drawn to centre
shutter open too long — subject moved
04
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Quirk 04

Motion blur

Looks like:  Smeared movement  Ghosted subjects  Camera shake
same frame exposed twice — accidental or deliberate
05
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Quirk 05

Double exposure

Looks like:  Two images overlaid  Ghost shapes  Dreamlike scenes
grade: rugged decades of use — every scratch tells a story
06

Quirk 06

Worn & torn

● Good  Reliable. Minor cosmetic wear. Shoots consistently.
● Fair  Works well. Some quirks. Expect a little character.
● Rugged  Fully functional. Heavy use. Light leaks likely. Maximum charm.

The basics

Aperture.
Shutter.
ISO.

◉

Control 01

Aperture

The scale — f-stops

f/1.8 Wide open · lots of light · blurry background
f/8 Middle ground · good sharpness
f/16 Small opening · everything sharp · less light
On our sessions: We'll help you pick the right f-stop for the light. Bright day outside — f/8 or f/11. Shade or indoors — open it up to f/2.8 or f/4.
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Control 02

Shutter speed

The scale — fractions of a second

1/1000 Freezes fast movement · needs bright light
1/125 Good general daylight speed
1/15 Slow · low light · hold very still
On our sessions: Bright Belfast day — 1/125 or 1/250. Overcast — 1/60. If you go below 1/30, lean on something solid or your image will blur from camera shake.
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Control 03

ISO — film speed

On film, ISO is baked into the roll — you choose it when you load the camera. Higher ISO = more sensitive to light = better in low light, but more grain.

Film ISO choices

ISO 100 Smooth · fine grain · needs bright light
ISO 400 All-rounder · Ilford HP5+ · our standard roll
ISO 3200 Very grainy · dark environments
On our sessions: We use Ilford HP5+ (ISO 400) as our standard roll. It's the best all-weather B&W film for Belfast light — sharp enough in sun, handles shade well, beautiful grain.
Simple rules

Three things to remember on the day

1

You can't delete it

2

The camera is the artist

3

Imperfection is the aesthetic

Ready to shoot?

Weekends & selected days · Belfast · all levels welcome

Book a session Back to the site