Film Diaries #2 🎞️🇲🇾 Penang trip captured on film
Heya 🍋s!
Welcome back to another film dump/film diary entry!! In my last post, I yapped about wanting to go deeper into film photography and here I am with a new set of pics that I captured on my most recent trip to Penang! As usual, these lovely pics were developed and scanned by grainsandsuch.co 💓 please check them out if you haven’t!
These photos were shot with a Ricoh MyPort Super Zoom that I borrowed from my bf (tysm bb 🫶🏻) bc I wanted to learn the basics of composition on a point-and-shoot camera before moving on to a SLR. I love how there’s the little date thingy at the bottom of the frame 💕 makes everything look so vintage!
Okay, since this is a film diary, imma review my journey and EXPOSE the massive Ls I took along the way (pun very much intended)
🥳 I think I did great!
I tried framing my street shots with human subjects in the background to create a unique POV. In the second pic, I captured a candid shot of a man standing in the shade of a shophouse, looking around with an uncle pose hahaha. In the 7th pic, I captured a motorcyclist speeding past a FREE 🍉 graffiti on some construction barrier thingy. The blurry shot kinda added a message of how time speeds past while w@r and political turmoil ensue in other parts of the world. I’m surprised that I captured that picture the way I wanted.
🤡 My big Ls
*Deep breath* y’all are not gonna believe this but I wasted a whole ass roll of film bc I opened the back of my camera before the film got rewinded. SILLY BILLY ME thought that auto rewind meant that the camera will automatically rewind the moment it hits 36 exposures OH MY LAWD. Judge me all y’all want. I deserve it 🤦🏻♀️ there goes my precious $15 film…
Another oopsie was how one of my film rolls failed to get developed. Idk how I spoiled my film bc I always take my film out for manual checks at security posts to protect them from x-rays. I can only keep my fingers crossed as my developer told me to keep out for another email on the status of my other film. Really hope it goes okay or I would’ve wasted $30 🙇🏻♀️
🎞️ Random ramblings
While I do agree that mistakes are all part of the learning curve, losing my precious memories from the trip did leave me bummed out for a few days. I even thought of giving up film photography altogether but my dad and bf have been nothing but encouraging 🥰 despite all the massive Ls I took, they keep teaching me hacks to improve my photography. After all, film photography is all about trusting the process and being present in the moment. I gotta drill this in my head somehow.
Also, does anyone else think that film photography is like gatcha? 😅 You never know what you’re gonna get until you receive your scans and when you capture unexpectedly good photos it’s like you pulled multiple SSRs in a row! 🤩
Alrighty, I’ll see you guys in my next film diary entry. Fingers crossed my second roll of film turns out okay… 🥹🙏🏻 As usual, I’m open to constructive feedback and camera recommendations 🫶🏻 let’s be film friendos!
If you're considering diving into film photography like I did during my Penang trip, here are a few insights that helped me along the way. The Ricoh MyPort Super Zoom, a point-and-shoot camera, is a great starting point to understand composition without overwhelming yourself with manual controls found in SLRs. Its vintage date stamps add a charming retro feel to every photo, which I love. One tip I learned is always double-check that your camera back is securely closed before rewinding film — trust me, I made the costly mistake of opening it too soon and losing an entire roll. Also, be mindful when developing your film; manual security checks help prevent X-ray damage, but sometimes films can still get spoiled. Keep communication open with your developer and be patient. Aside from gear care, framing shots with interesting human elements transforms everyday street scenes into compelling stories. On my trip, capturing an uncle-posing man and a motorcyclist speeding by symbolic graffiti helped me create meaningful images reflecting time and turmoil. Lastly, embrace the unpredictability of film photography — it's like playing a gatcha game where you never know what magical shots will turn up until you get your scans back. It’s this surprise element that keeps me hooked and eager to improve. Whether you’re in Penang or anywhere else, trust the process, stay present, and enjoy every snap of your film journey!