Gallery: Autumn in New Mexico on Expired Kodak Gold 200
Shooting film in 2024 is definitely one of the more expensive ways to take a picture, but it's a process I find meditative. I have taken to shooting expired film, not only because it's cheaper, but because the results are always surprising. Every expired roll is unique, and ignorance of the exact outcomes of a particular roll beforehand gives a sense of mystery to the process I find enjoyable.
Contents:
The Film of Choice
I knew I wanted to shoot some fall foliage this time of year, so I got some Kodak Gold 200 which had expired in 2007. In the past, I have found this particular film stock can give some nice warm grading in the shadows, when expired, that would suit autumnal scenes beautifully. I could also expect some coarse grain and reduced sensitivity. Of course, there's no real way to tell until the roll is developed, but this was my thought process in choosing the stock.
Loading the film into my Olympus OM1, I selected 'ASA160' on the sensitivity dial.
Rating the Film
A common practice when shooting expired film is to 'rate' it at a different sensitivity than that listed on the packaging, since film chemistry degrades over time. A rule of thumb is to increase ISO by one stop per decade the film is expired, at least for color negative chemistries. Not everyone buys into this 'rule', but I have typically used it to moderate success, so I would recommend using this strategy when starting out shooting expired film.
Camera Metering Considerations
Additionally, I often shoot with an Olympus OM1 for film, as I did for this roll, which has some quirks. I could not find the original button cell batteries for the TTL light meter, so I use a different format that physically fits close enough. The intended batteries are SR43 silver oxide 1.35V but the replacements I use are LR44 lithium 1.5V cells. I read on several forums that using the LR44 in the OM1 will not damage the light meter, but that it will be more sensitive as a result of the increased voltage. The solution is to set the ASA knob on the camera two stops lower than the intended sensitivity setting.
When combining the exposure compensation for the light meter with the film rating for the expiration, I got a little turned around and came upon ASA160. Somehow, this turned out to be an adequate sensitivity setting since most of the shots ended up alright in the end.
Gallery
Sandia Peak
Albuquerque, NM
Rio Grande Gorge
Taos, NM
Nob Hill
Albuqerque, NM
Reflection
I have somewhat unapologetically dumped the entire roll here, partially because I couldn't be bothered to decide which shots were 'good enough' and partially because I wanted to illustrate the difficulties of film (especially when expired). There are very obviously some duds in here, but they are good demonstrations of the unpredictability of the medium.
The shot at the beginning of the roll, while properly exposed, was partially cut off by the exposure on the film leader. The very next shot was somehow underexposed, though I don't remember changing the settings in between frames here. The shot at the end of the roll ended up becoming an accidental double-exposure due to there not being enough film left for the final frame. Of all the candid shots I took, I somehow missed focus on the subject in one of my favorite compositions of the batch. It was also very hard to expose for the shadows when shooting into the sun at sunset, though there was not much I could do about that situation with the angles available to me (I didn't want to fall off a cliff).
What surprised me most was the tonality of the images. Based on my previous experience with expire Kodak Gold 200, I was not expecting the strong cyan grading in the shadows, as in the past the grading had usually been warmer. The cooler tones on this roll definitely lend a different vibe than I was going for, though I still found the results pleasing. Somewhat of a crisp and chilly autumn feeling.
Thanks for reading,
~Joseph
Links
Resources I found helpful, related to this project:
dassouki
