A few years ago I decided to get a Super 8 camera and play with video on film!
Oh my gosh… the excitement of getting the roll back and seeing the video actually worked.
And how magical it was!!
It reminded me so much of that incredibly pure feeling of excitement you get when the lab delivers film scans for the very first time and something actually worked out. It’s one of the parts of shooting film that makes it sooooo much fun…
Being delighted when you receive the film back and seeing you created something beautiful.
But oh!
Now I’m thinking back on that first roll I shot…
I was planning a shoot with Angela Wator and her family.
We came up with the idea that she was going to leave a key for me under the mat so I could come by at sunrise before they woke up.
It was SO MUCH FUN.
And actually if you’re a fun family and you’re down to do that with me, will you please email me and tell me about yourself?
Anyway, I digress :)
So I go over to Angela’s house and we have this incredible shoot. For the hell of it, I decide to bring along a Super 8 camera I had just bought, so I could test it out.
I had no idea what to expect. But when I downloaded the footage, truly, I squealed when I first saw it.
Since then I’ve gone through phases where I bring out my Super 8 camera and shoot it, and then for a while I’ll put it away.
And then bring it out again and so on...
Like there was this one phase where I was frequently pulling out the super 8 with my own family.
I love this video I took during that phase.
My husband and I passed the camera back and forth around the house one afternoon with our son when he was 5 months. Looking back on it now as I write this piece, I am so so so so x10000 grateful that I made the effort to do this.
Full transparency, shooting Super 8 is not cheap.
But it’s so much fun and so worth it if/when you can (even if it’s just trying it once!).
If you’ve been wanting to try out using Super 8 - for your clients or for your own every day life, then this Substack article is for you.
I’ll be sharing -
What Super 8 cameras I recommend
What film stocks to buy and when to use each one
Where to get your film developed at after