Somewhere in the numerous articles, videos or social media posts I’ve consumed in a semi-hypnotized state the past few weeks I came across the phrase, and it certainly rings true to my condition: “bitten by the film bug.”

Apparently this is something any photographer can fall prey to in this digital era — from amateur hobbyists like me, to lifelong professionals. Once bitten, a budding curiosity snowballs into obsession as you take a deep dive into a fervently impassioned community all with a wealth of knowledge to share about analog. Suddenly, you too want to turn back the clock a bit.

There are numerous reasons for this. Nostalgia, such a potent force on many levels of our cultural landscape, might beckon an individual to abandon their filters and presets and instead go for The Real Thing™. Or, perhaps, the adventure promised by film photography — with its emphasis on really embedding value in each shot lest you waste a frame and eventually spend your whole roll — rekindles the kind of passion that makes one really want to slow down and spend more time composing your shot. Or perhaps it’s none of this, and it’s really just something one picks up for the fun of it (though it’s kind of an expensive joyride).

Whatever the reason, it goes without saying that the medium certainly has found many adherents in recent years, and now counts me among them. For me, I’d say I check each of the boxes above when it comes to motivation, with an emphasis on the second.

I’d been wanting to delve into it for a couple of years now as I saw the work produced by super talented friends on Instagram (among them @luisesoteric, @maloneshootsfilm, @sandovallens, and @conjure333). The thing that kept me from taking the plunge, however, was my tendency to overly plan meticulously before going in on something.

In this case, I debated for over a year on whether I wanted to buy myself a good film camera or, instead, a new prime lens for my DSLR. This past December I began frequenting Antique Row in the hopes I’d come across a reasonably-priced film SLR. I picked up a basic point-and-shoot before Christmas that staved off the hunger for a bit, but I was shortly back into the market for an SLR.

I am, uh, not proud of how often I refreshed Facebook Marketplace or eBay in the last couple of weeks leading up to me finally going in on something. After some research into good film SLRs for beginners, I had an idea of what I wanted (either a Canon A-1 or Canon AE-1P) but let slide one AE-1P and Minolta-X700 that were going for great prices because I hesitated and they got snatched up (they hadn’t had assurances that they worked, but then they also didn’t say the didn’t). This is the other aspect of my overly-meticulous planning: when the opportunity presents itself, I often hesitate if there isn’t a guarantee.

Finally, my top pick, a Canon A-1, came up for a deal the other day and, after some prodding from friends, I went in on it. It was a Monday and got delivered on a Friday and believe me when I tell you that I was deep in the throes of anticipation during those hours in between.

It’s funny because as I plunged into this world — teaching myself the functions of the camera, the varying ways to get the right exposures, the history of the medium, etc. — it almost seemed like this wasn’t a format any of us grew up with. Naturally, as with any child of the 90s or earlier, it was — though keeping metering in mind with an SLR is certainly a far cry from me throwing a disposable camera into my backpack to snap a few photos on a field trip.

I think it’s because when I was a kid, the function of photography took precedence over the artistic qualities. It was for capturing memories, retaining all the faces and moments we look back at with such love when we pore through old photo albums.

I can’t help but wonder, when looking at film as a medium now as an adult in the digital era, it’s not that it’s less about capturing memories but also about capturing feeling — a sense that doesn’t always come through when letting your shutter fly on a DSLR. I can write a whole other blog post about finding refuge in nostalgia amid a cultural landscape drained of meaning through the logic of commercial aesthetic, but that may be for another day. For now, at least for me, I can’t help but acknowledge all this is part of film’s appeal to me.

On the whole, though, it’s fun. Photography has become fun for me, so engaging in this other format has certainly added another jolt into that enjoyment.

One of my favorite anecdotes I like to tell folks about my personal history with photography is how I was probably the worst photographer in class when I took Photojournalism during my first stint in college. Moments like when I went out for an assignment and came back with photos of a cat, or the time I appeared in the paper after election night because I found myself on the wrong side of the camera trying to get a shot of the newly-elected mayor, or the times I left my lens cap on… all added up to a reputation that kept the camera out of my hands when a good shot was needed for a story.

I think, for the most part, I can thankfully leave that reputation in the past now.

It takes me a long time to ever say I’m good at anything. I think that’s more a testament to my general self-deprecating nature than anything, but I will at most say I’m competent at something. I think I’m at the point where I can say I am finally competent at photography, at least to the extent where I am certain I can come back with something of use if given another assignment.

But the main thing with photography, is it’s hard for me to settle on what I’d actually consider a level of being personally good at the medium. At the moment, it’s only partly about composition because I recognize that how a photo is received is largely subjective. When I shoot, I try and capture something that caught the attention of my mind’s eye and it’s only natural that everyone’s perspective may or may not share the appeal.

Instead, I think my main drive right now is to learn more the technical aspects of photography. I’ve lived on Aperture Priority on my DSLR for so long and the fact the Canon A-1 has this feature means I intend to use it starting out. But really getting the hang of Manual remains that one nagging thought in the back of my head.

Another cool thing about picking up film, though, is I’m already noticing how much I’m better understanding principles that I feel will help in digital, as well. I’ve revisited the Exposure Triangle so much in recent weeks, as well as delved into understanding exposure compensation, which I think has finally helped me understand why some photos I took on my DSLR often came out brighter than it looked to me in the viewfinder. Go figure.

However, in terms of aesthetics, I certainly am looking forward to trying new things. The Canon came with a 50mm f1.4 lens, which is a focal length and aperture I’d really been wanting to try. In fact, it’s the kind of lens I’d been looking to get my DSLR if I hadn’t gone in on a camera. I’ve read this focal length is close to how we typically see the world (that, or 35mm) and the aperture range promises some good flexibility in low light situations.

I also think I want to delve more into black and white photography. Besides being cheaper film stock, I’ve always loved the look of black and white as far back as my cringey film (cinema) snob days. It’s an enduring look, and one that presents even further opportunities to think through composition.

At the time of this writing, I’ve only had rolls developed from my point-and-shoot, but I’m excited to see what comes from the Canon. I think I’ll be covering certain rolls and photo outings in future posts, so if you’ve enjoyed my rambling about photography here, keep an eye out for those.

This post is a bit longer than I intended but I think that’s a testament to how obsessed I’ve gotten with this stuff lately. Consider this an open invitation to anyone else who enjoys nerding out to share your own thoughts in the comments.

For everyone else, consider this an open invitation to buy me film cuz that shit gets pricey.