Jon Firth Photographer LSWPP
(Professionally Qualified. 35mm Film Photography / Tuition. Also Commercial Portraits and Images Shoot on Film or Fujifilm X Digital)
Film is Back ! Film ‘Analogue’ Photography grew in popularity through the covid years and is currently at its most popular for some time (remember what happened when Vinyl made its comeback after so many threw out their records) _?
Creatives, Professional Imagers, and Amateurs are enjoying this immersive way of Photography. However, it is not cheap, and a lot of newcomers have very preventable bad experiences, while others find it hard to know where to go for higher levels of expertise and development.
I am a Qualified Professional Photographer and earned my living exclusively from photographing for two decades, before a career change. (Never have felt the same about digital capture) I gained my Photographic Qualifications using Film, and prior to that worked in photographic retail from high school age, in Sussex, London and Lancashire, including in one of the UK’s largest specialist second-hand photo retailers as an equipment consultant back when Film Was King ! I also operated colour machine printers and worked as a black-and-white film developer, and hand printer at different times.
I am offering three services to Film Photographers to help folk along their journey, sharing my decades of knowledge, and meeting you in our shared passion.
Learning, Having Fun and Being Creative - it doesn’t sound like IT because it’s not !
Consultation Hour Long Online £40
Use web enquiry form saying concisely what you want. I’ll ring you by phone to discuss/clarify for 5 minutes, then we book an appointment for an hours zoom video call.
This is as likely about Kit, as Photography,- either is OK with me. You might be thinking of buying a camera / film kit, and need to know which models are likely reliable / good or best value. Which shops are helpful / offer good support or Gtee’s. You might have bought kit, and not sure how to use it, or suspect it might be faulty, or have had a blank film or other bad result. (Out of six items I bought one week I had to return five, one not as described/bad repair attempt, four faulty).
Honestly, I do not think most of the problems would have been spotted by someone new to film cameras/lenses…….Black and white darkroom advice / problem solving welcome. There are a lot of nice genuine people in camera shops, but they sometimes simply don’t have the historical depth of knowledge of the older (film) cameras they are selling to know if all is well _
If you buy an Experience or Tuition from me after a Consultation, £20 off either.
Film Experiences Three Hours Long. In Person. £150.00 Fri - Sun only, by appointment.
Want a good result from your film photography by being supported by a Pro - ? Are a Pro and want to incorporate Film into your photography package (and simply need to make sure you get it right with your film camera) ?
I will meet with you and support you to photograph. Ideally use your own kit if you are sure it’s working correctly. If you haven’t got your own camera I’m happy to provide a basic outfit. Camera and three lenses - a Standard lens, a Wide angle lens and short Telephoto (Portrait) lens.
You can choose from 1970’s metal bodied, 80s or 90s cameras which go from the start of Electromechanical cameras, to a refined generation of Auto Focus cameras. ‘Metal’ cameras are very different from most modern cameras, it’s a much more ‘felt experience’.
Also a great way too see if you like working with film before spending out what can be quite a chunk of money to get going, or simply as an experience ‘to have done it’ Try it - you might like it ! I’m very patient with complete beginners and will have you confident in film loading and basic exposure and composition in a short time.
I ask you supply your own fresh in date film, which must not be damaged. I can supply at cost. I recommend not using expired film if new to Film Photography.
I’m happy to go to your Home if spacious or have a Garden or Studio, an actual Studio, Darkroom if it’s Black and White Processing / Printing help, Park, Seaside (but we won’t be changing lenses near prom, or getting close to salt water), or Urban. Brighton or London ideally are as far away as I want to travel ‘generally’ so this South East bit of UK. Please note travel is included in price but not time so you’ll have a good three hours with me. I am sometimes in other parts of UK, so it’s worth asking, or seeing if I can head in your direction to combine with something else.
Use the enquiry form to say a bit about what you’d like help with or what you want to photograph, and where, I’ll ring to discuss / clarify for 5 minutes by phone, and then we can make a booking via email.
It could be Street Photography (I’ve been doing a lot of that recently), Portraits, Landscape, Studio Work _ I’m experienced in most things and am mainly an experiential sharer of knowledge, but can explain ‘theory’ too in a digestible way.
I will only work with a Small group (it’s my discretion,) this works great with a pair of friends into Photography or Individuals. If you are out of my area meeting in London is very viable - there is the excellent Photographers Gallery (link on links page) which has the Soho Photography Quarter space outside, there are lots of camera shops and other exhibitions too. I’m not affiliated to the Gallery, it’s simply really cool, and sells film at decent prices, along with lots of photography books
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Shoot On Film Portrait Sessions Flat Fees Time Based £50
Two Options :
Keep the films at the end of the shoot and you can have them processed yourself _ or maybe you are going to hand process black and whites yourself ? I will suggest a few labs that will be a safe bet, and you can have the shot film in your hand at end of shoot to do with as you wish _
Or I can charge cost only for whatever the film processing comes to including hi res scans and supply to you as JPGs.
Art People, Creative Professionals, Health / Fitness, Spiritual Teachers/ Practitioners, Tattoo People / Artists, Traditionalists all sorts of people appreciate the more organic naturalistic look of film.
I’m pricing this at an accessible rate of £50 per hour, minimum two hour shooting. I don’t expect ‘cup’ of tea or chit chat time to be chargeable time _ So if you want some amazing Portraits two hours is plenty of time for several looks and changes. Inclusive of three rolls of black and white or basic colour film like Gold 200, that’s going to total around £130.
Digi Portrait Sessions including short video clip if required.
Not engaged with the look of film ? That’s OK, it’s a preference thing, and if what you require is simply really good headshots for your Website / Brochure, with files large enough to make decent sized wall hanging prints from, super.
I’m not likely to learn the huge range of skills required for editing and captioning short videos, but if you require a short basic but properly lit decently colour balanced video for your website and want it to look a significant upgrade from a DIY mobile phone job, I can help. Happy to include a short video file if required _ from Therapists, Pilates Teachers, Martial art Teachers, to local a Bakery or Restaurant or Accountant. I can help. Sole Traders need to have a good profile, and more and more people expect a more polished internet presence from those that they make purchases from. This takes longer than shooting film, but no film costs, so pricing is parallel.