Meet the Author of The Film Photographer's Handbook!
Put the phone camera down and explore the world through an analogue lens with The Film Photographer's Handbook by Chris Gatcum!
If you're looking to adventure into the realm of film, this conveniently-sized book will teach you everything from sourcing equipment to framing a shot and developing, processing and printing your work.
As we draw closer to the official publication of The Film Photographer's Handbook, we sat down with author Chris Gatcum to talk everything film; read on to learn about where he finds inspiration, his top tips for beginner photographers and more!
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I have worked in and around photography for more than twenty years now, but started taking pictures long before that. My professional career began at the ‘transition’ point in photography’s history, as film started to give way to digital capture, so my feet have always been in both camps. During this time I have been a photographer, a journalist, a specialist magazine and book editor, and a best-selling author (although that’s not a label I like to use myself!). I have also successfully managed to avoid falling into the social media trap.
My passion for photography started in the black-and-white darkroom with rolls of Ilford HP5 and multigrade papers, and although digital imaging has featured heavily in my work, I still love the smell of a freshly opened roll of film and the shimmer of a red safelight on trays of darkroom chemistry. In recent years my photography has started to come full-circle, with a new darkroom – and plenty of HP5 – on the horizon.
Tell us about The Film Photographer’s Handbook?
The Film Photographer’s Handbook revisits Steve Bavister’s 35mm Photography: The Complete Guide, long regarded as one of the most comprehensive introductions for photographers beginning their film photography journey. Covering a wide range of genres, it guides you through the fundamental principles of film photography – from choosing a camera and understanding exposure – to mastering more advanced techniques that will take your skills to the next level.
This revised and updated edition builds on Steve Bavister’s extensive expertise, expanding its coverage to include medium- and large-format photography, as well as miniature formats. It also features a substantially enhanced guide to darkroom practice, including a step-by-step walkthrough of film processing that gives you the confidence to develop your own black-and-white film at home, even if you're doing it for the first time. If you also work digitally, an up-to-date guide to hybrid workflows shows you how to get the very best results from your analogue originals.
What is one top tip for beginner photographers getting into film?
Be prepared to make mistakes! You’re not going to see what you’ve taken until you get your film processed, so you’re often never quite sure if you’ve got the exposure right or whether your focus is spot-on. Even now I still expect the odd ‘wayward’ shot, but that’s part of the fun, part of the challenge. And sometimes these ‘happy accidents’ can make fantastic images in their own right – which isn’t something you get with digital!
What was your route into photography?
At the very beginning I dropped an A-level at sixth-form college to take a GCSE in photography instead; at the time I wanted to be a film-maker, and photography seemed like the closest option the college had. From there I went on to start – and quickly leave – a film degree, and after a couple of years ‘drifting’ I signed up to a full-time photography course at what was then Carmarthenshire College of Technology and Art. That was really where I ‘clicked’ with photography – excuse the pun – and thought more about creating pictures than just taking them. From there I worked various jobs on the periphery of photography – photographer’s assistant, set builder, camera rental – before getting a technical writer job at Amateur Photographer magazine.
That was at what I call photography’s ‘transition point’, when digital technology was emerging. My job on the magazine was primarily testing the latest camera kit, and over the next five years I found myself ‘hands on’ with some of the very first digital SLRs, as well as the very last ‘mainstream’ film cameras, such as Nikon’s F6. But while my ‘day job’ was becoming more digitally focused, my personal photography moved in the opposite direction – film cameras (from 35mm to large format) and a traditional darkroom setup were my escape from ‘pixel perfection’.
From writing and photographing for a weekly magazine it was a short step into book publishing, first working as an editor, then managing a photography imprint, and then ‘flying the nest’ to author books of my own.
Where do you look for inspiration?
Anywhere and everywhere! It doesn’t matter where you are, there’s always something to photograph. Even sitting at a desk at work there are things that have the potential to make a great photograph, whether it’s an ultra-macro shot of the tip of a pencil, portraits of other people if you’re in a shared office, or the view from a window.
I also love constructing little vignettes that lie somewhere between the worlds of Ray Harryhausen and David Levinthal. I’ll regularly trawl charity shops for toy soldiers, cowboys, cars, dinosaurs – anything that can be used to create miniature scenes with a sense of story and atmosphere.
Describe The Film Photographer’s Handbook in one word.
Comprehensive.
The Film Photographer's Handbook is a perfect gift for anybody looking to explore the world of film photography; not only does it contain all of the expertise that you'll ever need, but it's sized to fit perfectly in a camera bag for on-the-go shoots. If you'd like to take a sneek peek inside it's pages, you can check out our look inside the book article here.
Treat yourself or a loved one and get into a truly analogue hobby with The Film Photographer's Handbook, available for pre-order at the link here!
About the Author
Chris Gatcum
Based on Steve Bavister’s original Complete Guide to 35mm Photography, Chris Gatcum now provides a...
