I step onto the threshold of the sliding glass door and look out into a still frame of a movie. Nothing is moving. Every leaf on the massive tangle of grapevines and every other plant in the garden is frozen in place. The neighbor’s trees, the sky above—everything is locked in time. There is no sound. No cars, no dogs barking, no sirens, or kids playing in the alley. An eerie feeling of wrongness prickles the skin of my forearms and neck. This isn’t right.
A small house swallow tears across the sky in complete silence, followed by another and another. Each bird pumps their wings furiously, quietly. The orange-tinted light, filtered through a haze of forest fire smoke, softens all edges, bringing shadows up from crisp black to something entirely less clear.
I step down onto the aggregate concrete patio in hopes of shattering the flat, two-dimensional illusion brought on by the complete stillness of my yard.
First day of school. Forest fires. Excessive heat warnings. Suburbia. Dinner time. Life in Oregon in 2024 is not what it was like when I was a kid in the 1980s and 1990s.
As I reflect on this shift, I realize how much the world has changed—not just in terms of climate and technology, but in the way we perceive and document our surroundings. I don’t often think about the aesthetic reasons for using film. For me, it’s enough that I love the process and materials. But lately, it’s getting harder to ignore how the present doesn’t quite fit with the past. The contrast has become more pronounced, and sometimes, it feels like things aren’t heading in the right direction.
This brings me to why I continue to shoot with film—particularly Kentmere 400. Film allows me to engage with the past, to examine it, to contextualize it, and to make it relevant. You can shoot old things with this old technology, creating a synergy of subject and media. Nostalgia. Warm and fuzzy. You can also shoot new things, infusing the present with the vibe of a different time. I’ve heard this described as "photographic cosplay," and it resonates with me because it invites the viewer to reconcile the dissonance between medium and subject, between past and present.
As an artist, every choice we make has meaning. Everything matters. As Marshall McLuhan said, “The medium is the message.”
Even if I don’t always take the time to wrap my brain around the bigger picture, I know that my choice of medium, subject, and composition matters. The tools and subjects I choose create something new, and that new thing should be clear.
My current exploration in film photography is an attempt to take the reins of meaning a little earlier in my creative process. I still shoot observationally and intuitively, but now with a more intentional approach.
This brings me to the most buried lede I may ever write: I am falling for Kentmere 400 film in the 120 size. Depending on the exact negative size (645, 6x7, 6x9), where I place the shadows, and the developer used, I find it to be one of the most versatile and scannable emulsions I’ve ever used. In 6x9 with XTOL developer and normal shadow exposure, it can present an incredibly fine and nuanced tonal scale. In 645 size, with heightened shadow exposure and either normal or contracted development, it becomes one of the most wonderfully contrasty films with impressively consistent and predictable grain structure. It’s one hell of a film—and, for me, much easier to scan than HP5+, especially when using the low-toxicity XTOL developer.
Kentmere 400 in 120 can suffer from a bit of halation, but this only shows up in strongly backlit situations, in my experience. It also probably doesn’t have as large a dynamic range as HP5+. But I haven’t found either of these to be an issue in any environment. In fact, I consider these "downsides" to be tools more than drawbacks. The film’s performance is so consistent and predictable that it’s become one of my go-to choices.
If there is any film I want to carry with me as I continue my journey in analog photography, it’s Kentmere 400. I just wish they made it in 4x5 size.
Prints of these images are available and they are gorgeous.
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