If you’ve followed my work even a little, you know I live and breathe film. But this latest project? It pushed me deeper into the soul of analog photography than I’ve ever been. Forty curated images, hundreds of frames, countless decisions and all of them captured on film. Real film. Not simulations, not presets, not filters. Just light, lens, and chemistry.
This artical is about shooting with 120 film—specifically Kodak Gold 200, Portra 160, and Ilford HP5 Plus 400—using my trusty Yashica Mat-124G, a medium format twin-lens reflex (TLR) camera from the golden days of Japanese engineering.
Let’s break it down. 120 film is a medium format film type that produces larger negatives than 35mm. That means more detail, better dynamic range, smoother tones, and a depth that digital sensors (even full-frame) still struggle to match. For my project, that richness of detail was non-negotiable.
Each roll gives you 12 exposures at 6x6 cm on a TLR like the Yashica. And that’s a big deal. You're not snapping mindlessly. Every frame counts. Film photography slows you down—in the best way possible. You become more intentional. You don’t just “take” photos; you make them.
This is a cult classic for a reason. Fully mechanical, waist-level viewfinder, sharp 80mm f/3.5 lens, and a joy to use. I bought it from Sarbojay Paul—who also developed and scanned all my rolls for this project. The beauty of this camera? It’s not intimidating. No electronics, no distractions. Just you, the light, and your subject.
Using it, I understood something deeper about my craft. The camera becomes invisible. It becomes part of the rhythm of the moment. This simplicity is what led me to capture some of my most emotionally raw portraits and timeless compositions yet.
Most people don’t realize this, but developing film is a whole ritual. A sacred one. Each film stock requires different chemicals and times. I worked with both C-41 process for color negatives and B&W chemistry for Ilford. The moment that image appears on the negative? Magic.
With each negative, I saw stories emerge—stories the digital sensor can’t replicate. The imperfections, the soft grains, the tonality—this is what gives film its unique voice.
Zines, Prints, and Preservation
All of these photos are being published through my independent zine label FOI Studios. I'm not just putting them on Instagram and calling it a day. I'm printing them. Archiving them. Letting people touch the grain, smell the paper, and experience the photographs as they were meant to be.
This zine is shot entirely on film—no digitals, no AI, no nonsense. It’s a preservation of the real history of photography, in your hands.
This project isn’t just about beautiful photos. It’s about reviving a process. A culture. A way of seeing. Through 120 film, I’ve been able to express something honest, slow, and deeply human.
If you’re just getting into film—start small. A roll of 35mm. Or even a disposable. But if you’re ready for that next step? 120 is a whole new world.
Thank you for supporting analog photography.
Support it, collect it, archive it.
And remember: every frame on film is a choice. Make it count.
Want to dive deeper into this journey?
→ Check out my full zine on zineoriginal.com
→ Join my free community on nas.io/msourish
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