Daren

Contributing Author

Daren is the founder of LearnFilm.Photography, a blog and YouTube channel dedicated to helping photographers take a scientific and eco-friendly approach to shooting and developing film.

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comments (2) | articles (14)

Can You Scan Film Without Changing Its Look?
And Other Film Digitization Questions Answered
March 24, 2025
The opaque nature of scanning software makes comparing film stocks and understanding the results of different exposures, colour filters, and film brands unreliable. This guide introduces a technique for consistent and predictable film negative inversion. It also answers a few questions about scanning film, starting with an explanation of why it may not be possible to create an image from a film negative without interpreting/changing the colours, whether one film stock can be digitally edited to look like another, what may be the technical advantage of shooting film if it’s going to be scanned with a digital camera, and whether it’s possible to tell if an image was shot on film or digitally.
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How to Edit Film Scans
Bring the Best Out of Your Film
October 24, 2024
This course will teach you the nuances of colour balance and a few simple methods for applying colour corrections. You will learn how to get the best colours and detail out of your film scans and how to draw viewer’s attention to your photos through editing without going too far.
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Lomography Color Negative 800 Film Review
A Portra in Disguise?
October 18, 2024
Lomography Color Negative 800 film is a high-speed medium-high saturation film sold in triple packs of 35mm and 120 rolls. It features accurate colour reproduction and fine grain. Though Lomography does not reveal the exact origins of this film, it’s most likely manufactured by Kodak — but it’s not the same as Portra 800 — as the controlled experiments suggest.
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Asahi Pentax K1000 Film Camera Review
With the Kit SMC Pentax-a 1:1.7 50mm Lens
June 19, 2024
Asahi Pentax K1000 is one of the most popular vintage film SLRs today. It’s still used in classrooms around the world and there are tons of great lens options.
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Developing Film in Cannabis
Test Results and Recipe
April 20, 2024
In this article, I’ll share the results from my new Sativa Cannanol film developer, along with a recipe so you can make it at home. You’ll also see how this cannabis-based extract stacks up against a commercial developer and various phenol-based solutions, like coffee, moss, fir, cedar, blood, pond water, EpiPen, and pee. You will also learn about various ways to make and improve your own organic homemade developer.
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Film Photography News — December 2023 Recap
I Ate My Film Camera. 🎄📸
December 25, 2023
An edible instant film camera made of gingerbread and icing with an active sugar lens enters my belly. A new colour film by the same folks who make Ilford HP5+ goes live. And a new camera strap by RETO.
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Building the “World’s First” Gingerbread Camera
It Shoots Instax Film Through a Lens Made of Sugar and I Ate It 🍭
December 20, 2023
Dmitri explains how his edible film camera uses an isomalt sugar lens to photograph subjects with fast shutter speeds on a piece of bread loaded with Instax Square film.
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Kodak Gold vs. ColorPlus
Side-by-Side Comparison
November 23, 2023
Our extensive tests revealed no significant difference between the two emulsions. But there’s a slight nuance you may like to know about.
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Minolta P’s (Riva Panorama) Camera Review
An Easy, Affordable, Panoramic Point-and-Shoot Film Camera
November 7, 2023
A panoramic point-and-shoot film camera with motorized film transport, autofocus, autoexposure, flash, and a 24mm 𝒇4.5 coated lens.
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A Beginner’s Guide to Shooting Manual Film Cameras
Learn How to Use Mechanical SLRs, TLRs, and Rangefinders
August 23, 2023
Take advantage of the great wealth of affordable, working, creatively liberating film cameras by mastering exposure and manual focus.
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Joined on November 24, 2021.

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Can You Scan Film Without Changing Its Look?

And Other Film Digitization Questions Answered

March 24, 2025

How to Edit Film Scans

Bring the Best Out of Your Film

October 24, 2024

Lomography Color Negative 800 Film Review

A Portra in Disguise?

October 18, 2024

Asahi Pentax K1000 Film Camera Review

With the Kit SMC Pentax-a 1:1.7 50mm Lens

June 19, 2024

Developing Film in Cannabis

Test Results and Recipe

April 20, 2024

Film Photography News — December 2023 Recap

I Ate My Film Camera. 🎄📸

December 25, 2023

Building the “World’s First” Gingerbread Camera

It Shoots Instax Film Through a Lens Made of Sugar and I Ate It 🍭

December 20, 2023

Kodak Gold vs. ColorPlus

Side-by-Side Comparison

November 23, 2023

Minolta P’s (Riva Panorama) Camera Review

An Easy, Affordable, Panoramic Point-and-Shoot Film Camera

November 7, 2023

A Beginner’s Guide to Shooting Manual Film Cameras

Learn How to Use Mechanical SLRs, TLRs, and Rangefinders

August 23, 2023

Meet the Analog.Cafe authors!