Shooting Expired Film: Take One

With shooting film in general, there is an element of unpredictability because, unless you are a photography veteran (and maybe even then), you can't know for sure how the photos will turn out. Adding expired film into the mix certainly complicates things more, as you most likely have no idea where the film came from and how its expiration date will end up affecting the shots.

2013

There are certain effects/features that are associated with the use of expired film, such as: increased grain, colour shifts or certain colours being more pronounced, muddy shadows, partial or complete fogging and, supposedly, light leaks (though I have found this to be more from not fully closing the back of the camera).

2001

How can you know which effects (or whether any) are going to be dominant? Really, you can't... But you can make a close educated guess if you are aware of which elements impose which effects on the film.The obvious examples that come to mind are; how long ago the film expired and whether it was damaged. The older the film, the higher the chance that the photos will be affected more extremely. As for damaging, that's a wild card- you can't possibly know what will happen, but it can be fun to have that element of surprise. There are people who purposely damage film to get an "effect", they may know better what is to be expected. However, the amount of time (and money!) it may take to conduct such an experiment single-handedly probably proves unrewarding for most people.

2001

The temperature in which the film had been primarily stored has a huge impact on the outcome; the cooler the temperature, the better. Storing film in hot places has been known to damage even unexpired film to an extent. Additionally, another thing to keep in mind is that fast film tends to display the signs of age quicker; treat anything 400 and above with greater care.

2001

2001

I have just tried shooting with some expired film I got for free from Craigslist (holla!), and it's my first time using it. I used Kodak brand 400 film that expired in 2001, and Kodak brand film that expired in 2013.

2001

The older film, exp. 2001, ended up being grainier with more faded colours, especially so when it wasn't extremely bright outside, while the 2013 film acted the way a non-expired roll would; I guess the peeps who hooked me up on Craigslist stored them in reeaaal cold places- how nice! You can compare and contrast the photos yourself, as I've labelled them.

2001

2013

To conclude, the verdict this time is: good stuff, if you don't mind that "old-school" effect for some of the shots... But that doesn't mean it'll be like that every time. Stay tuned for Take 2!

2013