Tips on Shooting with Expired Film
4 39When shooting with expired film, you never know what you’re going to get. You may even find your own unique style in photography. If you’re new to shooting expired film, here are some tips that could help you ease your way into it!

Storage
If you are not going to use the expired film yet, it is best to store it in a freezer until you’re ready to shoot. Storing expired film in cold temperatures will slow down the degradation process. For a quick guide, see the information below:
- Low temperatures slow down film degradation.
- High temperatures speed up film degradation.
- Freezing stops the film degradation.
- Humidity speed up film degradation.
- Dry storage minimizes film degradation.
Load Immediately
Load the expired film into your camera immediately after removing it from its package. If the film is expired, there is a greater risk in exposing it and you may end up with blank prints. If your film came from the freezer, thaw it in room temperature first before loading it in the camera.
Some Tips
There may not be much difference between using fresh film and expired film as long as the expired film was stored properly. Expired film stored in the freezer can last for decades and you can still have great images. Below are some tips that you could use when shooting with expired film:
- Use expired film with slower film speeds as they do not degrade as fast as higher film speeds. If you want an extreme outcome, higher film speeds are your best bet.
- Avoid harsh lights when shooting since this can lead to distortions or light flares on your photos, unless that is what you’re after.
- Cross-process for magical results!
Here are some community photos that were taken with expired film:
These are just a few tips to get your started. Do you have other tips to share? Leave a comment below!
written by jeanmendoza on 2012-03-05 #gear #tutorials #film #expired #tips #expired-film #tipster #photography-tips
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