Film photographer Jim Grove on some film. Photo courtesy of Patty Wrabel.

Hi everyone! So I know today isn’t “Film Photographer Friday”…it’s Saturday. I was just too busy this week to have the post up and finished yesterday so I’m temporarily allowing Saturday to take the limelight. Last night’s show at Tatu went amazing! So thankful for everyone who came out to see my work in person. Pictures of the show will be up soon for those that were unable to attend 🙂

Today’s interview and spotlight is on Jim Grove. Jim is a photographer who shoots film! He’s from Cockeysville, Maryland. He started shooting film thirteen years ago but has been proactive at shooting film for the last four years.

We all have a story of how we picked up a camera or became drawn to film. What’s yours?
My first real foray into shooting film happened when I was in high school. I took photography classes in my senior year, and was hooked for a while. I fell out of it for a few years when disaster struck and the entirety of my negatives were stolen. I was crushed and couldn’t bring my self to haul out my gear. Then, a few years ago, I caught the bug again. I started with digital, but then I met a woman that would soon become my current girlfriend, and she just so happened to work in a film lab! She was the one that truly re-ignighted my interest in film photography, and I’ve been hooked ever since.

We all have our favorite camera to use. What kind of film camera do you use most often?
The majority of my film work is shot using a Nikon FE and 50mm f/1.8 lens. I use this camera specifically for it’s fantastic aperture priority mode, which will actually meter exposures up to several minutes, allowing me to get some really great night-shots without having to use a separate meter.

photo courtesy of Jim Grove/ Kodak Ultramax 400

photo courtesy of Jim Grove/Kodak Portra 400

photo courtesy of Jim Grove/Kodak Portra 400 (push to 800)

What kind of film do you like the most? Any solid preferences?
These days I tend toward B&W, mostly using Arista Premium 400, which is actually rebranded Kodak TMax 400. I enjoy the versatility since I can pull it to 100, or push it as far as 1600 without having to do much in the way of special processing. I was a big fan of Kodak’s P3200, but sadly it’s been discontinued. I plan to check out Ilford’s 3200 offering to see how it compares.

What’s your favorite subject to photograph?
I have an easier time identifying what I DON’T like to shoot, but that mostly stems from what I feel are my weaknesses; I’m not so great with street photography or portraits in general. I’ve been working to correct the latter, but the former still eludes me. Beyond that, I enjoy good moody imagery, but mainly I’ll just shoot whatever catches my eye.

 Lastly, what do you make of the whole “film is dead” argument?
 I view the “film is dead” idea the same way as the “vinyl is dead” arguments that happened when CDs came out. Everyone has their preference and niche markets will always exist to cater to those people looking for them. There’s been a resurgence in years in interest in vinyl because of peoples preferences for the way it renders sound, and the same is and will continue to happen regarding film.

photo courtesy of Jim Grove/Kodak Portra 160NC

photo courtesy of Jim Grove/Arista Premium 400, home processed in TMAX developer (1:4)

photo courtesy of Jim Grove/Kodak Gold 200, shot at 400

These were all great! Thanks for sharing Jim! I enjoyed the wide range of films that were used, it’s something I’ve been thinking about doing myself. I tend to stick to Portra 400 for everything but I have been wanting to branch out. I especially loved the light leak burn and the use of shadows and light patterns. Well done. See more of Jim’s work here!