If you’ve read the short bio below the few columns or articles I’ve written so far, you would know that I love binge watching Netflix. When I have the time, of course. Which isn’t often, but I digress.

  One of my favorite shows to watch on Netflix is “Stranger Things.” I love everything about the show: the plot, the era, the outfits, and the characters! 

  One of my favorite things about the time period of the show (besides vinyl records) is the use of film cameras. Though digital cameras began to be manufactured in the 70’s, many people continued to use the tried and true method of film. Kodak processing centers were still in CVS Pharmacy stores and Walmart. Film could be purchased at local grocery stores. Oh, what a time!

  For a child, like me, that grew up primarily in the digital age, it is hard to completely understand what life was like before the digital age. So, one can understand my enthusiasm to learn how to take photos with a film camera.

  I first learned how to shoot film on my dad’s Yashica 35mm camera that we rescued from some dusty corner of one of our closets. I learned the basics then, but only out of the childhood curiosity that was developed from the discovery of wondrous items from the ‘olden days.’

  In high school, I was gifted a Canon DSLR camera and thus began the era of my being a self-taught photographer with little acknowledgement to the origins of photography, as I had not yet learned to love the craft as I do now.

  When I went to college, I decided to pursue a Photography minor, because, why not? I thought, with my self-taught skills, the class would be a breeze.

  Imagine my surprise when, in the second week of class, I was handed a Canon 35 mm film camera. I had my Canon DSLR camera set and ready to go. What was I going to do with a film camera?

  From the Canon 35 mm camera, I was given a Yashica TLR medium format camera with 120 mm film, and then moved on to various large format field cameras.

  After the fiasco of learning how to load film, fumbling in the dark as I tried to open the film container and load it onto the developing spiral, and freaking out as I tried to not over or under develop my film, I was a goner.

  I fell in love with film and medium format cameras and their history. And, after a lot of searching and a large repair bill, I am now the proud owner of a beautiful Rolleiflex TLR camera.

  Watching “Stranger Things,” when Jonathan was in the Darkroom (the red room/room with the red light), I was transported back in my mind to the long hours spent in  my college’s darkroom, completely oblivious to the world around me and anticipating the moment I finally got to see my photos come to life.

  We were taught to develop our film (both color and black and white) using the proper chemicals and water temperature, to use film enlargers, to use test strips to determine exposure times, to transfer our photos to contact paper, and to manipulate the image through dodging and burning effects.

  The reason for this column’s topic is because I recently read an article stating that some people my age and younger began an online discussion thread, as they had no idea what the room with the red light is on the show “Stranger Things,” i.e. a darkroom.

  It is absolutely appalling that the youth of today do not know what a darkroom is! Yes, I do know that I was blessed to have early exposure (haha) to the art of film photography and then was accidentally thrust into the field when I ventured on to college. Those chance occurrences solidified my understanding of the craft.

  Most kids today are self-taught and learn photography solely on a DSLR camera. However, my time spent with film taught me more about photography than I ever thought about teaching myself as a self-taught photographer.

  I fell in love with black and white photography, a lack of color I previously detested. I began to value every shot I took, as film allows anywhere from 12-36 shots depending on the film size. Each shot is valuable. I learned how to wait for a shot and anticipate action. I learned the fundamentals. I got back to the basics and trudged through relative antiquity to the modern day. And that, column readers, makes all the difference.