About Expired Film Day
“Beware the Ides of March.” (Wm. Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Act I, Scene 2)
The Ides of March — that’s March 15, if you failed English Literature in high school — was chosen to add color to a time of the year with less film-related photo events, and because it’s the day that Julius Caesar notoriously … expired.
WHAT IT IS
Expired Film Day celebrates the joys of using film whose Use-By date has (preferably long-since) passed. One of the particular pleasures of being a film-using photographer in these modern times is the abundance of expired-but-still-probably-pretty-good film on the market, found in grandparents’ attics or at thrift stores, or sourced from the freezers of pros who’ve gone digital.
Expired film can be unpredictable: if you know how it was stored, it might be easy to compensate for its age, if that’s even necessary. If you don’t, your results could range from dark, to flat, to color-shifted and beyond. Many people today say the potential unpredictability of using film is part of what draws them to it over digital; using expired film takes the existing unpredictability of using film and compounds it.
So join us March 15, get out with your camera and some expired film. Compensate or don’t. Meter or don’t. Have fun!
WHO IT IS
The inaugural Expired Film Day was presented, officially, by Daniel J. Schneider, EMULSIVE, Ray Larose and Marc van Ommeren. Ultimately, of course, it belongs to the community. This site will continue to serve as its home as long as it continues to draw participation.
WHY TO JOIN IN
You’ll be using expired film on the same day(s) as EVERYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD (who is participating). Read on for details!
SOCIAL MEDIA
Twitter: Follow @ExpiredFilmDay for tweets loaded with event updates, tips, and friendly banter. Add the hashtag #ExpiredFilmDay to your related tweets. We’ll be retweeting a lot!
Instagram: Follow @ExpiredFilmDay for expired film posts, event updates, tips, and more. Use the hashtag #expiredfilmday for your posts on and about the day.
Flickr: Thanks to Shaun Nelson (@UtahFilmPhoto), there is also an Expired Film Day Flickr group you can join. Add as many images as you like to the pool for sharing and discussion. Remember they must be images taken on Expired Film Day. See you over there!
Facebook: Post a photo on the official Expired Film Day Facebook page if you like. We might post some links there once in awhile, too, and maybe even reply to discussions! Certainly we’ll probably remember to post the winners announcement there, hopefully. You know you want to…