Roll No.1
Film: Kodak Gold 200
Develop & scan: DEP Lab 2022/6/17
Camera: Olympus OM-1
Lens: Olympus OM 50mm f1.4
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I never thought I'd one day shoot film. A while ago, I bought my first film SLR: Olympus OM-1, paired with the Olympus OM 50mm f1.4 lens. The whole set was about 8,000 TWD from Yahoo! Japan Auctions (including Bibian service fees). Maybe I overpaid, but the seller described the camera as being in excellent condition—almost like "once in a century"—so I bought it.
Since I thought the camera was expensive, I wanted to test whether it really was as good as the seller claimed. So I ordered two rolls of the cheapest Kodak film on Shopee: Kodak Gold 200 (24 exposures). Today's roll is the first one developed and scanned, done by DEP Lab in Shulin, New Taipei. Developing film is so convenient now—you drop it off in the evening, and the next day they send a Dropbox link via Line for you to download directly.
Back to this very first roll of film I've ever shot (not counting my childhood point-and-shoot days). I feel that every shutter click carries a story—something that feels completely different from digital photography. With digital cameras, you can reshoot endlessly with no cost, so the sense of "the moment" isn't as strong. In contrast, film photography captures that "moment" with intensity—like the difference between listening to recorded music and being at a live concert.
I never thought I'd fall in love with film photography, but I really enjoy not having to spend time editing photos afterward. I love the feeling of having just one chance. I no longer waste time trying to perfect a shot—it saves not only my time but also the subject's. And best of all, there's no photo-picking afterward. It saves me so much time. Amazing.
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This should be what they call the film leader?
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Probably still part of the film leader. I remember carefully loading my first roll while watching a YouTube tutorial—this kind of "toy" with a learning curve is just so fun.
↑ #1
The very first real shot—dedicated to my son. I forgot what he was doing, probably assembling something at the dining table. He looked so focused that I couldn't resist pressing the shutter.
↑ #2
Since my son's school suspended classes, it's just the two of us at home. Honestly, it's been super boring. That might have been one of the main reasons I bought a film camera.
↑ #3
We have a lot of camping gear at home—so much that storage is a nightmare. But I've found that many camping items work well indoors too. For example, this tactical moon chair for kids is perfect for both meals and movies. Very practical.
↑ #4
I admit I dislike those selfies where people hold their SLRs into the frame—but I was just testing the focus here. First roll means I needed more variety of shots to understand the film's characteristics.
↑ #5
This was the first night I got the camera. I excitedly showed it to my awesome wife and asked her to try it out. This was her very first shutter with this camera.
↑ #6
I didn't want to buy my son a toy camera, so I gave him our spare Olympus E-M10 with a Panasonic Lumix 20mm f1.7 lens. He already knows how to "press the shutter," but the concept of "half-press to focus" still has a way to go.
↑ #7
This shot was taken while I went to drop off a Shopee parcel after my wife got home. I snapped it at a small local temple, trying to see if Kodak Gold 200 could capture a dark blue background with orange lantern light. The answer: nope.
↑ #8
Testing handheld low-speed shutter in low light. Didn't work—I missed focus. I aimed at the pedestrian light but ended up focusing on the apartment windows behind.
↑ #9
Testing tonal range of Kodak Gold 200 in low light. Hmm… as expected from a budget film—not impressive.
↑ #10
Fast forward to the next day—I took my son to Taipei Zoo again. During this class-suspension period, we've probably been there ten times. The reason's simple: cheap tickets!
↑ #11
Following the rule that "a well-rested kid cries less," if we arrive early, I let him nap in the car before going in. Honestly, it's the best time for parents—we get to scroll our phones in peace. Still, this shot was part of my camera tests.
↑ #12
This is my favorite shot of the roll—maybe because it captures that sense of stillness. It's also the kind of daylight Kodak Gold 200 excels at (the sun was just setting).
↑ #13
I still don't quite get why, under the same film and lighting, the colors look so different from the previous shot. Maybe I should've used a smaller aperture—it was already at OM-1's shutter limit of 1/1000s.
↑ #14
Same problem as the previous one—next time I'd rather underexpose a bit than blow it out completely.
↑ #15
My wife just got off work—carrying tonight's delicious dinner.
↑ #16
Continuing from above—the blurry foreground is my son. This is our happiest daily moment: one seeing Mom come home, the other seeing his wife come home—meaning I can finally "get off work" too.
↑ #17
I must say—Kodak Gold 200 really isn't made for night shots.
↑ #18
That seat in the middle of the frame—my grandma, dad, and great-grandfather all sat there. I often think of them when I see this composition, especially late at night coming home. Sometimes they'd still be awake waiting for me; other times already asleep. When they were awake, I used to fear being scolded—but looking back, I actually preferred that.
↑ #19
From left: Xu Chun-Liang (my father), Xu Huang Yu-Ying (my grandmother), Xu Ching-Huo (my grandfather), Xu Huang Wang Yen-Dan (my great-grandmother).
↑ #20
Technically this is my son's room, but we've never managed to keep it tidy. He's always slept with us anyway (well, he's only three).
↑ #21
I used to think two-year-olds were fun, but after my son turned three, I realized three-year-olds are even more fascinating—perhaps because they mix innocence and maturity in such a unique way.
↑ #22
LEGO Duplo is amazing, though I just found out each block costs 10–20 TWD! So expensive—and yet we already own tons of them.
↑ #23
I wanted to learn how to capture natural light coming through the window. Judging from this photo, I still don't know how. (So I'll just keep shooting.)
↑ #24
See, this shot looks quite different from the previous one—same environment, same film—but I forgot the settings. Anyway, this was the last frame of the roll, and I was really happy after finishing it.
