If there’s ever a way to turn a random drive into a full-blown analog adventure, it’s by having classic gear at the ready. On this impromptu photo journey, I had two distinctly different cameras and film stocks loaded and waiting: the rugged, all-manual Minolta SRT102 paired with Rollei RPX 100 black and white film, and the plasticky but charming Kodak VR35 loaded with Kodak Ultra Max 400 color film. With both camera straps at my side—one aiming for crisp monochrome, the other for vibrant color—I set out to capture sunlight, shadows, and all the stories hiding on a property I’d never photographed before.

It’s the spontaneous moments that often become favorites for film photographers. That’s exactly what happened on a recent drive when I spotted an intriguing property I’d always wanted to photograph. With a bit of luck, the owner let me in, inviting me to shoot as much as I liked—a rare gift for anyone passionate about documenting unique places on film. What followed was an impromptu shoot that tested my gear and my ability to adapt to bright, unforgiving light.

Working with the Light You’re Given

Midday sun is notorious for making photography tough. The harsh light can blow out highlights and flatten shadow detail, but sometimes the most interesting shots are made by embracing those imperfections. On this day, the sun was blazing overhead—far from ideal for most film, but perfect for challenging myself creatively.

I relied on the Minolta SRT102, loaded with Rollei RPX 100 black and white film. The SRT102 is a classic fully-mechanical SLR from the 1970s, offering full manual control and through-the-lens metering. Paired with a 50mm lens, I kept the aperture around f/8 and the shutter at 1/250th or 1/500th, watching the needle in the match-needle viewfinder to nail my exposure. The RPX 100 film is a modern favorite—fine-grained, great sharpness, and able to handle strong contrast without blocking up shadows or losing highlight detail.

Alongside the SRT102, I brought the Kodak VR35—a classic 1980s point-and-shoot loaded with Kodak Ultra Max 400, a versatile color negative film that thrives in bright conditions. The VR35, with its 38mm f/5.6 lens and auto-exposure, quickly became my weapon of choice for grab shots around the property. Despite its humble plastic construction, it has a surprising knack for sharp, vibrant images.

I would have expected this film to be more costly than it actually is, especially compared to other 'professional' films like Kodak Portra 160, 400 and 800 in either 35mm and 120 formats.

But to the contrary, as of this article, I can buy it locally for about $8.50 US, while Kodak Portra 160 is over $12. Even Ilford's own sister-black and white 'consumer grade' film FP4 is only .50 cents per roll less than the Delta 100.

What the manufacturer says:  “Delta 100, medium speed, exceptionally fine grain, black & white film. Ideal for uncompromising image makers who want to capture maximum detail and sharpness."

I take my Minolta SRT101 into an urban area of Indianapolis, Indiana with a roll of black and white AristaEDU 200 film that I hand developed at home after the shoot.

I also use a 28-80mm Minolta lens, as I find the flexibility of a zoom in urban areas worth the potential loss of glass quality. It's film people, who cares how 'perfect' it is!? One of my most enjoyable experiences with photography usually comes from film, although I enjoy and work a lot with digital, it's the film process/developing/scanning that I find very fulfilling.

I purchased this Nikon FM10 on Ebay, along with the Nikkor 35-70mm zoom lens that proved to be fairly sharp and accurate in reading the exposure. Even though I purchased on Ebay from an individual, I was lucky to get a very nice, well maintained camera. Although there were a couple of lines from a magic marker scribbled on focus screen for some reason, it does not show up in photos. The Nikon FM10 takes two (2) LR144 batteries, which are easily available at most camera shops and online.

Unlike black and white film, I don't develop color c-41 process, but I am fortunate to have a lab within 30 minutes that develops color film for $5 per roll, and offers 72dpi scans for an additional $5. For this roll of Kodak Gold 200 35mm, I decided to forego the scans, and do those myself on my recently purchased Epson V600. I was very happy with the way all steps of the process turned out, from the framing, developing, scanning and final image, these turned out to be very nice images.

My second roll of film through my Minolta Maxxum 3xi was my first roll of Arista EDU Ultra 100 (36 exp) black and white. Since I know from my first shoot with this camera in Franklin, Indiana a few weeks earlier that the camera and lens function well together, and seem to both focus and read exposure well, I was confident it would not be a waste of time taking the Minolta 3xi downtown, where I ask people if I can take their portrait while passing them on the street.

It was mid-day in downtown Indianapolis, so the sun was high and harsh, but that added to the contrast of the film. During the times of covid, the best time to capture people out and about in an inner city is typically going to be lunch time. As more things open up, evenings become more of an option. But from where I am, the evenings are the leanest times regarding people out and about in the downtown area.