Fun with Expired Film
Frame 0. The VERY first image I shot while getting back into film photography. Taken at the Hoboken Train Station in February 2026.
STUFF
Shooting with Expired film is a major pain in the ass and also tons of fun!
After film hits its expiration date funny things begin to happen. As the chemical compounds of the film begin to breakdown it could result in loss of color & contrast, a major increase in grain, darker images, or literally nothing showing up at all.
For those of us shooting expired film, the unpredictable results are what make it fun!
A big part of how the final images may turn out depends on how long past expiration the film is and how it was stored. In reality, most expired film has likely been sitting in room temperature, not cold stored. Heat quickens the breakdown process. Putting film in the fridge or freezer slows down the breakdown process, but nothing can stop it.
When I first started getting back into film photography I decided to start with some expired film. This was mainly because I had stuff just lying around from when I stopped shooting a decade or so ago. I figured I might as well start with that.
Another reason I wanted to shoot expired film was because most film labs don’t want to process it. So for a long time I was quite limited in my ability to experiment with expired film. This time around I’m developing the film myself, which has really opened up a new world for me!
So I wanted to see what I would get with some various rolls of expired film, and I’m having a blast doing it!
Here are some shots on various types of film, including disposable cameras that I did recently.
Super Old Stuff
The last time I was shooting film I spent a good deal of time shooting 120 film with the Diana F+ from Lomography. I loved the lo-fi look of the film via the Diana’s plastic lens, and the larger size of the film negative created a different canvas for me to play around with.
At that time I was shooting more B&W than color. The last roll I was shooting had a few exposures left on it and it sat around for a long time until I picked it up again.
After I got the film developing tools together I decided it was time to bust out the Diana F+ and finish that roll. I attempted some portraits of artists at the Alternative Gallery. In the process I warned them that the film was over 10 years expired and I had no idea what the results would be.
Unfortunately the chemicals on the film kind of melted away into nothing and the entire roll was destroyed. With the exception of the first three exposures on the roll, which were highly deformed, but still present.
I decided to scan those three exposures together and kind of combine them into one image.
I’m still not quite sure WHAT happened to the film. My guess is a combination of the film sitting around for so long, moisture slowly getting to it, and it not being stored in great conditions. I’m pretty sure my cat also pissed on the camera at some point.
So if you’re looking to achieve similar results, I guess just store your film really badly in a cheap plastic camera for a decade, have a cat piss on it, and then develop it in a hallway.
Ilford Pan F 50 (120 Film) Expired 2012ish.
Expired Film At Night
I was surprised by some of the nighttime results I’ve gotten from expired film. Yes it’s grainy and dark as hell. But I was a bit surprised at how good the color and illuminated light came through on this. It’s something I’ll be keeping in mind moving forward when shooting expired film at night.
These two frames overlapped each other. Likely less to do with the expired film than sometimes a camera doesn’t fully advance the film.
So What Now?
The images here are just a small selection of some of the stuff I’ve been shooting recently. I love how the various film stocks look compiled together. There’s certainly an artistic trait to it all, which I guess is kind of what I’m after.
On some of the images you can see part of the sprocket holes from the film. I actually plan to go back and re-scan all of the negatives full frame, edge to edge, with the sprockets included. The reason I don’t have those here is because of how curled the film is from being wound up so long inside the film canisters. I’ve been working to re-flatten the film so I can scan it edge to edge. Currently I’m only able to scan them properly by placing them into film holders to keep them flat, which covers most of the sprocket holes.
So really, scanning has been the biggest obstacle in this whole process!
I'm shooting expired film seeking those imperfections and unknown results from the film degradation. And I am truly loving it and have no plan to stop!
I’ll end this blog with a shot of my friend Dany, which I think is a phenomenal shot. If you like what you’re seeing here you’ll have to thank her. She’s the one who spent months convincing me to get back into film photography, and I couldn’t thank her enough for it.
Be sure to check her work out as well!
IG: https://www.instagram.com/danyfilmphotos/
Website: https://danyfilm.com
