The Charm of Expired Film

Film may be timeless, but it does have an expiration date. That’s right — all photographic film will expire eventually. However, just because a film has passed its expiration date doesn’t mean you should throw it away. That film is still usable, and some analog photographers even prefer shooting with expired film! But how can film expire, and how does using expired film affect the finished product? Let’s get into it.

How Film Expires

Film is composed of layers of light-sensitive silver halide crystals suspended in gelatin and adhered to cellulose to create film. Until the film is developed, this chemical compound (called an emulsion) is in an unstable state. Over time the chemicals in the emulsion will start to lose sensitivity and begin to break down. When this happens, the film becomes less sensitive to light and more prone to changes in color and contrast. These changes will typically become more pronounced the longer the film has been expired.

Why Use Expired Film?

So why would anybody want to use expired film? The answer lies in many of the same reasons people still shoot film in the digital age. Analog enthusiasts are drawn to film because of its aesthetic qualities. Rather than the technical precision of digital photography, film photography is about capturing a mood, and using expired film pushes the signature "imperfections" of film to the forefront of an image. Expired film often has more exaggerated graininess, muted colors, and a softer look compared to a brand new roll. If you’re looking for that lo-fi analog aesthetic, expired film is the way to go.

Budget-Friendly Benefits

Another benefit to using expired film is the price. Most retailers will mark down their expiring stock, so if you want to shoot film but are on a budget, this is one way to get your film at a fraction of the cost. In fact, film that is only a year or two out of date may only show minor signs of aging, provided it has been kept in a cool and dry environment. Factors like high heat and humidity can accelerate the breakdown of the emulsion, so keep that in mind if you’re thinking of buying expired film on the secondary market. The unused rolls somebody found in their grandma’s attic probably aren’t going to give you the results you want.

Challenges of Shooting Expired Film

There are of course challenges associated with shooting expired film. Foremost among these is the expired film’s unpredictability. No two rolls of film will age exactly the same, so knowing exactly how your photos will turn out is nearly impossible. Color film is especially vulnerable to aging, so it’s not uncommon to see intense color shifting on expired rolls. Black and white film doesn’t have this issue, but it is still susceptible to changes in contrast or sharpness. One trick to help counteract the reduced sensitivity of expired film is to intentionally overexpose it while shooting. The rule of thumb is to overexpose by 1 full stop for every decade the film has been expired.

Expect the Unexpected

While not every photographer wants to take a chance on an expired roll of film, the truth is that no film is perfectly consistent. Serendipity is part of the charm of analog photography; sometimes the shot you didn’t plan for ends up being your absolute favorite. So if you are feeling experimental or simply want to get out of your comfort zone as a photographer, try picking up an expired roll and expect the unexpected!