Stepping into Film: My First Roll with a Kodak Disposable Camera

For years, digital photography has been my creative playground. The convenience, the flexibility, the sheer volume of photos I can take and instantly review—it's hard to beat. Over time, I found myself hitting a consistent rhythm. With every shoot, at least 80% of the images I captured were worth editing and sharing. That ratio got me thinking: if I can regularly get 29–30 solid shots out of a typical 36-shot digital set, maybe—just maybe—I'm ready to try film.

And so, I did.

Starting Simple: The Kodak Disposable Camera

I decided to ease into film photography with something humble and nostalgic: a Kodak disposable camera. It felt like a fun throwback—I hadn’t used one since I was a teenager, and back then, I didn’t fully grasp what made some of my photos come out blurry or dull.

It turns out, this tiny yellow box has some pretty unique specs:

📸 ISO 800

📸 Shutter speed of 1/100s

📸 Aperture of f/10

Now, knowing what I do about photography, it all made sense. That slow shutter speed? No wonder my childhood snapshots were often blurry. But this time, I approached the camera with more understanding—and much more intention.

📷 St Katherine's Dock, London

A perfect example of the quirks of this camera—slight motion blur due to that 1/100s shutter speed, but it adds character. It feels like a candid moment frozen in time. The imperfections are part of its charm.

📷 Football/basketball court at Barbican

This image instantly transported me into the heart of that gritty, high-contrast film aesthetic. There's a slightly overexposed feel in the highlights, classic to ISO 800 film, but it works in favor of the subject. Despite the fixed settings, I managed to capture good depth and a bit of natural framing. Honestly, it surprised me.

📷 A coffee shop

The textures in this shot really shine. The film’s grain adds a tactile quality that’s hard to replicate digitally. The composition is simple but feels more alive on film. There’s a sort of rawness I’m growing to love.

What’s Next?

Shooting with the Kodak disposable was more than just a nostalgic experiment—it was a genuine learning experience. It forced me to slow down, to consider each frame carefully. And the results? Better than I expected.

This roll convinced me: I’m ready to level up. I’ve already picked up a proper film camera, and I can’t wait to see where this new chapter takes me.

Stay tuned. Film photography is here to stay in my creative journey.