First roll: A price of Admission

Jun 11

And here we are, my very first roll of film put through its paces in the Diana Mini. I like to think of this roll as my tuition fee to the school of analog photography.

It had 36 exposures in total. Out of those, 29 frames were scannable. Of those, 17 were underexposed beyond saving. That left me with just 13 usable shots - about a 33% success rate. Not exactly the kind of odds that fill you with confidence.

But honestly, I expected it. This is part of the learning curve, the trial and error that digital photography tends to shield us from. Every missed frame is a lesson. Every faint image is a reminder that light, timing, and patience matter a lot more when there’s no screen showing you instant feedback.

The numbers might not be in my favour, but that’s the beauty of film. The imperfections, the surprises, even the disappointments - they’re all part of the experience.

Was it worth it? Absolutely. In those images, I see progress, potential, and the quiet magic that made me pick up this little plastic camera in the first place.