Like most things, photography is often a compromise — a choice — between different things. If you want A then you give up B, that sort of thing. I quite like shooting big negatives, with 120 film and 4x5s being my favourites, but shooting the large frames means you have to give some things up.

Speed, for example. The Pentax 67 is quite like an SLR in function, but not quite as fast to use as a 35mm camera. It’s heavier, slower to focus, and only gives you 10 shots per roll. Shooting 4x5 slows things down even more — every photo becomes a deliberate act, with setup, focus, metering, and loading a single sheet at a time. But that slowness is part of the draw. It forces you to stop and consider. You give up speed, spontaneity, and stealth. But in return, you get detail, tone, presence — that sense that the photograph holds more than just a moment. It holds your time, your effort, and your attention, if it all goes to plan …

That said, 35mm has its strengths too. In fact, there are two areas where it’s particularly well-suited: wildlife (or sports) and macro photography. In both cases, it’s not about film size — it’s about the systems that have developed around the format. For fast-moving subjects, 35mm SLRs offer rapid frame rates, quicker handling, and long telephoto lenses that are more compact and manageable than their medium or large format counterparts.

The same goes for macro photography. Wildflowers, insects, and other close-up subjects are easier to capture with the range of extension tubes, bellows, macro lenses, and through-the-lens metering that 35mm systems offer. These tools are widely available and relatively affordable. Add to that the depth of field advantage that comes from the smaller film size, and 35mm becomes the practical choice when working just inches from your subject.

I have a bit of an obsession with wildflowers. People often think of them as colour subjects — and they are — but there's also structure, shape, and shading that black-and-white brings out in a way that colour doesn't. The same is true for wildlife. Texture, contrast, posture — all of it can be just as powerful without colour, sometimes more so.

Of course, it’s much easier to shoot animals and birds with digital. Autofocus, incomprehensible fast frame rates, image stabilization — digital gives you a much better chance of actually getting the shot. But film, even when it makes things harder, also makes the results feel more earned.