Recently returned from a trip to northern Idaho to attend a wedding. Being the glutton for punishment that I am, I flew across the country with 15 rolls of 35mm film and a selection of lenses. Did I bring my DSLR just in case? No, I did not.
I’ve heard horror stories about flying with film, but in my few attempts I’ve been lucky. The TSA agents I’ve come across have been very accommodating. I keep the film in a clear ziplock bag and ask for a hand check – sometimes they volunteer – and it all goes off without a hitch. I do not arrive with film loaded in the camera, so I want to load a roll after I pass security.
We had a wonderful time visiting with family, some I had not seen in years. I blew through a few rolls of Fuji 400, two rolls of CineStill 500T (one of which had some issues I didn’t know about until after development – such is life!), and a roll of Lomo 800. The wedding service was lovely, the lighting was perfect, the weather mild, and I did get a few shots I was proud of. Mostly I just snapped candid photos, but I had time for a few attempts at something more substantial.
We also spent an afternoon rock climbing, and took a day trip over to Kootenai Falls, Montana for a short hike. The smoke there was worse, so the hike was probably not the best idea, but it was worth it for the views.
Our trip home was delayed due to the previously mentioned Spokane wildfires, so our two-hour layover turned into seven. There are worse places to be stuck than Denver International, however, so I made the most of it and blew through another roll. (Two actually, but one didn’t turn out very well as I was experimenting/killing time more than anything.)
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