3 Great Film Stocks for Winter! by Jen Golay

Written by Jen Golay

Winter often gets overlooked when it comes to film photography. For the most part, we associate summer with our cameras at the beach or on vacation, taking images filled with sunlight and bright, saturated colors. But shooting film in the winter is a lot of fun, too.

I am definitely a winter hibernator, but I have learned that, even though I don’t like the cold, it’s so beneficial to get outside even in winter. And one way to get me bundled up and out the door is loading some film into my camera and searching for some great images.

I’ve shared with you my tips for great winter film photography and shooting in the snow, and now I want to share with you my three favorite films to take out with you during winter.

1. Kodak Ektar 100

Kodak Ektar 100 is almost exclusively associated with summer because of its bright, saturated, and punchy colors. It’s also a slow film that requires a lot of good light. But bright, saturated colors and good light appear in winter, too. It’s just different.

Ektar is the perfect film to take out on a sunny, winter day when the skies are clear and blue. You can shoot it with or without snow on the ground, but look for other bright colors to contrast with the white snow or the duller colors of winter.

Remember that Ektar 100 is rather particular with how it needs to be exposed, so meter carefully to ensure you get the most out of the winter colors available.

Find Kodak Ektar 100 on Amazon.

2. Lomography 800

Lomography 800 is another fun, colorful film that I often use during the summer. It’s a faster film, so it can handle overcast days or even shooting at night.

I love shooting Lomo 800 at night during the holiday season. You can handhold your camera and capture holiday lights or urban settings beautifully.

You can also take Lomo 800 out during the day in winter, but I tend to grab it more often at night in winter.

Find Lomography 800 on Amazon.

3. Kodak Tri-X 400

For so many of us in the Northern Hemisphere, winter is dark, cold, and rather colorless, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t beautiful. So don’t be afraid to embrace a black and white film for your winter photography.

Tri-X is a moderately fast film with great exposure latitude. It also has good contrast, so it looks great with snow. Remember to over-expose so your snow is white and not 18% gray.

You can also shoot Tri-X indoors during the winter for some great window-light portraits.

Here is a detailed review of Kodak Tri-X, and here are some tips for shooting with black and white film.

Find Kodak Tri-X 400 on Amazon.

Final Thoughts

Shooting film in winter can be just as fun as shooting film in the summer as long as you take into account the different conditions as well as the look you want to produce with your film.

Remember, getting outside in the winter is good for your mental, physical, and creative health, so bundle up and get out there and create some great winter images!

Thank you so much, Jen! Jen is a regular contributor here at Shoot It With Film, and you can check out her other articles here, including 5 Tips for Great Black and White Film Photography and 5 Best Handheld Light Meters for Film Photography.

You can also check out more of Jen’s work on Instagram.

Leave your questions about the best film stocks to shoot in the winter and let us know your favorites below in the comments! You can pick up these winter film stocks on Amazon here: Kodak Ektar 100, Lomography 800, Kodak Tri-X 400

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Jen Golay

Jen Golay is a senior portrait and travel film photographer and a regular contributor for Shoot It With Film. Find her other articles here, such as How To Shoot Kodak Gold 200 and Olympus Pen F Half-Frame Film Camera Review.

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