Tips for Traveling with Film

The holidays are finally here! Whether you're traveling by airplane or car, traveling with film can be a bit tricky at times. Watch as @linusandhiscamera shares a few tips that take the headache out of traveling with your favorite film — both this holiday season and anytime! For all those that are traveling and even those who aren't, stay safe and have a happy holidays! 🎄

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0:00 - Intro
0:21 - Flying with film?
0:45 - Packing your film
1:03 - Hand checking your film
2:32 - Traveling with exposed film
2:53 - Storing and caring for your film
3:28 - Traveling by car
3:47 - Outro
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TAGS: film photography, film development, cinestill film, cinestill, cine still, kodak, fujifilm, ilford, adox, foma, agfa, linusandhiscamera, shooting film, cinestill 800t, analog photography, film, film camera, 35mm film, 35mm film photography, 35mm film camera, cinestillfilm, developing film, cinestill 50d, how to travel with film, traveling with film, flying with film, how to hand check your film, how to keep your film safe while traveling, how to keep your film safe in your car, storing and caring for your film while you travel
#FILMPHOTOGRAPHY, #CINESTILL, #TRAVELINGWITHFILM
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[ejorbe]

Thanks for talking about the lead bags, I was wondering about how they handle the bags at security. The advice I was given was, depending on where you are going, research where there is a reputable film developer, buy your film at your destination and process it there as well. Granted, prices could be a factor in different countries.

[ImSimplyAlwaysBored]

When I took a roll of 800T to Honduras, they looked at me like I was crazy for telling them that it would ruin my film. I told them I’m a developer. They just laughed. I had to give up because I’m not trying to argue. My film was fine luckily.

[biabragam]

Just got 3 rolls of film from my recent trip back from the lab. They have been scanned at least 7 times, 2 of which were on CT scanners. Being on a tight schedule, I didn’t ask for a hand inspection not even once during the entire trip.
I bought a Domke bag to help protect them but I was caught off guard on two occasions (namely, during museum visits) where I had to put my loaded camera through the X Ray and didn’t have the lead bag on me.
So with that said: I think they turned pretty neat! They were all 400 ISO so some damage was expected but nothing as bad as it could happen on a 3200 ISO for example.
The colors look pretty good, even better in shots taken during the most sunny hours of the day. The only things I noticed were a darkening on the edges of some shots, which made some of them look like they were taken in the late afternoon when in reality they were taken at about 2PM; the other thing was a very subtle yellow line that is visible in some of the shots.
All in all here’s my final take on it: don’t worry! Pack some films and go have fun in your trip. A Domke bag will definitely add an extra layer of protection, as well as give you some peace of mind. If you are too precious even with the most minimum details of a shot, you may feel discontent with the results.
However, if you are like me and you goal is to have fun and capture some cool memories you are going to be just fine!
For people who work with professional photography though, I guess it’s all going to depend on your style, personal preferences and of course, what your client desire. But since that’s not my case, I don’t feel knowledgeable enough in the topic to discuss my opinion.
Hope everyone has fun out there! Just relax and enjoy your future trips with lots and lots of cool pictures!

[randallstewart]

I used to take 10 days trips to the SW USA for landscape photography. Many years ago, I flew to Los Vegas and drove from there, and the TSA was still a gleam in some bureaucrat's eye. Thereafter, I found driving the whole trip to work better, having my preferred vehicle fully equipped. Initially, I had a small 12 volt cooler to keep a few items and my film, but those units turned out to be mostly junk. In the end, I used a medium sized ice chest for both food and film, bagged and boxed to sort and avoid and water damage. The simplest way always worked out best.

[frstesiste]

I dont travel (on planes) with film anymore and when I did I tried to travel with as little as possible. Just one film in the camera and one extra usually, then I'd buy whatever I needed at the destination. Going back I tried to get it developed before my return flight. Of course that's not possible on all trips, but it avoids the problem or at least most of it when it is. Btw, never had any film destroyed by the scanning and usually it was possible to get it hand checked.

[jhenniferhernandez]

Im going to El salvador next April. The last time I went was when i was 9, 2008. 16 years ago. So I want to do film while I'm there. This is helpful

[jmagnuson]

Keep an empty or old CineStill 800T canister or something higher like TMax 3200 in your film bag so there’s more justification for a hand check.

[damium]

Travelled to Vietnam for Work and brought some film with me and I have noticed that TSA doesn't let you hand check film. They say that their safe. This happened in Milan airport and Singapore airport. the singapore airport had a few stickers with written "filmsafe" on the scanners.

[markgarcia]

I’ve traveled thru Europe without hand checking my film during security.
X ray damage doesn’t happen easily even when you check in your bags. Never had a problem

[theblackmanarmedwithacamera]

THERE NEEDS TO BE A FILM PHOTOGRAPHY BIBLE WITH THIS IN THERE!!!!🤘🏾🤘🏾🤘🏾🤘🏾

[smitz]

I've never had a roll of film be fogged by a scanner. Even 800T

[Thorpal]

Best and mostly unrealistic advice : having diplomatic passport. Then no one will dare to check your luggage !

[Chapter]

didn't know that x-ray can damage the film :/ Thanks for sharing!

[madisonbeard]

Oh my god i could have used this a month ago. But I’m grateful so thank you

[harvestheverest]

Google said airport scanners doesn't usually affect films with a lower ISO than 800, idk if that's true tho

[juanlatorre]

Great tips! Thank you 🙂. My question is: When the film travels from the factory to retailers in other continents all over the world, isn’t it scanned for security in customs anyway? Thanks again!

[trystanmentoor]

I'd store my film in a cooler bag for roadtrips

[Crittbeast]

What about a camera already loaded with a partially exposed roll of film? Just put it through the X-ray and pray? 😂 If they ask for a hand check they may ask to open the assembly which would ruin my exposures.

[AcmeCamera]

I've never had an issue with hand checks, especially because I shoot mainly 800 and 3200 films, but my last go through with TSA was a mess. I had to open all of the original boxes/packaging so they could see the actual roll of film, they tried telling me the film would require going through the scanner otherwise. real annoyance and time consumer. bunch of my 120 3200 rolls got sent through anyways.

[jabez]

Any tips for cameras? ? Say I was travelling with a standard camera bag.