Last time I checked, it’s 2026. So why the heck was I carrying a Minolta SR-T 102 film camera around with me to SEMA? The answer is a two-parter: for the aesthetic, and to stand out.
As someone trying to break into professional automotive photography, you have to somehow stand out from the rest of the crowd that is all using the same gear. Every time I go to car events, I see a TON of Sony Alpha 7R’s, each with a gimbal and cage, all recording both photo and video, and everyone shooting similar angles and getting similar results. It gets boring and overdone, which is why I didn’t want to follow that same route.
Yes, I was also still shooting digitally at SEMA. I found myself taking tons of photos with my Canon DSLR, a Rebel T5 I got about 10 years ago that has treated me so well in that time. But I also wanted to capture a different feel to the event that is SEMA, something more nostalgic and stylized.
Film gives the pictures you take such a unique visual aesthetic. The light feels more natural, colors can still pop even in lower-light conditions, and even low-contrast areas still can have defined details like tire treads, or sections that are in the shadows.
Scrolling through social media like Instagram, lots of people try to emulate film during the editing process, but nothing really captures images exactly like shooting on actual celluloid.
When it was confirmed I was taking photos of SEMA for the site, ideas immediately started rushing through my brain, like using point-and-shoots, disposable cameras, or even just going phone-only for photos, until I realized something: I have always wanted to try shooting on actual film, the old school way journalists did back before the creation of the digital camera.
I settled on shooting with two cameras and my phone, but then an issue cropped up: I didn’t actually own a 35mm camera. That issue was resolved quickly thanks to another member of the Discord server, Tam, who offered up one of their vintage Minolta cameras for me to use and keep.
I met up with them to get the camera and took a roll of expired Kodak with me to a car show a few weeks before SEMA. After getting the photos back, confirming I was happy with the results, and picking up a couple more rolls of film, it was game on.
The first day of shooting was stressful to say the least. This was the first time I was shooting film indoors, so I couldn’t just rely on my outside exposure basics to get a decent picture. But I was able to use my DLSR to dial in settings without wasting film, and the Fujifilm 400 I was shooting with ended up being a bit forgiving when it came to lower light settings.
As I walked around the show with both my Canon DSLR and my Minolta film camera around my neck, the Minolta was by far the biggest conversation starter. Booth workers, attendees, and even other photographers came over to ask if I was actually shooting on film or if it was just a modern camera that looked vintage. After confirming to them that it was in fact a film camera, they were shocked that I would bring a film camera to the show.
The second and third days of SEMA went smoother than the first, as I had my process dialed in for photos. As I walked my last day of the show, I worked to get the most out of my roll of Kodak 400. I captured images of Emme Hall, the 787 at the XPEL booth, Sung Kang at the eBay Live auctions, and some of the builds at the Toyo Treadpass. Not every image came out perfect or usable, but such is the nature of film. The inherent imperfections give each photo character, and tell the story of that moment.
After a few stressful days of waiting to get the scans back from my developer (shoutouts to Alien Photo Lab here in Vegas), seeing the final results brought me so much joy. As I scrolled through the photos, I was shocked by how good some of the pictures turned out. Even ones with mistakes looked great and made me so proud that I was able to do something I had only dreamt about a few years ago.
With it all said and done, I’m going to continue covering car events with film along with other formats. This was not a one-and-done deal for me, this was just the beginning of a lifelong dream come true.
Top graphic images: eBay seller; Tyler Moore
