When I started off on my ‘film photography’ adventure (having ‘discovered’ the pleasure of taking pictures in an entirely digital manner), I wanted to own all the cameras and shoot all the films that had ever existed. I got excited about cross-processing, tried (and failed) to ape styles of photography I’d come across on flickr and barely a week went by without the purchase of another old, and usually slightly broken camera.

I still have too many cameras, and too many rolls of film I’ll probably never get round to shooting.

I’m not suggesting this was the wrong way to go about things - to paraphrase (or at least misquote) Ben, ‘try stuff now, get good later’ is an approach with some merits, especially when time is tight. I’ve been lucky enough to have access to a cramped, hot and slightly decrepit but fairly well-equipped darkroom and both local and mail-order processing labs who do a good job for a reasonable price.

I’ve also been surrounded by people who are as excited as I am about discovering new cameras, new emulsions, new developers. Along the way I’ve even managed to produce a few photos which other people seem to like, and which I can go back to and think ‘yes, that worked’.

I think it’s time to clear out my camera drawer and move some of the obscure, outdated film on to the next keen discoverers of the magic of film - or at least some trendy hipsters who’ll pay more than it’s worth on eBay.

Me, I’ll keep my Pentax 645, with its modest collection of lenses, 80s quirks and remarkably frugal approach to batteries. It works. It’s my camera. I don’t think I can quite bring myself to get rid of the Pentax 35mm kit I’ve got, but I can’t remember the last time I took anything with it - much less anything good. I’m not writing off 35mm completely, not least having seen Ben’s recent B+W work, but whilst I’ve shot rolls of crummy, boring pictures on 120, the film has never let me down.

So, 2012? One thing’s for sure - it’s going to be a busy year. I’ve got a PhD to finish, and who knows what else after that. With this in mind, I’m thinking that perhaps returning to the simple pleasures of B+W might be the way to go. I’m glad we mastered the colour processes, but they take a degree of committment which might be difficult to muster over the next few months. Sneaking in a quick couple of rolls of B+W whilst Matt was tending to a batch of E6 was so refreshingly simple I was certain I must have missed something!

The only problem is that I’ve still not found a replacement for Neopan 400 in 120. Ilford Delta 400 is not that film. Kodak TMAX 400, I’m pinning my hopes on you…