“Our Passion is Your Passion.” That’s the motto of Film Box, a full-service film photography lab in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded by photographers Ryan Bernal and Austin Gros, Film Box is dedicated to the unique beauty of film photography in an era of ubiquitous digital snapshots. They elaborate on their website:
“Film has been a tried & true photographic medium. Advances in technology are great, but often times remove the human, tangible element. While some may think film photography is a dying art form in this digital world, we beg to differ. As photographers in search of beautiful images & a simple workflow return to this classic medium, we have – and are currently – witnessing a renaissance of film. This return to film photography is happening at a time when there are fewer labs offering film development & scanning services. We are simply trying to do our part.”
Film Box processes and scans photos for clients around the world, delivering both high-quality digital files and negatives for maximum flexibility. Negatives are shipped in a handsome wooden box, or can be picked up at Film Box’s beautiful space in the heart of Nashville.
When Film Box decided to make a custom journal to include in their clients’ orders as a little bonus, they turned to Atlanta, Georgia-based designer and illustrator Russell Shaw. Russell created this charming Scout Book. Featuring drawings of over a dozen film cameras, from the famed Polaroid SX-70 (Side note: If you haven’t watched this amazing film by Charles & Ray Eames about Polaroid’s ground-breaking camera, do yourself a favor and check it out!) to modern SLR cameras, the journal is the perfect companion for the on-the-go photographer. Says Shaw of the illustrations:
“From an aesthetic perspective, I think the Hassleblads are just really cool looking, and enjoyed creating and including the illustrations of those. But from a more personal perspective, I intentionally included the Pentax P30 because it was actually my first film camera that I learned to shoot and develop myself. I thrifted an old P30 in high school and would take it out to shoot around my hometown and then develop at the school’s lab; even into college, I’d stay up late at the university art center working in the dark room. I’m not a photographer in any way, but I always had a lot of fun with that, and so I wanted to pay a little homage to my first camera in the illustrations.”
Adding a simple, two-color band to the design is the perfect finishing touch, elevating the design, connecting the book to the overall packaging design, and making the client feel extra special!
Many thanks to the Film Box team and Russell Shaw for sharing their great photos and process on the design!