A Lens of Time: Shooting Expired Film in Tenby.

Written By Whoisbenjamin .

On a recent getaway, I visited Tenby for the first time—and instantly liked this part of the country. This colourful harbour town in South Wales greeted me with sunshine, sea breeze, and a palette of pastel buildings that seemed made for photography. Rather than bring my digital camera, I decided to document the experience with two trusted film companions: my Nikon F3 loaded with expired Truprint 35mm, and a Yashica Mat-124G using expired Portra NC 120.

There’s something special about shooting expired film—you’re never quite sure what you’ll get, but that’s part of the charm. The Truprint 35mm, long out of date and stored less than ideally, produced soft, faded tones with subtle color shifts. On my Nikon, Tenby's cheerful facades and coastal views were rendered in hues that felt straight out of a dream—somewhere between a vintage postcard and a memory.

The Portra NC 120, loaded into my Yashica Mat-124G, performed better than expected, but I felt like was taking a gamble the whole time. Known for its neutral tones in its prime, the expired roll still held together nicely. The images had a delicate warmth and mellow contrast that suited the sunshine perfectly. That said, I couldn’t quite tell whether the muted quality came from the film’s natural degradation or from my own home-developed chemicals—which may have aged a bit themselves. Either way, the results were beautifully imperfect from so many variables.

Tenby’s vibrant buildings, narrow winding streets, and golden beaches provided endless inspiration. The light that day was crisp and clear, perfect for both portrait-style shots and wide coastal scenes. I overexposed the film slightly—about a stop for each decade expired—and let the rest unfold naturally.

This trip reminded me why I love film photography, especially with expired stock: it captures not just an image, but a feeling. Tenby left such an impression on me that I’m already dreaming of going back—next time with fresh film and maybe even more expired rolls to experiment with.

If you find yourself with old film sitting forgotten in a drawer, don’t hesitate. Take it somewhere beautiful—and let it surprise you.

22.5.25

large houses on cliff top surrounded by green trees under blue sky
white and red pier leading out to sea with metal railing and water underneath
White and red pear structure on golden sand under blue skies during sunny day
Row of colourful houses on cobbled streets with cars outside under blue sky
Ice cream van on Golden sand next to blue ocean with cliff in background
Row of colourful houses next to harbour with boat on orange sand on sunny day
Land Rover vehicle parked next to greenhouse on cobbled Street on sunny day
Small boat approaching cliff with green trees and building on the top
Black car parked in front of old church with colourful houses in the background people sat at bench eating and drinking
Colourful houses with yellow and blue doors with red car parked on cobbled street under blue sunny skies
Tractor vehicle on golden sand with blue ocean water with cliff line behind with row of trees on the top
rock formation on large golden sand beach with children playing in foreground
Tenby ice cream van on white sand serving ice-cream to group of people
small white vintage fishing boat with nets and old street lamps behind
Tenby pier vintage film
boy in red t shirt paddle boarding on blue water next to white boat
Whoisbenjamin .
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