Sometimes even when all the right elements line up in your favor, the end result can be something you aren't entirely happy with. In this case I had a truly excellent model (whom I adore to this day!) trained in dance. I had a professional studio at my disposal. I had amazing lights to work with, and a great soundtrack playing in the background throughout the entire thing. All the right factors were right at my fingertips to create something extraordinary. However, I made one very critical error...I photographed the entire thing using very cheap film.
I think every film photographer has been tempted at one time or another to use cheaply manufactured stock. After all, the cost of film eats us all alive at times and even a meager savings of fifty cents per roll can make a world of difference. In this case, I was using a black and white stock manufactured in China I acquired off of eBay.
Ultimately the film wasn't worth the savings. It is incredibly grainy (would you believe me if I told you this is ISO 100 speed film!!), the emulsion super splotchy, and the film curls so badly that it is impossible to scan or print it without getting scratches, fingerprints, and defects all over the surface. It's one of those things that I look back on now and simply consider it a lesson learned.