(This is for you, Zach, because you show interest. And anyone else for that matter.)
Well, this is really very simple. You need a camera with a lens, some film, the camera's instruction manual and the basics for exposure.
First, you need the gear. If you just have a point and shoot, or as they are now called, a 'mirrorless' camera, then you really need read no further than your instruction manual to be able to take good pics and document your daily life. If you are looking to really 'get into photography', you will need a little more. There scads of used film cameras for sale cheap on the auction sites and the list sites and most anywhere else. This is because everyone is going digital. The most common entry camera would be a 35mm SLR camera. It is called this because it uses 35mm format roll film and it is an SLR (single lens reflex) camera because you focus through the lens that is used to expose the film. You will need a lens for this camera and very seldom will you find a used camera with no lens attached to it. 50mm is a normal lens. 28mm is in the wide angle range. 100mm or more is a telephoto. A zoom lens is a lens that can adjust through a range of focal lengths such as 28mm or 50mm or 80mm up to 300mm and more.
Next you need film. Remember to get the film that fits your camera. For the above example you will need 35mm roll film, or as it is technically referred to, 135 roll film. This can come in color or black and white, negative or slide (positive) film. You will need to bear in mind where you can get your film developed. Most places anymore will mail it off for you as the local one hour processers have all but gone the way of the do-do. If you decide to learn how to process or develop your film on your own, black and white is by far the simplest. One word on black and white film. Or rather color film as well. Color film requires a chemical process that is referred to as C-41 processing. Some black and white films such as Kodak BW400CN employs this C-41 process. This was so that folks could shoot black and white photographs and have them done quickly and locally. Again, this point has become less of a factor as almost nowhere will do anything other than mail it off for you and you could find a reputable processer and mail your film yourself.
READ YOUR CAMERA'S INSTRUCTION MANUAL. IT IS NOW YOUR SECOND BIBLE. You will need to know how to operate your camera. You will need to know what buttons and switches do just what. And that little flimsy book that no one in the right mind ever reads has ALL of the answers you could ever need. How to load film, how to focus, how to use a flash, how to change your aperture setting, how to use the self timer (if equipped), where to mount the camera onto a tripod. It is all there.
Last but not least. The basics on Photography. I have a couple articles on this page that you can read. There are also some fantastic books to read. Henry Horenstein's Black and White Photography. Bryan Peterson's Understanding Exposure is another. That is a short list but a great starting point for you. There are some good forums to join as well.
www.apug.org
www.thephotoforum.com
APUG is a film photography user group that is 70,000 members strong and has members from around the globe with all sorts of skill levels and specialities. A wonderful resource. Another is The Photo Forum. They have a lot of photography related forums but they also have a dedicated film section if that is your cup of tea. I am a member of both and use them often and contribute where I can.
Photography is a vast world of creativity. You get from it that which you put into it and it gives you so much more. I would encourage each of you to get your camera and film and read up on how to use them and what makes them click (pun only partially intended). You may find that this is too much and all you want to do is to just record your life in snap shots. AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. But is you wanna kick it up a notch, then dive right on in. You will not regret it.
And, Zach, you will need to put the end of something sturdy the size of a paper clip into that little round depression to the upper right of the lens and move it down and hold it there to unlock the lens to change it. Figures, I only have cameras that have only one thing wrong with them. But that one is the most operable of the bunch. Have fun.
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