Story & Photos
By Michael Kinney
From the outset, I don’t think I really understood what I was putting myself through. I hadn’t even shot a full roll of film, and there I was telling myself this was a project I could do.
Whether it’s a blessing or a curse, I haven’t decided yet, but I have the ability to come up with almost any idea and believe on the spot that I can make it happen. So when I decided that shooting the NBA Finals with film cameras was a cool idea, I didn’t blink.
Never mind the fact that film was nearly dying out as mirrorless and digital cameras expanded their reach. I certainly had no idea of the out-of-pocket costs that would make me wince every time I went to purchase a new roll of film.
All I knew was that I had been bitten by the photography bug a few years back, and shooting with vintage film cameras had become the newest iteration of that newfound obsession in the spring and summer of 2025.
So, I had this bright idea of capturing one of the biggest events to ever take place in Oklahoma sports history using a technology I had nearly zero experience with. It made all the sense in the world.
That was the basis of this project. At the time I wasn’t sure if the photos would be used to make prints to hang, a book, or even just a zine. I would let the work dictate the final outcome.
As I write this story, I’m leaning toward a zine because I’m not sure how many photos will actually be usable. That is scary and exciting.
In the end, I’m a storyteller. Whether I’m writing or shooting photography, that is and always will be the foundation of any work I do. So, for this project, the story of the 2025 NBA Finals was my exploration into film photography. From the first roll of expired (early 2000s) Kodak 400 Ultra Max that I stuck into my Pentax on Media Day to the Canon EF with the Kodak Gold 200 (also expired) I used for the Championship Parade, I want to take my readers/viewers on a journey. Not just of the Thunder winning their first NBA title, but one of me discovering how to use this antiquated medium that would, in the end, help me become a better photographer and storyteller.
I detail the cameras I used, the film stock, and even how I metered it, which was easily the hardest part of this entire endeavor.
While I still used my Nikon Z5 and Sony Ar7 V for the brunt of my coverage for MichaelKinneymedia.com, much of my thought process during the NBA finals drifted toward finding the best shots that would showcase the uniqueness of film compared to digital.
Spoiler alert. It was much more difficult than I had envisioned. And even though I was surrounded by some of the best sports photographers in the world, I kept my questions to myself until I could ask YouTube.
Yet, there were times I hit the shutter button and immediately thought that could be a ‘so-called banger.’ I would look down at the back of the camera and constantly shake my head when I realized, for the 50th time, there would be no photo to view.
The NBA finals ended on June 22 with the Oklahoma City Thunder defeating the Indiana Pacers. From the seven games, three media days, and the championship Parade, I used 12 rolls of film. That includes two rolls for Game 7.
During that span, I was only able to get one roll developed. Once again, the cost to develop and scan made me want to learn to DIY. But that is way too much work for me.
The one roll was a Cinestill 800T from Game 2. The two photos I attached to this story came from that roll and show just how good and bad I might be at this.
It will be some time before I get the rest of the rolls developed. I may need to create a crowdfunding Venmo in order to come up with the funds just to get the rolls developed and scanned. That doesn’t include turning them into a zine/book and getting it published (I still have two other travel books on my to-do list, as well).
But that is the goal I have set for myself. I have noticed, at least for me, if I don’t create a project and set it in stone, most of my photography gets archived and is forgotten about. I didn’t want that to happen with these. Even if they are terrible, the experience was well worth whatever comes out of my pocket.
So even as I write this introduction, I have no idea what the photos look like, if I did a halfway adequate job, put myself in position for a Pulitzer, or should have every camera in my home taken away from me. But I’m excited to see how it comes out.
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