The resurrection of film photography: hype or a real value?

Posted on Apr 9th, 2024

Film photography in 2024

I want to tackle this topic for a bit of time. This trend has been going on for some years, and I think it has already been debated enough online.

I want to give my two cents on the topic and my view from someone who started shooting with film more than twenty years ago, then transitioned to digital, to see this rise in the popularity of film photography again.

Film photography seems to have a solid following, especially among the young Z generation. But not only the younger are interested in this medium.
Reading my conversations on Threads, I can say there’s a general interest.

Analog photography has, for many people, a unique attraction: the fact to shoot and then wait for the result. In a life where we’re always used to “everything now and quickly,” the philosophy of film forces you to wait. It is almost like a meditation ritual in which the moment of the capture is divided from the moment of the result.

The beauty of a film camera

Sometimes, shooting with a film camera connects you more to the mechanical aspect of the camera. Choosing a camera from the ’70s or ’80s often means manually managing all the key aspects of the photographs, from the exposure to the focus.

I want only to recall my memories from when I started photographing. Back in the beginning of 2000, digital cameras were expensive, very low in resolution (around 6mp), and aimed only at professionals.

Who started with photography was beginning to photograph with an analog camera. I also began with a Pentax Spotmatic and Fujifilm Sensia reversal film.

One of the strongest emotions I had when attending my first photography class with a professional photographer was when he projected a slide he had taken with the Fujifilm Velvia film. Those strong, vibrant colors so engaged me.

So, my process was usually like this: shooting on the slide, going to the lab, taking those slides, and then scanning them. I was lucky enough to convince my sponsor at the time, my father, to purchase a Nikon Coolscan IV (we still have it, and it still works great!).

In those years, scanning a single 35mm slide was a pain, partly due to the scanner’s slow speed and partly due to the computer of that era. Then, the most challenging aspect was getting the correct color out of the slide. I remember studying color management, purchasing a Lacie CRT monitor with higher color fidelity than the previous monitor, and buying my first colorimeter, the Spyder Pro.

Why did I say to you all this lengthy procedure? When digital DSLRs started to be more approachable to the nonprofessional consumer (the first was the Canon Eos 300D), I remember the joy I had to be able to have my photos directly from the camera without the need for the scan and the lengthy procedure to try to calibrate the colors correctly.

Do you develop and scan your own film?

I feel that now, after more than 20 years from my beginning, people shot to film, but most of them let the lab develop and scan the roll. In this way, they cut away all that long process I described above. I’m questioning, and I don’t have an answer, if that is a valid move or if it gets away from one of the aspects of shooting with film.

On my side, if I shoot to film, sometimes I also like to develop and scan by myself. During the pandemic year, I learned how to develop with a color C-41 kit at home, then I scanned all the rolls developed with the mirrorless process (I will talk more about it in a future post), or if I have 35mm I can scan with the old Nikon Coolscan or, this is the best option, when I’m going to Milan I’ve found a lab where I can rent the Hasselblad Flexscan that is one of the best scan out on the market.

Film photography and colors

I’ve just one last observation about film photography related to color.

As you may know, digital photography is based on the Bayer matrix. This means that 99% of digital sensors (except the Faveon sensor) cannot capture full-color information in the R, G, and B channels. The Bayer matrix captures 50% information on green, 25% on red, and 25% on blue. The rest of the information is recovered algorithmically in the camera or by raw developer software such as Lightroom or Capture One (or any software provided by the camera’s manufacturer).

Color film photography has three layers of colors, capturing the full spectrum. Film photography can capture a different image with some colors and nuance than digital. I will not say it is better, only that it is different.

I want to hear your story

I want to close this post with an open call to anyone who reads it: I would be glad to hear your experience with film photography, whether you manage the development and scan at home or let the lab do it, what you feel when shooting with an analog camera, and your idea of whether analog film photography is here to stay longer in the next years!