The Sudden Rise of Film Photography

Thirty-six exposures per roll, an approximate wait time of two to three weeks for scans to come back, an average of $27 per roll developed, and countless ways to completely mess up, miss, or even ruin a perfect shot. Who would want that? Well actually, a lot of people.

Film photography dates back to 1889, and was heavily used up until the 90s, when the digicam took over. Like most modern-day inventions, people migrate with the factors of convenience, cost, and trendiness. So naturally, it was a no-brainer for the general public to switch over to a medium where you get immediate results, better quality, and overall a more advantageous investment for one’s money. As popular digicams such as the Sony Cybershot and Fuji Finepix hit the shelves, rolls of Kodak 35mm film remained stagnant and mostly unused. Until, these past few years, when teens and young adults decided to find out what the tiny can of brown or black plastic-looking stuff was all about.

Mostly for aesthetic purposes, recent generations have gravitated towards reviving trends of the past, whether it is the low-rise jeans of the early 2000s or platform shoes of the late 90s. As this generation finds themselves picking up a point-and-shoot film camera, instead of their iPhone, it usually stems from the same reason, aesthetics.

Now, don’t get me wrong, the grainy and distinct style of film photography is unlike any other vintage-looking filter on a phone, but there is also a rich history and complex science behind film photography.

The film itself is a material usually composed of cellulose acetate coated with light-sensitive minerals in which each time you click the shutter button, it exposes the film to light, which captures the imprint of the scene. The developing process is also a magnificent and chemically-dependent procedure. Using a dark room (due to the film’s light sensitivity), there are a few steps that involve dipping the film into special solvent developers to reveal the negative. Finally, the roll of negatives is scanned, downloaded, and ready to share.

Although working with film is a much more tedious operation compared to simply clicking a button on your phone, many find it more surprising and rewarding. As there are no instant results with film, it leaves the photographer with a feeling of suspense and more pride when they can capture a “perfect” shot. A lot of the appeal can also be credited to the idea of an “in the moment” and candid shot. Again, without the instant results, there is no room for spending copious amounts of time reviewing what was just shot and feeling the need for a retake. You just cross your fingers and move on to the next shot. This medium is not even remotely close to an Instagram photoshoot, where one might end up with 500-plus photos to analyze.

Overall, even though mobile and digital cameras have the upper hand considering convenience and cost, film photography gives people a special feeling and aesthetic to a previous moment that was shot. Whether it’s picking up a disposable Fujifilm camera from Target, or investing in a reusable point-and-shoot camera, film photography is an amazing way to bring people together and enjoy the present, while creating an ongoing feeling of anticipation while waiting for the scans to come back.