Film is coming back but where's the film?

[kshapero]

I keep reading articles about the use of film is making a comeback.
http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2010/05/13/is-film-making-a-comeback-why-indeed-it-is/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/8525839/Traditional-camera-film-makes-a-come-back.html

Etc, etc. But in the meantime traditional film companies are closing shop or discontinuing film lines. So which is it?

 

[Jamie Pillers]

I keep reading articles about the use of film is making a comeback.
http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2010/05/13/is-film-making-a-comeback-why-indeed-it-is/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/...raditional-camera-film-makes-a-come-back.html

Etc, etc. But in the meantime traditional film companies are closing shop or discontinuing film lines. So which is it?

The most recent referenced article seemed to be saying that the measured resurgence in film use is due to young photographers' desire to use something 'cool'... something other than their cell phones. I predict that as digital camera design becomes 'cool'-er and cooler, film will eventually die off. My guess is that within my lifetime (another 25 years or so), film will only be produced by small boutique companies like the Impossible Project and other LOMO-esque efforts.

By the way, I believe the irony behind this death of film is going to be digital camera designs that come closer and closer to cameras that feel and act like film cameras. 😱

 

[magicianhisoka]

I just wish I could buy film at a reasonable price here in Portugal. In the meantime, I'm burning whatever I have left.

 

[braver]

Etc, etc. But in the meantime traditional film companies are closing shop or discontinuing film lines. So which is it?

The big ones have their production lines all set up for massive volume. Massive volumes of color negative film also. They have to make changes to keep smaller volumes of a different b&w/color mix viable. It's an entirely different market now, not everyone is ready for it.

 

[Jamie123]

I keep reading articles about the use of film is making a comeback.
http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2010/05/13/is-film-making-a-comeback-why-indeed-it-is/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/8525839/Traditional-camera-film-makes-a-come-back.html

Etc, etc. But in the meantime traditional film companies are closing shop or discontinuing film lines. So which is it?

I think the 'film comeback' is a bit overexaggerated. I suspect most of it is consolidation, not rising demand. The owner of the pro lab I use (which is the best in town with many well known clients) says that in the last year did much more processing than they used to in the years before. But the reason for that is probably that many of the other labs have closed or have stopped offering film processing so basically he's been picking up the slack for them. Also, since very few commercial jobs are shot on film nobody orders contact sheets anymore so that is a huge financial loss for a lab.

 

[Monochrom]

Hi, as a long term technology film will never disappear but for sure will be very l¡mited in it´s development as restricted in the places you will be able to purchase it.
It´s obvious that digital media will reach films DR, check the simga dp2 merrill and the monochrom results....

For instance ilford has "good health" and i think the film divisions of large brands will be purchased by samller companies that can get proit in a nowadays niche product.

I think there will be no more sildes but on B/W we will have more offer.

Bye...and hope film will keep up!

 

[larmarv916]

Yes, "jamie" your on the right track...the "elite" art geeks in places like NY, London, Paris, Berlin and sadly Italy. Now appear to have found a new marketing angle for collectors with to much money! They are grabbing you unknown photographers and throwing them up to the public...as new age artists because the use real film. I even read a article in a european news paper where they described it like this..." yes, he is using the lost art of having real light touch the image surface, and then letting going into a real dark room to create a transparent film image to print with real silver paper".

The remainder of the story talking about how the prints are so collectable because he can only make 1 or 2 a week. Talk about serious BS.

Yes this "jive" is just the newest version of the "emperors clothes"....Don't even get me started on the lack of technical or artistic ability.

It is sad but the Art Gallery clowns are only looking for some new suckers and again they are finding them.

 

[jippiejee]

The only place in my town doing one hour development (Hema) thought the maintenance of their machine already too expensive to be profitable and dropped the whole business. Film, it's death row. Nobody wants to wait for another week to see their images. It'll be an Impossible Project-styled niche soon for colour.

 

[JChrome]

It is sad but the Art Gallery clowns are only looking for some new suckers and again they are finding them.

Art gallery clowns take art and sell it. Religious clowns take jesus and sell it. Carnival clowns take balloons, turn them into dogs and sell it. Killer clowns from Outer Space killed people and sold movie theater tickets.

 

[Sparrow]

Elvis has much of the Kodachrome I hear ...

 

[Eric T]

Black and white film will likely be with us for some time (at least from niche manufacturers). I hope it isn't so - but color film may not be with us much longer.

 

[Koolzakukumba]

Yes, "jamie" your on the right track...the "elite" art geeks in places like NY, London, Paris, Berlin and sadly Italy. Now appear to have found a new marketing angle for collectors with to much money! They are grabbing you unknown photographers and throwing them up to the public...as new age artists because the use real film. I even read a article in a european news paper where they described it like this..." yes, he is using the lost art of having real light touch the image surface, and then letting going into a real dark room to create a transparent film image to print with real silver paper".

The remainder of the story talking about how the prints are so collectable because he can only make 1 or 2 a week. Talk about serious BS.

Yes this "jive" is just the newest version of the "emperors clothes"....Don't even get me started on the lack of technical or artistic ability.

It is sad but the Art Gallery clowns are only looking for some new suckers and again they are finding them.

Not quite true. Film-based photography leading to silver gelatin prints has long been and continues to be the collectible side of photography - and where most money is spent by collectors. It's nothing new: just the continuing realisation by people with refined taste that film-based photography is the real McCoy. 😀

Rolleiflex SL66E, TMax 100

 

[larmarv916]

Not quite true. Film-based photography leading to silver gelatin prints has long been and continues to be the collectible side of photography - and where most money is spent by collectors. It's nothing new: just the continuing realisation by people with refined taste that film-based photography is the real McCoy. 😀

Rolleiflex SL66E, TMax 100

I wish that were true...I am reading and factually putting forward articles published. The trending of this behavior is popping up in many major publications...most of which are "puff" interviews by art news writers and editors acting like this a shock. There will always be the draw to "dead guys" as gallery owners buy their work outright and price it to the moon....because the artist is dead. As there are some people have committed to only collecting a particular artist and we all understand that.

But the push towards the "phony" new film school has nothing do with honest artistic elevation...only new twist on the old game. It's like a common trend in advertising of using or distorting color images to look like "old" archive images from decades long ago. A couple of years ago, I had major advertising directors tell me that now the only true artistic photos were coming from the artists shooting with "cell phones"....when that scam died then again the elite artistic community moved on to the next scam.

The moral here is the more things change the more they stay the same.

 

[Gumby]

So which is it?

Yes, it is definitely one or the other. My suggestion is to pay close attention to who is making the various assertions... they are not both correct.

 

[emraphoto]

Yes, "jamie" your on the right track...the "elite" art geeks in places like NY, London, Paris, Berlin and sadly Italy. Now appear to have found a new marketing angle for collectors with to much money! They are grabbing you unknown photographers and throwing them up to the public...as new age artists because the use real film. I even read a article in a european news paper where they described it like this..." yes, he is using the lost art of having real light touch the image surface, and then letting going into a real dark room to create a transparent film image to print with real silver paper".

The remainder of the story talking about how the prints are so collectable because he can only make 1 or 2 a week. Talk about serious BS.

Yes this "jive" is just the newest version of the "emperors clothes"....Don't even get me started on the lack of technical or artistic ability.

It is sad but the Art Gallery clowns are only looking for some new suckers and again
they are finding them.

Wow. I am always amazed at the vitriol directed at the 'art gallery' crowd. Find an example of over working of a simple process on a gallery site and suddenly everyone involved is a clown or grifter. The whole thing sounds scarily familiar.

 

[Jamie123]

Yes, "jamie" your on the right track...the "elite" art geeks in places like NY, London, Paris, Berlin and sadly Italy. Now appear to have found a new marketing angle for collectors with to much money! They are grabbing you unknown photographers and throwing them up to the public...as new age artists because the use real film. I even read a article in a european news paper where they described it like this..." yes, he is using the lost art of having real light touch the image surface, and then letting going into a real dark room to create a transparent film image to print with real silver paper".

The remainder of the story talking about how the prints are so collectable because he can only make 1 or 2 a week. Talk about serious BS.

Yes this "jive" is just the newest version of the "emperors clothes"....Don't even get me started on the lack of technical or artistic ability.

It is sad but the Art Gallery clowns are only looking for some new suckers and again they are finding them.

What in the world are you going on about??

 

[dmc]

The only place in my town doing one hour development (Hema) thought the maintenance of their machine already too expensive to be profitable and dropped the whole business. Film, it's death row. Nobody wants to wait for another week to see their images. It'll be an Impossible Project-styled niche soon for colour.

Long live Black and White😎

 

[jwc57]

I think film, especially black & white, has enough followers to remain in existence for some time. They stopped making air cooled Beetles in 2003, but I can still buy almost any part new for almost any year produced.

What we won't have is the variety we enjoyed when film was shot by everyone, not just hobbyists and pros. Remember too, almost no one, save for pros and hobbyists, heard of companies and/or films such as Arista, Ilford, Foma and Efke. Yet, they were in business for decades without the support of the general consumer.

 

[kennylovrin]

What in the world are you going on about??

^-- haha, too good! 🙂

This thing with "it will be dead soon".. What does soon mean for you guys? I find that a bit curious, because I can see film more or less becoming very limited in choice, but I wouldn't expect it to completely disappear for another 10 years or so, if "ever". And "soon" for me is kind of 1 month or so in this case. 😉

 

[Rhodes]

I just wish I could buy film at a reasonable price here in Portugal. In the meantime, I'm burning whatever I have left.

http://nameloja.com.pt/

One with the less expensive prices!