Seeing Film Everywhere

[ChrisPlatt]

Even my 21-year-old daughter has begun to show signs of interest... 🙂

Chris

 

[robert blu]

Young people always try to be different, if mass goes digital maybe they try to express themselves with a different media therefore try film. And possibly some discover to like it, other to love it, other don't...
robert
PS: I do not see many film shooters in Italy 😱

 

[______]

I was talking to a young photographer at a camera store specializing in used film cameras. He has several 35mm camera bodies and lots of lenses, and a medium format setup as well. He shoots film, but has never made a print. He has his film developed and scanned and posts his images on the web. I wonder how prevalent that is? It's hard to for me to get my head around it.

 

[Huss]

I'm waiting for the thread that mentions how pleasantly surprised they are that they are seeing more and more digital photographers out there.
It's gonna happen...

 

[radi(c)al_cam]

There are other forces driving this resurgence as well. Digital = disposable. And for a generation facing the very real possibility of capitalist induced global catastrophe, one might argue that it is a sort of protest to be reusing a robust product that already exists in the ecosystem instead of buying a new product that requires a much larger draw of resources and manufacturing to produce, only to have it stop working or become outdated tech in a few months time. Not to mention that photography is a ridiculously expensive hobby and if you are not monetizing it for personal gain then generally one cannot afford to be upgrading constantly. For the young generation of photogs this is particularly true, as millenials have less money than any gen before them and they exist in a precipitous ecenomic climate. Film gear is an attractivly low priced "upgrade" or entry point into their chosen hobby.

Sustainability — yes 😀

Seriously doubt shooters are making a film choice for political reasons.

Depends whether in your eyes sustainability is something political, or not 😉

Yeah, I doubt it's political. Just another cool thing for urban young people to congregate around. […]

Vide supra — sustainability is a cool thing, political or not 😉


I can imagine a reason that is not a fad (on the contrary!), and not so much political, but rather a serious medical one: stress relief. Particular when one has a workplace in front of a computer screen, one is wise not to spent one’s leasure time again in front of a screen. And it’s no secret (ask an ophthalmologist), particularly when one is still so young that the growth of the eyes isn’t finished yet: spending too much time in front of a screen isn’t healthy at all for the eyes.

 

[Prest_400]

I was talking to a young photographer at a camera store specializing in used film cameras. He has several 35mm camera bodies and lots of lenses, and a medium format setup as well. He shoots film, but has never made a print. He has his film developed and scanned and posts his images on the web. I wonder how prevalent that is? It's hard to for me to get my head around it.

I've prepared a batch of files to get printed but have a few uncovered months indeed.

In a way it bridges both media, getting the aestethic of film (and using classic cameras among other variables) into a digital file but without using emulation on a completely digital site, as audio guys would describe the steps: ADD.
May be somewhat similar to drawing on paper and scanning vs drawing on software directly.

The matter of, if you end up with a digital file you may as well shoot digital I have seen discussed. Pleaded guilty. 😀

EDIT:

it's one of the primary reasons i continue to incorporate film in my work. i have seen, with my own eyes, the impact of digital mass consumption in places like the eastern DRC and it isn't pretty. not a blanket statement... just my own reasoning.

Early on people complained about the toxicity of film and processes (which to a justified extent decades ago was significant) was just so really bad. Infact, digital has a lot of "shadow" environmental effects. Outsourcing and the social impact may be argued, as the later era had outsourcing to Thailand, China, etc.

Nowadays film manufacturing has the foundation in Developed Countries (what a pun isn't it?). Kodak, US; Fuji, Japan; Ilford, UK. Adox; Switzerland & Germany. The volumes of toxic chemistry must be tightly regulated.

 

[skopar steve]

The camera store I frequent currently has a larger variety of film than a year ago. I now have to call ahead to be sure they have Ektar 100 in stock as it can sell out quickly. That's my anecdotal evidence of a resurgence in film usage.

 

[zuiko85]

Haven't been out and about much this year. Last time in public attraction was at Boeing Museum of Flight. Lots of cell phones and a few digital but didn't see any film cameras except my Olympus Pen F. Problem here in Olympia is that there is no local processing at all so it is DIY or send it off through the mails and that doubles the price for color. I've always done my own B&W but miss those in house one hour C-41 labs. Costco was the last and they stopped around 2012. Don't know about Seattle, 50 miles north, but I'd rather take a beating than drive anywhere on the I-5 horror show.

 

[thawkins]

My fifteen year old grand daughter is about to start a high school photography course. She asked if she could borrow a 35mm manual camera. I handed her a 43 year old SRT101 I purchased before her mom was born. She asked "why is it so heavy?" I explained the difference between a precision long lasting quality instrument built of steel vs. a short lived device made from "high quailty polycarbonate." "Wow, this feels good, I like this" she said.
My wife and I took a recent cruise on the Rhine River. Most of the cameras were of the smart phone variety. I admit to taking a D90 but in my bag there was an M3 and many rolls of Delta100. The D90 stayed in the bag most of the trip. Another passenger was using an F3. We bacame photog buddies. He is a retired newspaper photographer from a major midwestern news paper. He ditched digital as soon as he retired from the paper and now only shoots film for himself. Like many of us who grew up on film and went digital, he never became comfortable with the medium because, "when the camera is smarter than the operator, the operator soon forgets how to be a real photographer." That is why I am glad my grand daughter is learning with a manual SLR, TRI-X and not a computer that takes pictures.

 

[JChrome]

My fifteen year old grand daughter is about to start a high school photography course. She asked if she could borrow a 35mm manual camera. I handed her a 43 year old SRT101 I purchased before her mom was born. She asked "why is it so heavy?" I explained the difference between a precision long lasting quality instrument built of steel vs. a short lived device made from "high quailty polycarbonate." "Wow, this feels good, I like this" she said.
My wife and I took a recent cruise on the Rhine River. Most of the cameras were of the smart phone variety. I admit to taking a D90 but in my bag there was an M3 and many rolls of Delta100. The D90 stayed in the bag most of the trip. Another passenger was using an F3. We bacame photog buddies. He is a retired newspaper photographer from a major midwestern news paper. He ditched digital as soon as he retired from the paper and now only shoots film for himself. Like many of us who grew up on film and went digital, he never became comfortable with the medium because, "when the camera is smarter than the operator, the operator soon forgets how to be a real photographer." That is why I am glad my grand daughter is learning with a manual SLR, TRI-X and not a computer that takes pictures.

I have a niece that's now 8 years old and only recently shows interest in my film cameras. I put my F3 on auto mode, tell her to focus the camera and let her have at it. She really liked it. I hope to get her hooked.




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[Spanik]

I find it strange in that I neither see a film camera when I'm out, but just as well I never see those masses of phones used as cameras. Around here dslr's of all types are what you see with the occasional phone. Film is a very rare thing.

 

[Steve M.]

I could count the times I've seen people on the streets w/ a film camera in the last five years on one hand, and medium format, folders or TLRs on one finger.

 

[tunalegs]

I do see film cameras every now and then, but never "in the wild" (that is never just people walking around downtown) usually at events, like car shows, concerts etc. It's not a common occurrence, but it's regular enough I guess.

Film photography is "expensive" but the expense occurs over time, the initial cost is relatively low making it easier to get into if you want serious equipment but don't have money for the latest digital gear.

 

[Ronald M]

Glad I kept one M6, purchased 2 Nikon F2, EF2, & a Nikormat.

Prices may start going up.

My darkroom is still in place

 

[JChrome]

I am glad you saw that in Palm Spring, you did not see me with my Leica M5. It was raining like crazy. I understand president Obama flight into Palms Spring on Friday was re-routed to March AF Base in Riverside. I was along the main drag (111) taking shots at the cloud formations, they were unbelievable. Regarding the switch to film by many, it produces a bad feeling every time a "new and better" computer (read it DSLR or Digital RF) comes out and you want to upgrade. It creates a good second hand market for those cameras, but it feels like you are always behind. But with a Canon P RF, you do not notice the changes, and you can take as many shots as you want without feeling left behind.

Very cool. I think I wasn't there during that time. I was there over MLK weekend and a few days after. No rain nor thunder. The night we left (Wednesday evening) it started to rain. We were there for the perfect stretch of weather.

Palm Springs is really fun. I hope to return and go camping in Joshua Tree.


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[dmr]

I'll often times peruse antique malls and lately I've been noticing several Argus "bricks" at times. Some have the note "works" on the tag. 🙂

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

Camera prices are very low if you know what to look for in charity shops etc. Since swearing I'd never buy another and start unloading stuff I've seen no end of really nice cameras for pennies or thereabouts.

I just broke my promise once when I saw a Pentax K1000 outfit in a bag for ten pounds and a µ-I, case etc for two pounds.
otherwise I've been very good. I gave one of the lenses away, btw, it makes me feel good about breaking my promise.

This time of year is good for hunting, the new Christmas presents mean the old ones go to charity shops and then in February it will be spring cleaning time.

Now work out the depreciation on a digital SLR and tell me they are cheaper, if you bracket everything 5 times and never print...

Regards, David

 

[Lawrence Sheperd]

My 13-year-old granddaughter is very much into the "retro," whether that be typewriters, fountain pens, or cameras. She love's my "museum" (her word for my bedroom where I stash all my out-of-date oddities and ephemera.)

She particularly likes my cameras. I gave her a working Zenit SLR with a moldy prism just to be able to hold and operate it. I told her if she has a real interest in going out and taking some photos that I would also give her a pristine Canon AE-1 Program and a brick of Tri-X. I'm thinking she just might take me up on the offer! 😉

 

[thawkins]

My 13-year-old granddaughter is very much into the "retro," whether that be typewriters, fountain pens, or cameras. She love's my "museum" (her word for my bedroom where I stash all my out-of-date oddities and ephemera.)

She particularly likes my cameras. I gave her a working Zenit SLR with a moldy prism just to be able to hold and operate it. I told her if she has a real interest in going out and taking some photos that I would also give her a pristine Canon AE-1 Program and a brick of Tri-X. I'm thinking she just might take me up on the offer! 😉

I hope she takes you up on the offer. It will be a good time for both of you.

 

[telenous]

Film is on the up and up. Apparently it flies off the shelves of the store I buy from. I know, anecdotal. But Kodak is bringing back Ektachrome. The motion picture industry is committed to film. After a long time, good news all around. I too have the impression I see a few more young people carrying film camerss. A few years ago some of them would be embarrassed to carry them. The image of manual was converted/reclaimed from old-man-uncool to something like young-'n'-authentic.

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