Film photography, or analog photography, the stalwart of our image-capture system for over a century, uses the traditional method of capturing images using light-sensitive film. The technology and demand for the services, however, went into a deep dive not too long ago and film photography suffered a significant decline in popularity. This was with the advent of digital cameras, whose image capture method does away with the need to buy film and the cost of developing the film.
Lately, however, the genre is experiencing a revival, a resurgence in the interest of film photography, especially among younger photo enthusiasts seeking a more tactile and authentic photographic experience, fueled by a combination of nostalgia, group interest, and the unique aesthetic that film photography offers.
The revival has also fostered community hubs with huge followings on social media platforms and image-share sites. These online cultures encourage interaction among enthusiasts, with emerging sub-sets that group and link interested enthusiasts together with club meets, street walks, community auctions, and the like.
The resurgence can also be seen as a reaction against the fast-paced digital world. Many young people are seeking ways to slow down and engage more mindfully with their creative processes. Film requires patience and deliberation, the slower process of shooting, lab processing, and waiting for prints to develop is a contrast to the instant gratification of digital photography.
By itself, film photography is also facing challenges in cost and community access to film service points. The cost of film for film photography too has risen tremendously over the last couple of years, while film manufacturers struggle to meet demand amid supply chain hiccups, global shortages of raw materials, and redundant manufacturing facilities.
The solace could be on the other side of the coin, where the hardware cost for vintage film cameras, legacy lenses, associated accessories, and whatnot are still easily available on auction listings as well as in brick-and-mortar stores with prices that seem stable and non-fluctuating. New film cameras are also being announced while some are already available on the market.
Technique-wise, film cameras are generally less complex than digitals, with most SLR cameras having fully manual controls while compacts and autos are mainly point-and-shoots. For newbies, master the art of the 'exposure triangle,' understand that ISO and ASA are technically similar and that there are only 24 or 36 shots (frames) available on each 35mm film roll.
These images are re-edits from a street shoot with the Olympus OM-2S mounted with a Zuiko OM 21mm 1:3.5, presented in the 5:4 format. The fully electronic OM-2S (1984-1988) was an updated version of the OM-2n with innards closer to the OM3 and OM3 which were already available when the 2S was launched. The ultra-wide Zuiko 21mm 1:3.5 is lightweight and extremely compact, highly acknowledged for its optical quality.
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