Heather Riddell – In Motion Special
With the invention of digital cameras and image making, it looked like analog photography was another victim of digital disruption. But, surprisingly, this vintage art form is on the upswing.
Ten years ago, employees at Colonial Photo and Hobby Inc. in Orlando were told that film manufacturing was going the way of the horse and buggy due to the boom in digital photography and cameras, recalls Christian McCarthy, a 15-year employee at the store.
Now, he says, “Film companies have begun producing more film and different kinds.”
McCarthy credits this with the reemergence of what is being deemed, “vintage photography.”
The invention of photography brought a magic, awe and wonder. From the romance of developing film in a darkroom and creating images of the outside world to inform and enchant an audience to introducing new ideas and people that might otherwise never be seen, photography captured the world’s imagination. With the work of artists such as Henri Cartier Bresson, Robert Capa and Ansel Adams, photography was elevated to an art and a form of social protest.
But photography was an expensive obsession, especially in regards to buying film. One type of film would not do. Every occasion and circumstance called for a different type. If the weather or lighting changed a photographer would need another roll. There were different speeds, color quality, brands and, more often than not, it took a lot of film to capture just the right moment.
Then, digital photography was born in the early 1990s. From that moment on the world of photography was changed and with each year, digital photography became more popular. At newsrooms around the world, millions of negative strips were tossed in the trash and it seemed that analog photography was dead. But in 2018, almost 30 years later, it seems that “vintage photography” is back… if it ever really went away.
Daytona State College student Elizabeth Conley, who is also majoring in Photographic Technology, was bit by the bug after working with a four-by-five medium format camera for one of her courses.
“I did some shooting with film and it was the most exhilarating thing that I could do. I believe that film is making a comeback because kids these days are becoming more interested in the whole process of developing the film. Film does require more time, but I believe kids secretly enjoy the process of it,” Conley said.
Conley, along with other enthusiasts, believes learning the classic medium of film photography can be beneficial to the user by helping them become a better photographer, as well as giving them a newfound appreciation for the art form.
DSC Program Adviser for Photographic Technology Roger Linke says, “There are aesthetic possibilities that become available because of the limitations. When you shoot digital you can control a lot more stuff a lot more easily, you can probably control everything the same with film but it takes more thought, more planning and a lot more accuracy about exposures because you can’t fix things in camera. It’s a discipline, it’s a different field.”
Linke also advises students to get experience with film and the darkroom because it makes a photographer better. There’s a reason behind the trend of using vintage lenses on digital cameras and why so many young people are being drawn to analog film equipment. “It’s fun,” he says.
McCarthy adds that, “I’m not sure if the vintage photography trend will ever become favorable with professionals, but our store has definitely seen a popularity increase with the younger crowd.”
Michael Bradtke, a Lab Tech in the photography stockroom at DSC and a professional photographer, agrees with McCarthy. Bradtke believes film photography is becoming more attractive with people who have the time to learn and experiment with it, but doesn’t think it will ever become a trend among professionals for one big reason — costs.
Although it can be expensive to get a digital photography set-up, an analog kit is more expensive once the cost of film, processing and prints are factored in. Bradtke, however, said film photography is a great way to learn.
His advice is, “Take your time, read a lot of good books, find someone who knows what they’re doing and get them to teach you.”
Bradtke believes the darkroom is a very important part of film because that’s where students hone the skills that they are learning by shooting. Incorporating that into a user’s experience in another facet of photography.
“Film photography isn’t dead, it’s just in a slump, but it will never be what it once was,” Bradtke said.
So, while film photography and image making may never see the widespread use and popularity that it saw in the beginning, and while many still proclaim that it is a dying art form that isn’t sustainable and is too expensive, it seems that for young people at least and especially among photography students, it isn’t going away anytime soon.
At Daytona State College, the dark room is still in operation and the college’s photo staff has resisted any talk of doing away with it. For the past three years, the Photography/Interactive Media programs have hosted a Florida Scholastic Press Association that’s attracted some 400 student journalists. One of the most popular workshops is led by Senior Lab Tech Joe Vance, who offers a darkroom demonstration and tour. Every year, he’s welcomed some 75 students in two sessions into the lab.
“Although many schools have chosen to get rid of their black and white darkrooms, the Daytona State College photography department has chosen to keep the dark room and continue to teach a class on traditional film processing and printing,” he says. “I think traditional processes force our students to slow down and think about their photographs. I am always amazed at the excitement our students feel the first time they see a black and white print develop in the tray.”