Why film is making a comeback?

Last Updated on September 6, 2022

In the last five years we have seen a significant increase in demand for films, so significant that we wonder why the film is making a comeback.

Is Film Just A Fad?

We can also say that the popularity of the film has been influenced by social networks such as Instagram or Tumblr, in which the filters that seek to emulate the film are very widespread, and nostalgia also serve as inspiration and give way to a greater acceptance of analog photography.

And it is in this approach to the idea of ​​the film, in which many have discovered their interest and need to return to the experience of shooting with an analog camera. But of course this is just one example of many.

For others it is a form of learning as well, a more humane approach to photography as a means of expression.

Since it requires a much greater involvement in the process of obtaining an image, from the moment the film is inserted, until the moment in which the exposed frames can be seen and then the final result can be called photography.

At the end of the day it is about taking a step back in order to achieve an approach that manages to fill that curiosity that the photographic process brings with it.

So it is difficult to think that the return of the film is a mere passing event. Since it has persisted for more than 150 years, and as like painting in its time, it was also thought that it could be replaced by photography, but in reality it acquired more value after this.

Film Revival

Whatever the reason, the fact is that the film is becoming popular again and many companies and companies are being reborn from this resurgence.

Over the years we have seen how large companies that were once the kings of the photography market, such as the case of Konica Minolta, have been disappearing, but the truth is that today we are seeing how new companies play a role. important role in the resurgence of this market.

One of them, for example, is Lomography, which has managed to exploit a small niche in analog photography, and gradually scale up to encompass a multitude of formats ranging from 135 and 120 to small formats such as 110. Getting to produce its own cameras and films, thanks to the acquisition of departments from other companies that were great at the time.

The Film Market

It is also important to mention that the return of the film is given with particularities such as the fact that although many are interested out of mere curiosity or desire for experimentation, most already have a base of knowledge and interest from the field perspective, that is, from a photographer’s perspective.

Then it would be difficult for analog photography to go back to what it was before, since the market is aimed at people who see photography as an art, and not as it once was, a commercial and domestic necessity, before the digital photography appeared and is the most practical means to generate daily record.

This does not mean that, for example, those who are already fans of photography incorporate into their photographic practice, the culture of film, as well as the culture of cinema and television, have been able to coexist through the years, each establishing itself under its own rules and marking their differences.

That is, deep down who loves photography will not want to deprive themselves of the multiple experiences with which it is possible to approach it. And the film is not just another medium and experience, but it corresponds to the very essence of photography.

From Flickr To Instagram

Flickr has been for many years the platform where more movement in analog photography has been seen. But over the years, this influx of new photographers who dabble in the film have seen much more on the Facebook platform, Instagram.

If we analyze the number of hashtags that this platform handles for the type of search related to analog photography, we will realize that there are at least 50 million photographs taken by a film camera according to a data analysis.

The #analogphotography hashtag alone has roughly 11 million posts on it. Of course, at least 30% will correspond to images or videos that only have to do with the topic.

The hashtag #analogphoto is another popular hashtag that contains a higher percentage of photographs that are taken with an analog camera reaching 8 million publications.

But the list is really endless if we look for very specific hashtags like #nikonfm2, #canonae1, that is, searches related to a camera, type of film or some type of specific photographic technique.

Film For Professionals And Amateurs

Digital photography gave way to the interest being focused in principle by professional photographers, making the first to turn their backs on traditional photography were the very ones who made a living from it.

And it is important to highlight that those who promote a type of format or platform in the field of photography are the same professionals who are dedicated to it.

In part, the resurgence is also due to the fact that once again many professionals and amateurs have returned to using the film and investing resources to support its use.

And it is that although we are in a digital era of photography, we cannot say that the technical aspects of the image have been overcome by it. That is, the aspects of color, contrast or dynamic range are still difficult to match those of the analog sensor.

This is why, in the search for the best possible image quality, many professionals will see film as the means to achieve it.

The return of the film brings a lot of excitement to the fans, as we once again value photography as an art and a trade.

For others it may simply be a passing fad that as soon as a camera capable of filling all the gaps that digital photography still has, the film will finally have its last break.

We believe from this blog, that analog photography is reinventing itself and that we still have many more years of film, we faithfully believe that as long as there is photography, there will be film.