Back to the Film-ture

Words and Photos by Russell Lai Shi Yu

In this fast-paced bustling world, technology moves so quickly, and it may very well be hard to keep up with the latest trends. We live in an era where billions of people carry smartphones equipped with cameras that may even be better than a Digital Single-Lens Reflex (DSLR) Camera. Yet, many would prefer using a retro film camera instead of modern memory cards. Despite the numerous cons to using film — time, money and availability, why is film photography making a comeback? Well, like the renowned writer Stephen King said, “Sooner or later, everything old is new again.”

Film photography is the reason for the birth of digital photography. Instead of memory cards, or the cloud, photographs are captured on sheets of plastic. These sheets, coated with a layer of gelatin that contains small silver halide crystals, determines the contrast and resolution of a photograph. Unlike digital photography where you can view your photos instantly, the film has to be processed, which is a long and tedious process. Shooting with a film camera is way harder and more challenging compared to conventional digital photography, where you can snap in automatic mode. In film photography, you have to be one with the camera, knowing it inside out to fully understand the beauty of photography. We are in a generation where photography is automated and many neglect the fundamentals of photography. You might be asking yourself: if film photography is so complicated, why use it?

Photography has made some fascinating progress in its relatively short history. In only 200 years, the camera, created from a plain box that took foggy photographs evolved to become the innovative smaller than expected Personal Computers (PCs) found in the current DSLRs and cell phones. The narrative of photography is fascinating, and it is conceivable to expound. Back in the days, photography was only for the rich and elites. That was until the 1880s when George Eastman started a company called Kodak. He created a flexible film roll that did not require changing dry plates continuously. This flexible film roll permitted him to build a self-contained box camera that held 100 exposures. Without George Eastman’s brilliant invention, film cameras would arguably cease to exist. However, it’s popularity lasted only until the late 1940s, where the 35mm film cameras became popular, as it became cheap enough for the general public.

Sooner or later, everything old is new again

-Stephen King

Fast forward to the 1980s and 1990s, the dawn of the digital age, where photos are now stored electronically. Once again, Kodak was the first to produce a digital camera in 1991, a tremendous success amongst professional photographers. It sparked its competitors like Nikon and Canon to do the same. Digital cameras were a gamechanger to the photography world. These new point and shoot cameras calculated shutter speed, aperture, and focus, which was a great deal – saving time, money and effort to create the best looking pictures. Despite the great functionality of digital cameras, why are film cameras back on trend?

Kodak Power Flash Disposable Camera S$51

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Kodak UltraMax 400 35mm Film S$12

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Film photography is a work of art that has been overlooked by many. Firstly, It forces you to shoot more selectively. Since you are limited to the number of photos you can take — usually 36 exposures, film makes you second your decision before pressing the shutter button. Unlike digital photography where you can capture countlessly, every shot counts with film. The cost of film and the additional time needed to develop the film adds on to the pressure of getting a good shot, yet motivates you to become a more cautious photographer. Every mistake will cost money, but every mistake is a lesson learnt. With the rising cost of film at the back of your mind, you will not want to make the same mistake again.

Secondly, film photography enables you to widen the opportunity in learning the fundamentals and principles of photography. In this digital age, cameras have multiple functions such as autofocus. There are also multiple pre-set modes that enable the user to shoot under different circumstances that made us drift from the root of photography when everything was manual. Ultimately, looking at your developed photos is one of the most satisfying feelings. When you look at your developed photographs, you will recall the long gruelling process and countless failed shots you have experienced before attaining the perfect shot.

Generations after generations, the world is losing touch of the root of photography — film photography. We are in an era that is dominated by the digital age. Film photography is slipping away but we must prevent that from happening. Film photography teaches you that it is okay to make mistakes, as long as you learn from them. The step into film photography may seem daunting, but trust me, it is worth it. Mastering film photography is more than the cameras we use or the stocks we choose. In a world where everything seems to pass in a split second, the process behind film photography reminds us that sometimes, it is okay to slow down, acknowledge the people and things around us, and take in every moment one frame at a time.