The different experiences felt when shooting analog compared to digital is well known to photographers, but what is it about film photography that makes it so appealing to the point that ever more of us are picking up second-hand cameras from more than 25 years ago?
Photographer Teo Crawford has put together a thought-provoking and well-constructed video that explores what it is about film photography that gives us a sense of authenticity to the extent that many of us try to make our digital photographs match the film stocks of the past.
Regarding the fascination that younger generations who never experienced film photography seem to have developed, you could theorize that this comes from a desire to seek out creative technology that has an element of tactility and physical presence that sits in strong contrast to the virtual worlds into which they are so often immersed.
I recall reading some of explorer/author/photographer Brad Garrett’s thoughts on photography a few years ago. He describes the camera as being “an appendage to the urban body,” such as the extent that the camera changes our behavior and mindset. Perhaps it’s no wonder that we want this appendage to offer more than 0s and 1s given that it is a tool that we use to try and make sense of the world around us. (On an unrelated note, Garrett’s book Bunker is well worth your time.)
What do you think? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.