The 2010s saw two revolutions in the world of photography. Firstly, digital photography became the medium of choice for professional photographers, seemingly burying celluloid in the same grave as VHS, tapes and the fax machine.

But this was quickly followed by another, far greater revolution: the camera phone. All of a sudden everyone had a camera in their pocket. You can get a beautiful family photo on your iPhone, so why would you go out of your way to buy an expensive DSLR?

And yet, to some, photography was still an art - a careful balance of light, composition and emotion that people wanted to engage with on a deeper level. DSLRs were now out of pocket for most young photographers, but grandad’s old, beautifully worn mechanical camera was in a box somewhere, a challenge waiting to be unpacked and explored.

Suddenly near-bankrupt darkrooms started seeing an influx of young customers. Some of the best contemporary photographers started their journey using the near-extinct medium of film. So why are young photographers choosing film in an age where convenience is considered king?

  • It Promotes Mindfulness and Creativity

Film is unforgiving. If you’re not in focus, overexposed or poorly composed, that’s your image. This means the learning curve is fast. You’ll soon get a feel for the settings and be able to read the light - a satisfying skill to acquire. If you ever pick up a digital camera, you’ll instinctually switch to manual settings. You’ll know what all the technical terms mean without even having to look them up. It’s knowledge that you absorb by way of interest and conversation.

  • Waiting Is Uncommon And Exciting In 2021

Between Uber Eats and Google Search, we live in a world where everything is at our fingertips. Being told to wait for something only happens around birthdays and Christmastime or waiting for a much-needed week away from work. Investing time into something creative that isn’t instantly accessible is a unique and important experience that can open you up to other creative processes. Slowing down is healthy- whether it’s making healthy home cooked meals or a daily yoga routine - film photography is a meditative practice that complements a healthy lifestyle.

  • The Colour Tones That Film Captures Need No Editing

High-end digital cameras produce images that are made to be processed. The colour information that digital sensors aim to capture are still created to emulate film as closely as possible and create huge image files to retain that information. It’s celluloid’s imperfections and rich tones that make it so authentic - #nofilter required.

Film photography is the perfect introduction into image-making that provides exciting and beautiful results, just like when you play tragamonedas peru! No two images come out the same. If you’ve shot a roll over the course of two months, the development process reveals memories that would otherwise be forgotten in your phone’s vast camera roll. Whether you start on a point and shoot or an interchangeable lens camera, you’ll always be learning something. Taking time to get things right matters, and it’s something digital photography can’t teach you. Give it a try and you’ll be hooked in no time.