35mm film is not dead
Why it’s nostalgic feel is keeping film alive
For almost a century, since its creation in 1908, 35mm film was one of the most popular photography formats in the world. Even after the creation of the first digital camera in 1975, 35mm film continued to be the leading photography format. It wasn’t until 2003 that film sales were finally overtaken by digital. 35mm film only allows you to take 24 or 36 photos per roll — depending on the size of the roll- which means that you have to take careful consideration with each image you take. The rise of digital photography suddenly allowed people to take thousands of photos at a time without worrying about wasting a shot. Many saw this as a drastic improvement on the limitations of film photography. Despite this, 35mm film photography is still alive and well today, a quick search on Instagram will show you that #filmisnotdead has over 13 million posts. So the question is, in a world where people love things to be instant, why is 35mm film still used by so many?
One of the main appeals of 35mm film is, in fact, the limitation of only having 24 or 36 shots. Many people feel that this is, an advantage to their photography, it makes the images that you do take so much more special as they are worthy of your limited amount of shots. The limitations of a small number of shots force you to slow down and appreciate what you are photographing. It makes you more considerate of what you photograph and helps you to document what you really think is important and what you want to remember, rather than just documenting absolutely everything as many do with digital photography.
This limitation also allows you to truly capture a moment in time. With digital photography where there is an unlimited number of shots available, many people end up taking and retaking the same photo until they get the ‘perfect’ version of a moment. The limited amount of shots with 35mm film encourages you not to do this, you are unlikely to keep retaking the same image on film and so it forces you to capture a moment in time how it is rather than the perfect version of that moment in time. This makes the images that you take on film far more memorable as you spend less time trying to perfect the image of the time and spend more time enjoying the moment.
But it’s not just the limited number of shots that are keeping 35mm film alive. It’s also the nostalgic quality of film. Most people old enough to be getting into photography grew up looking at pictures of their parents that were taken on 35mm film and many people have their childhood photos taken on 35mm film too. This gives 35mm film a strange nostalgic quality that still captivates people. Maybe its the familiarity of seeing images in this format that makes people want to shoot on film. There isn’t anything quite like 35mm film. While many over the years have edited digital images to replicate the aesthetic of 35mm film, it’s never quite the same. The grainy, vibrant quality of film photography is something that is instantly recognizable and is something which many associate with simpler times as it reminds them of childhood.
35mm film feels incredibly rewarding because it is such a physical process. It could even be viewed as a form of mindfulness as it is something that forces you to slow down and take real care over what you are doing. It forces you to be present. The physicality of 35mm film photography makes it feel all the more worthwhile, from loading the film into the back of the camera, winding the film on after each photo, winding it all back into the canister after you’re done, even developing the photos is a physical process. The steps taken to shoot on 35mm film are all deliberate and done by you which makes it feel that little bit more special when you finally get to see the photos you’ve taken.
The final, but most important stage of shooting 35mm film photos is the development. This is something you can either pay for someone else to do or learn to do yourself, either way, there is quite a bit of waiting involved. It’s this waiting which creates so much anticipation to see what your photos will look like. Sometimes you get a roll of film back and there are photos on there that you forget you even took because it been so long but that’s all part of the fun. Waiting to see how your images turn out makes them feel all the more special and is part of the reason so many people still shoot 35mm film.
So yes, 35mm film may not be the most popular format of photography anymore, but it’s still one of the most amazing. If you’re thinking of looking into 35mm film photography after this, ask your parents if they have 35mm film camera, chances are they’ll have one lying about, and just give it a go. In the meantime, here are a few photographers who still use 35mm film on Instagram for some nostalgic inspiration:
