The reason why newer generations are fawning over the vintage and the classic
As a 90’s kid and someone who grew up with film photography, it holds a special place in my heart. Looking back at old photo albums, there is this feeling I get that’s timeless and raw. My affinity for analog might stem from the fact that I just barely had enough exposure to it before digital everything took over.
I grew up in an interesting generational period where computers were just starting to become common in households and telephones were slowly transitioning to wireless flip phones with a pull out antenna. As someone born in 1996, I would be what some people consider the very beginning of Generation Z or what I would consider the end of Generation Y (Millennials.) “On the cusp” always somehow seems to be my unintentional mantra. Just like how my birthday is on December 21, I’m also on the cusp of being Sagitarius and Capricorn. It has never bothered me being a Cusper or in between two titles. I saw it as a reason to not be put in a box.
My sister and I shared a Walkman cassette player, back in the day, where we would blast Britney Spiers, Backstreet Boys, and NSYNC on repeat. I had my favorite pair of purple jelly sandals covered in glitter. You could catch me sporting overalls and skorts only on the weekends when I wasn’t in my school uniform. If the fashion and technology around me wasn’t a big indicator of how much influence the 90’s had on me, then I don’t know what was.
Photo by Rafael Hernandez
I’ve been shooting medium format for three years now, but before then, I found my greatest joy in shooting 35mm film on my Nikon FM10. To many, it may not seem like a very special camera, but it’s everything to me. I owe my whole photography career to that little thing that allowed me to give new meaning to everything that I experienced through its lens. There’s a quote by Elliott Erwitt, that I revisit almost everyday, that reminds me of what photography is all about.
“ To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.”
Photography is an art form that allows me to see the world with detail and soul. It makes life bigger, memories fonder, and faces unforgettable. Take a photo on film however, and it makes all those experiences ten times more whimsical. My biased opinion of analog doesn’t just stay true to photography because I would choose a paper and pen connection over typing any day. I find balance in being a hybrid user of both digital and analog in order to keep up with our ever-growing digital world.
Although, within the past few years, I couldn’t help but notice that film seemed to be trending in a primarily digital space called social media. A world where analog and digital unite to promote one another. The younger generations have really taken to point and shoot cameras. They are small, compact, durable, and easy to use. You don’t need to know much about photography to use one and produce photos that look like a million bucks. As film started to trend, especially on Instagram, more and more people have tried to replicate the grain, the look and the feel of what film has to offer. Photographers now sell presets and camera filters that allow you to convert all your images into the most popular film stocks on the market such as Kodak and Fujifilm.
I see the appeal. I see why younger generations are so obsessed with wanting these looks. Some digital photos can take hours editing, especially when you have endless amounts of options to tweak a photo, but film is a finished product all on its own. Film is unique and raw without the need for retouching. Most youngsters never had a chance to live in these moments. Most babies born in the 2000s and above most likely never had film photos taken of them, so now it’s their chance to replicate those moments. It is now considered cool and trendy to be sporting a film camera in hand while out capturing summer memories with friends. It’s a nostalgic feeling that we all love and completely resonate with.
Although, I find that many members in the film photography community absolutely hate it. They feel as though their toes are getting stepped on by outsiders that don’t fully understand or respect the craft. They find it difficult to admit that the beauty of expression can be practiced by just about anyone; Artists and non artists alike. Whether someone likes film for the aesthetic or because they are actually interested in learning about photography, let us welcome this new era of appreciation for the vintage, the timeless, and the classic.