Click! Whirrr. The sound of film being loaded into an older camera is well known among seasoned photographers and amateurs alike. As many have taken notice in the last year or so, social feeds have been filled with photos taken on these older film cameras. Why is that? Isn’t a digital camera easier to use, and doesn’t it have much clearer image quality than their predecessors? 

Well, despite the luxury of having a digital camera on almost every device we own, there is still a niche audience for the vintage, dreamy look that is produced by these cameras. From a survey based on 17 Liberty students who use film, nearly three fourths said that they enjoy the way film photos look. When somebody wants to give off a retro or vintage vibe in their photos, they reach for a film camera. 

Film cameras naturally tend to have grain in their images. Along with grain, these older cameras, more specifically the disposable and point-and-shoot kind, have a slightly cloudy image. Two factors for the slight haze seen in these images are the relatively lower quality of the optics (the glass) in the lens of the camera, and the type of focusing system the camera has; disposable cameras have no manual controls for focus due to a fixed lens, and most point-and-shoots have auto focus built in. No amount of filters on a digital image can recreate the effects that are produced by physical components – they would end up just being too sharp.

Arguably, the most important reason for the popularity of film is to capture the most meaningful moments in life. Think about it for a moment, what kinds of photos do people have on their phones? Probably goofy-looking 0.5x photos of people’s faces. You aimlessly click away at that digital shutter button because after all, you could just delete or quickly retake the photo.  

Film is not forgiving in that way. When you press the shutter button, that’s it. You don’t know what the photo is going to look like until you go to a photo lab (or develop it yourself) and see the results. If you take your roll to a lab, it could be weeks before you see the results. It would be pretty disappointing to find out that your photos are no good after getting them developed. You’d have basically thrown out your money. Since money is on the line with film, people tend to be more frugal with photos, only capturing the most meaningful moments. Out of the Liberty students surveyed, nearly half agreed that using their exposures wisely was important in order to get the most out of their film.

With the ability to shoot photos at the tips of your fingers these days, it is easy to forget about the roots of it all. From the Daguerreotype concept back in the 1840’s to the camera on your phone, photography has made it a long way. Whether you shoot on instax, polaroid, 35mm, or a disposable, use it wisely, and keep on shooting!