If you ask someone why they shoot film in the 21st century, you’ll probably find that there are as many specific reasons as there are photographers, but broadly speaking, it appears to boil down to matters of process and aesthetic. That is, the process of shooting film may encourage you to slow down compared to digital image capture, and the overall aesthetic achieved with film cannot be easily replicated in the digital domain.
For me, there is another, personally even more important, reason to shoot analog, namely, establishing a connection to the history of the medium and to the photographers who came before me. I remember having zero money left in my pocket after purchasing my Nikon D50 in 2005, and buying a couple of vintage Nikkors for pennies on the dollar to be able to start making images right away. One of the lenses was the legendary 105mm short telephoto made famous by Steve McCurry and his picture of the Afghan girl. I have always been interested in the history of photography, but this was my first experience using the same gear as a storied practitioner of our craft, and I have to say, it really struck a chord.
When I was growing up, my father had a copy of The Camera, one of the volumes of the Life Library of Photography. I am not sure why, since he had no apparent interest in the subject. At any rate, there is an X-ray image of the Rolleiflex SL66 on the cover. I remember being captivated by this photograph and becoming a bit obsessed with the camera. Of course, the Rolleiflex probably cost more than my father earned in a year, so getting anywhere near one was never really an option. But, fast forward to a few years ago, and I found a clean copy for just over $500. Naturally, I jumped at the chance to own one of these classic cameras. Later, I discovered a short documentary film on Aaron Siskind, another of my favorite photographers, that showed him working with a Rolleiflex SL66. Through years of shooting with it, I’ve learned that the old Rollei is a pretty finicky camera to use, but that it can reward you with spectacular images if you are patient. As a result of this experience, I believe that I can appreciate Siskind’s results in a way I otherwise couldn't.
To me, working with old cameras, even if it is only on personal projects, is not at all unlike going to a museum to view photographs created in the darkroom by master printers. It is the other side of that particular coin in a way. Given that the endgame of art photography is often the creation a physical print of some kind, I think it is critically important to see as many physical photographs as possible. To calibrate your eye to the qualities and properties of a good print. Likewise, working with a range of cameras and formats calibrates another part of your photographic brain. I would argue that it is an essential part of your training and continued development if you are an experienced artist. To quote the Aristocats, one of my favorite films when my son was growing up: "If you're smart you'll learn by heart what every artist knows... you must sing your scales and arpeggios!" Let's be honest, only a real jerk would argue with the Aristocats.
Author David Sax wrote a book called “The Revenge of Analog” that was published in 2016. It is a volume that is well worth your attention, I think. In the book, Sax discusses film photography, of course, but also the resurgence of interest in vinyl records, note taking with pen and paper, and even the importance of analog processes such as the use of white boards and Post-It notes during software development. He calls this the revenge of analog in digital. It turns out that physical stuff is still important to us humans even if the final result is digital. Kevin Kelly from Wired magazine is quoted in the book as saying, “People who are versatile in the analog world make better digital stuff”.
If you want to be 100% sure to get the shot, you may ultimately decide to reach for your digital kit. But rest assured that your practice of photographing on film for all these years has made you a much better digital shooter. And you'll have picked up a little photographic history along the way.
