The Authenticity of Film Photography
Film photography is a creative medium that has spanned across many different decades, encouraging a creative and playful spirit. As the years went by and technology continued to develop, society slowly shifted away from film and focused their attention towards the innovative designs of new photography techniques. However, there has been a recent peak of interest towards honing in on those nostalgic, genuine, and one of a kind photos that film photography creates.
With the rise of Instagram, there has been a shift in the way our society creates and posts content. There are many different factors that go into this like the beauty standard and social medias impact on that, as well as the desire to be seen as relevant through social media, portraying a particular image to your followers. With the influence of social media, it has become so normalized to take hundreds of photos before finding one you enjoy, *and thats if you’re lucky! Growing up with this sort of technology has put an expectation on younger generations to keep up their social image, completely diminishing the authenticity of sharing your life with followers and creating content.
There are many photography apps like Dazz Cam or VSCO which try to mimic the nostalgic feeling you get from film photography, however its never quite right. There is that level of authenticity that lacks from the apps and our generations content creation. Individuals tend to carefully curate and master their content, which is such an incredible skill, but this mindset makes it hard to find content that feels real and fresh. This is where the revival of film cameras come into play.
Film camera’s allow you to experiment with new factors by going through the waiting game of sending your film off and getting it developed. Nowadays you have to wait upwards of a week or two for your photos to come back. Back when film cameras were so desired, you could take your roll of film to a shop and have the pictures an hour later. When I lived in Florence, Italy, for a couple of months I had the privilege of experiencing a shop that gave me my pictures back within an hour. I would drop the role off on my way to class and it was ready when I was done with class! So where did we lose this sense of community and authenticity? I truly believe social media plays a massive role in this lack of modern day authenticity.
Its understandable, this is how life works. Companies innovative and consumers, well, consume. There is something so special and intimate however about film photography. Not having the option of taking 500 pictures just until you find one you like, but actually finding an authentic moment to photograph. Or even when you find an old roll of film lying around and get it developed years later. Nothing quite brings back nostalgia and joy like memories that were hidden in plain sight. As technology continues to advance and we continue indulging in social media, film photography feels like somewhat of an escape for me. It encourages me to be creative without having to worry too much about getting the perfect picture. See the thing is, the perfect pictures are one of a kind, not the ones we attempt to take hundreds of times.
Maren Napolitano, Kodak Film, 2021.
Kodak Film, 2022.
Maren Napolitano, Kodak Film, 2023, Lake Como, Italy.
Maren Napolitano, Kodak Film, 2023, Luca, Italy.
Maren Napolitano, Kodak Film, 2020.
Kodak Film, 2021.
