By Marissa Galko
Do you remember taking pictures before smartphones made it so accessible? You would take your pictures, then have to wait to get them developed. Every shot had to count and you wouldn’t know if they turned out the way you wanted.
For many who are getting into shooting their own photos on film, this may be a distant childhood memory, or they were perhaps too young to even remember a time before digital cameras.
This sense of nostalgia and living in the moment is what Hannah Mitchell, among many others, is trying to chase.
Mitchell is an Ottawa-based photographer who solely uses film cameras to capture her photos.
She says she had gotten bored of using her digital camera before she picked up her Holga 120 N film camera in 2019. It encouraged her to be more present and intentional with each picture she took.
She started her photography business in 2024 and has already seen such a huge demand that it’s “almost too much to keep track of,” especially when it comes to wedding photography.
In the last few years, film photography has been steadily increasing in popularity, especially for those under 30.
Theshlen Naidoo is a manager at Sooter’s, a photography store that develops film. He says there has been a steady increase in business since 2018, processing “roughly about 300-400 rolls a week”.
He pointed out Generation Z, those born between 1998-2012, are driving the surge of new customers.
He says this coincides with a resurgence in the popularity of other analog media, like vinyl records.
Mitchell says she can see the parallels between film photographers and vinyl record enthusiasts.
She says the physical act of putting on a record is akin to loading one’s camera and compares digital photography to listening to music on streaming platforms.
“Some things just can’t be replicated. There is that feeling inside of [those who listen to vinyl records] that notices a frequency difference in the music on Spotify to the music on a record. For photography, I think we moved too far with FaceTune apps and AI is freaking me out,” says Mitchell.
When it comes to Naidoo, he echoes what most film photographers say when you ask them why they shoot film; “you can’t beat the look.”
Naidoo says time slows down when he shoots on film which makes it “a big de-stresser.”
“You take more time to frame your subject and you can almost find the beauty in anything,” he says.
In a world where everything is getting more and more expensive, film photography is no stranger to rising prices.
In 2019, a 5-pack of Kodak Portra 400, a common film stock bought for 35mm cameras, was $38.99. In 2024, the same 5-pack of Kodak Portra 400 goes for $74.95, a 92.2 per cent increase in cost.
Mitchell says the high cost is one of “the biggest downsides” of shooting on film.
“But it’s like any art media, right? You’ve got paint and canvasses that cost a lot but that might be your material. Film is my material,” she says.
She says she started her business so she could “fund the hobby” and cover the associated costs.
Sooter’s uses a film processing machine from the 1990s. When parts break, it is difficult to source replacements for an older machine that is no longer being manufactured. Naidoo says film companies should push for new manufacturing of processing machinery and producing more film stock to reduce the overall cost for the consumer.
Though many film photographers love the look and experience of shooting on film, some have expressed concerns over the cost and sustainability practices involved with the hobby.
Gillian Gallant, CEO of Paper Shoot, is offering photographers a way to have all the look and feel of shooting analog with all the modern conveniences of an eco-friendly digital product.
Started by Taiwanese inventor George Lin, Paper Shoot cameras are digital cameras that mimic film cameras. They take pictures digitally, but you can’t see them until you check your SD card, allowing photographers to be more in the moment.
Gallant says Paper Shoot is always looking for the most sustainable materials to make their cameras.
“Our main material is called stone paper, so it’s not regular paper. It’s basically made from crushed stone to make a cardboard-like paper… and then it’s bound by a non-toxic resin,” she says.
They also use other sustainable materials wherever possible like brass or cork, and repurposing lenses that were destined for the landfill.
Sooter’s has a strict chemical handling process to make sure everything is done as cleanly as possible.
Every two months, a company called Silver Piranha comes by the store to pick up used chemicals and discarded plastic bodies and batteries from single-use cameras to dispose of them properly.
While some may want to try developing their photos themselves, Naidoo says it is safer to develop film at certified film processing businesses where safe disposal practices can be better guaranteed.
With its growing popularity, film photography is in focus again for many brands. Kodak is releasing a new, sleeker version of its Super 8 video camera. New types of film stock are being produced like the Popho Luminar 100, a film stock sold by Popho Camera Co., a Montreal-based photography store. And, more movies are being shot on film, like Christopher Nolan’s 2023 giant Oppenheimer.
In Ottawa, the film photography scene is flourishing as well. Do It For The Grain, an analog photography magazine, launched in 2019 to showcase the talent of local film photographers, and the Camera Club of Ottawa, a photography club operating since 1894, publishes its special issue Shutter Release and allows photographers to create a community bond.
Mitchell says the next 6 months will be the “make or break” for film photography.
“People are investing their livelihoods into this, and big companies are investing into all this new film photography, we’ll see what happens, but I believe the feeling is there for a lot of people,” she says.
Gallant says photography will always be a passion for people.
“Even though it is considered a trend, I do think it’s going to resonate with people for a long time. I think there’ll be fluctuations with digital and film…,” Gallant says.
Mitchell says one of the best things about film photography is the community of like-minded people she has found through the hobby.
“If there wasn’t that popularity to begin with, we wouldn’t have this… We sit at the dinner table, we talk film, we talk cameras. It’s organic, and I love that about how it’s trending.”
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