Analog photography


Analog photography, also called Film Photography, was originally known as photography. After the rise of digital photography people started referring to photography made with non digital sensors as analog or film photography. Analog photography uses a physical, non-electronic recording medium, where light is captured by sensitive silver particles, and the image will remain printed when processed chemically. This method was traditionally used for more than a century, prior to more recent Digital Photography based on electronic sensors.
In a film camera that uses photographic emulsions, light falling upon silver halides is recorded as a latent image, which is then subjected to photographic processing, making it visible and insensitive to light.
Contrary to the belief that digital photography gave a death blow to Film, film photography not only survived, but actually expanded across the globe. With the renewed interest in traditional photography, new organizations were established and new lines of products helped to perpetuate film photography. In 2017, BH Photo & Video, an e-commerce site for photographic equipment, stated that film sales were increasing by 5% each year in the recent past.. Japan Times claimed that though Film Photography is a "dying art", the country could be the starting point of a movement led by young photographers to keep film alive. First Post claimed that a vast majority of photographers are slowly coming back to film.

Decline and revival

As digital photography took over, Kodak, the major photographic film and cameras producer announced in 2004 that it is would stop selling and making traditional film cameras in North America and Europe.
. In 2006, Nikon, the Japanese Camera maker announced that it would stop making most of its film cameras. Incurring losses in analog camera line, Konica-Minolta too announced its discontinuation of cameras and film. In 2008 the first instant film maker Polaroid announced it would stop making instant film.
Interest in all types of film photography have been in the process of a revival. The Lomography movement started in 1992, which, BBC claimed, has saved film from disappearing
Lomography started manufacturing updated versions of Toy cameras like Lomo LC-A, Diana, Holga, Smena and Lubitel.
Film photographers started experimenting with old alternative photographic processes such as cyanotypes, double exposures, pinholes, and redscales. Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day is observed on the last Sunday of April, every year. Organizations such as Roll4Roll spread the artistic movement of double exposures.
Film Photography Project, a web-site dedicated to film photography, announced in 2007 the comeback of large-format camera by a new startup called The Intrepid Camera Co.

Material

Film Photography does not just mean Photographic Film and its processing with Photo Chemicals.
An example is Tintype. A tintype, also called ferrotype, is a positive photograph produced by applying a collodion-nitrocellulose solution to a thin, black-enameled metal plate immediately before exposure. The tintype, introduced in the mid-19th century, was essentially a variation on the ambrotype, which was a unique image made on glass, instead of metal. Just as the ambrotype was a negative whose silver images appeared grayish white and whose dark backing made the clear areas of shadows appear dark, so the tintype, actually negative in its chemical formation, was made to appear positive by the black plate.
On the other hand, there is Instant film which develops the image instantly as soon as it is ejected from an Instant camera. Photographic paper, however should be processed after exposure in a dark room or Photographic Labs.

Format

Photographic Film

Silver-based Film supports come in various formats, of which the following are still in use:
Films can be any of the following types:
Black and White negative film may be processed using a variety of different solutions as well as processing time control, depending on the film type, targeted contrast or grain structure. While many B&W processing developers are no longer made commercially, other solutions may be mixed using original formulas. Color negative film uses C-41 process, while color reversible film uses E-6 process for color slides. Kodachrome used to have its own process with one developer bath per each film color layer.
Meanwhile alternative photographers experiment different processes such as Cross processing which yields unnatural colors and high contrasts. This basically means processing a reversal film using a negative developer bath, or the contrary.
For a more Sustainable Photography, black and white negative film may be processes in plant based chemicals at home.
Film processing does not use analog technology, since information is not translated into electric pulses of varying amplitude.

Popularity

is frequently misused as a title for those who are keen to work with, or do work with more traditional types of photography; dedicated online communities have been established in which like-minded individuals together share and explore historic photographic practices. Analog photography has become much more popular with younger generations who have become increasingly interested in the traditional photographic practice; sales in film-based cameras began to soar, and youth were seen to embrace some 19th-century technology Urban Outfitters, a clothing retail chain, has joined the trend and offers more than 60 product combinations relating to cameras, most of which are film-based.
Polaroid was once a power in analog instant photography. Facing the digital revolution, Polaroid stopped production of instant film in 2008. A company called Impossible Project acquired Polaroid's production machines in order to produce new instant films for vintage Polaroid cameras and to revive the Polaroid photography technique.
Black-and-white films still produced as of 2013 include:
Color films sold on the market in 2020 are:

Reasons for growing popularity

Young photographers say film has more 'soul' than digital.

Pros and cons

Pros