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Film Photography: A Dead Medium Brought Back by Gen Z and Young Millennials

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at McMaster chapter.

On September 1st, 2021, Tom Holland posted an Instagram picture of himself and Zendaya on the set of Spiderman: No Way Home. It had garnered a whopping 20 million likes, becoming one of the most liked pictures of 2021; and it so happens that it was taken by a film camera. Film photography has been slowly inching its way back to the mainstream with the help of celebrities. I am in no way saying that Zendaya and that picture single-handedly brought back the film era, but it’s foolish to think that her influence doesn’t play a part. And it’s not just her. In an interview Kendall Jenner did with Jimmy Fallon, back in 2017, she showed off her Contax T2; the same camera Zendaya used to take that photo with Tom. After that interview, there was an immediate spike in camera sales and it became one of the most sought out and expensive point-and-shoots to this day.

It became a running joke within the film community that older millennials had killed film photography only for Gen Z and young millennials to bring it back. Some would say this was unfortunate, as it did nothing but hike up the prices of film cameras. Others would rejoice that the younger generation revitalized the market. Film had slowly become this trend, so much so that Kodak made the decision to bring back their discontinued line of film, Ektachrome. It’s crazy to think that this is purely the work of a handful of celebrities. Getting into the film space takes money, time and effort. And as much as Kendall Jenner and Zendaya have some influence over the younger generation, there must be more to it. And as someone who has been taking film photography since 2019, I feel like I have some understanding of the rebirth of a dead art medium.

Gen Z and a lot of younger millennials have this weird fixation on nostalgia. This is apparent in a lot of our fashion. We’re constantly bringing back trends from the 80s all the way up to the early 2000s. I can’t go a day without seeing someone wear a pair of mom jeans or Instagram posts with the Y2K aesthetic. Not only is this apparent in the fashion industry, but it has bled into the music industry. TikTok has become a platform that revitalized a ton of old artists and their music. Vinyl sales have been through the roof since 2020 thanks to this generation. Gen Z and young millennials love having handheld media because it’s a nice break from a digitized world.            

Film photography does everything right by emphasizing the aesthetics of the past and making it a handheld experience. The grain, colours and the light that come from film cameras are untouchable. Cameras nowadays are too clean, perfect, and in my opinion, boring. Having only 36 exposures in one roll of film feels exciting because you only have so many chances to get it right. This makes every picture incredibly thought out and important. And if some mistakes were made, it still felt perfectly flawed. In a world where you can take a hundred pictures on your phone, it’s nice to hold a cheap plastic body that holds 36 frames of cherished memories. Not only is money invested in buying a camera, film and its development, there’s an element of patience. Waiting to get your pictures back is almost like the feeling of waiting to open your presents for Christmas. You never really know if they’re good, but when they are, they feel utterly worth it. It’s the delay of gratification that a generation of kids never got to experience after growing up in a world where everything is at your fingertips.

Krissie Cruz is a National Writer for the Wellness department and a contributor to the Her Campus McMaster chapter. She writes a slew of topics but primarily focuses on all things culture, wellness and life. Aside from Her Campus, Krissie is currently a fourth-year political science student with a specialization in public law and judicial studies. She also has a minor in philosophy and an interest in applied social sciences research. Although her initial dream was to pursue law, her passion for writing has led her to a future in the publishing industry. Despite a shift in interests, politics and social justice hold a special place in her heart. In her free time, she spends hours binge-reading, taking film photography, and curating oddly specific Spotify playlists. She’s an active participant in the queer Toronto space by attending events and if her schedule allows it, volunteering for Pride Toronto.