Lately, I’ve noticed a big shift in what we normally use to archive our memories. With new technologies quickly rising, one would assume that to capture those lasting memories, we would use the best cameras that iPhones have to offer; and yes, we still do, but it’s not the trendiest medium anymore. Digital cameras and vintage-looking pictures have made their comeback, and are now a big trend within the younger generations. Why is that?
Over the years, phones started to be equipped with wickedly good high-definition cameras which continue to attract consumers today. However, at hangouts or on our social media feeds, there’s always someone with a vintage or digital camera in their bag that substitutes the clear Instagram pictures that were the norm. It’s actually very wholesome to see people taking pictures of a billboard with the same cameras I used as a kid, that are like quirky and widely zoomed. I remember taking them with my sisters growing up; I guess nostalgia has taken over the photographic aspect of our day to day.
This trend of using digital cameras has had so much success that people now make videos rating dozens of them on TikTok, and sell them at very low prices, so that everyone can have one. There are even new apps designed to take pictures that look vintage on your phone, such as: Dazz, Daze Cam, 1998 Cam, OldRoll, Huji Cam, and so many others!
Photo I took on Dazz Cam 05/24
My hypothesis is that, just like with fashion trends from the 90s and 2000s, nostalgia and the art of looking back on the years has invaded our way of using pictures and their aesthetic. Most people gravitate toward the nostalgia of when we were younger because it reminds us of the beautiful things that are not present anymore. I’m not saying that we all think like this, but maybe as a generation in which technology has mostly taken over, we subconsciously like some old methods, such as digital cameras (and their flattering lighting).
I’ll admit I am a fan of digital cameras, mainly because they’re more flattering. The lens doesn’t only capture the idea of the moment, but it also refrains from revealing every pixel of your face—we all look a bit cooler. It embraces the imperfectness of the image, they are not HD quality, but is that really the most important characteristic to a photo?
Some pictures are just beautiful memories and can be an experimental outlet of artistry. That is why there are different forms of photography, it is an art in and of itself. We live our memories and none of them are 100% perfect. An imperfect photo is raw, it’s real, and can also be aesthetically beautiful.
Developing a vintage camera is such a wholesome experience as well. The act of going somewhere and waiting to see how the pictures turned out, some great and some terrible, maybe all in black sometimes (it’s happened to me); it’s trial and error, and some people might not like it, but it’s so refreshing when they turn out well.
Picture from vintage camera 03/24
Some of the best memories I have printed out from the past year have been either from a digital camera, the vintage camera lens app, or my vintage film camera. It adds something to the memory—less urgency, nostalgia, and more uniqueness than a plain clear image from your camera roll could offer.
Here are some pictures I always cherish that I took with my vintage camera:
Madrid 02/24 Venice 03/24