There is something so beautiful about the unknown of your photos. The processing of these unknown photos is a long but rewarding process that is being forgot about.
The look of film photos cannot be recreated, even with all of the filters that exist nowadays. These film photos have something special about them — they make you aware of where the photographer was in that exact moment and show that the photographer saw something that they needed to capture right then. The film reacts to the light in the moment when the photo is taken. The imperfections of the photograph can capture another element of personality and intrigue that make film photos even more special and unique.
Personally, I only ever worked in black and white development, but the process for color film is similar. It can take a couple days just to get a single role of film developed. The whole process is done completely in the dark, whether that be getting the film out of the camera and processing them in a dark bag, or processing the photos in a dark room. The printing and developing of these photos can also be expensive, but I think that the expense put into the art makes them more valuable. The love you put into it is expressed through the photos.
With the use of smart phones now, the art of photography has become somewhat less special. The imperfections are photoshopped out and only the best photos are shown to the world. We take hundreds of photos of one scene to get it just right, while with a roll of film you only have 32 chances to take pictures of as many scenes as you can. The imperfections make it beautiful. That’s what makes film photography so special.