Back to the roots, back to analog…
A week ago I went to my first and definitely not last analogue photography workshop at Polagraph and it was amazing! You might think that everyone is now going back to analog, just because it's IN and trendy. Old cameras, vinyl records, cassette tapes or even VHS are now considered something cool and must-have. Well, you might be right, but why the hell not! Analog is cool as it always was and there is just something special about playing your favourite record from vinyl or capturing the moment on a classic SLR camera.
When I was a kid my parents were processing black and white films at home from A to Z. Developing films in the bathroom and then processing photographies in the kitchen. I will never forget the pattern of window blinds and the shade of the red bulb they would use just for this occasion. I even enjoyed, and I still do, the smell of the chemicals used. I also remember that wherever we went my father would carry a camera so he doesn't miss any chance for a perfect shot. Yes, I sometimes hated it, because I always had to pose, not understanding what has driven my father to be so obsessed.
And then comes the digital era. My father, as a proper whole life technology enthusiast, metaphorically throws the analog camera away and goes fully for the digital. He sold all the equipment for BW photography development and put all cameras into the drawer and never took them out again.
I had a few moments when I wanted to bring the cameras back from ashes, but I was probably missing the right motivation or it just wasn't the time yet. I always loved to go over old albums and remind myself of all the memories, but only when I got pregnant and even more after my father's recent death I realized that I want to capture our memories the same way he did.
I also noticed a very sad thing that after we all started using digital cameras we have plenty of pictures somewhere in our laptops and external hard disks, but only very few or none in hard copy. And I totally understand why, because I am the same. Tens of thousands of pictures which I will never find time to sort, delete all the duplicate same looking pictures. All saved on the hard disk to get forgotten.
And that's what I love about film. You don't take hundreds of of the same snaps. When the film is done you get it developed straight away. And last, but not least, there is this unreplicable moment of surprise when you open the envelope with developed pictures and see the final results.
So for me, analogue photography is not only a trend but a great way how to keep memories alive.
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