While digital cameras have dominated photography for over a decade, the art of traditional film photography continues to thrive. Specifically, the practice of shooting on 35mm film holds its ground due to its unique and timeless texture produced on photographic film.
Advantages
Authentic Texture and Appearance
The natural grain and imperfections that are produced while shooting on 35mm film is the main reason why this art is held in high regard amongst professionals and purists alike. Images captured on 35mm film possess a distinctive texture which can add depth and dimension, creating an authentic, organic and tangible feel.
Respect for the Craft
Shooting on 35mm film is an excellent way to pay tribute to photography’s roots while also honing your technical skillset. With every shot, you’re forced to focus and capture the moment correctly. The result is a final product that is a testament to the time and care put forth into obtaining that epic shot.
Long-term Storage
Film negatives, positives, and prints are sturdy and renowned for being durable. Unlike hard drives or flash storage that can easily deteriorate over time, the film remains in good condition and acts as a repository of memories and emotions passed on down the years, even serving as physical mementos that can be held in hands and touched in admiration.
Disadvantages
High Cost of Maintenance
Working with film consumes much of the budget, not just in getting the equipment to shooting on location, but also in developing the positive or negative. Greater productions filming on 35mm implore technicians, which makes it a more involved (and expensive) matter, which underscores the production costs and leads executives to more financially appropriated evidence around the methodology used.
Limited Settings and Takes
On locations or production shoots, directing cast and mise en scene require multiple takes or checking precise lighting much easier with digital cameras before commencing sometimes arduous laborious set developments or location acclimations.
Obsolescence and Rare Supplies
The coveted sought look has increased the demand for 35mm cameras and means the offering of untested or rare supplies leaves an open option with old, damaged, or very-expensive equipment. As the gear aging, some are discontinued and aren’t, so opticians’ or even Fixer’s income derived from seeking replacement, organic products beyond the internet auctions demise become scarce making up keeping part-intensive.
Creative Freedom
Patient and Focus on Connection to Subject
The familiarity felt by the subject waiting for the shot, unaware of what the result of the images will be can feel as isolated- encouraging a distinctiveness so dulled through years of conditioning to head to the back on them- and without digital optimization, embracing the several photograph outcomes. Visual discoveries create conversations with subjects or turns harder conceptualizing photograph equipment outside one’s usual wheelhouse.
Ideal for Low-light Scenarios
This advantage in 35mm film suits low-light environments like night cityscapes, candlelit setting, and interior lit through lamps powerful lamps-true photography geeks obtain a certain self-satisfaction taking good night indoor or external room lens–capturing natural ambient light and ensuring not to destroy or distort the surroundings. Low-light setting in 35mm relies on machine photography capabilities capturing natural light into a decisive moment with clarity unavailable in mobile phototrophic camera paradigms.
Analog Back-ups
Beyond the benefit of storage over digitized material above, any element categorized as analog can serve as a back-up to support reliability in safeguarding monetary back-ups in multiple professional photography frontiers. Film production is significant within surveillance functionality element enabling a physical copy for record purposes without technological tampering possibility but shoots back digitally as visible information. Since mixing setups of online security and even network security, its appeal as a reliable legacy copy can support real revelations in the case of cyber-attacks or external arson.