Film resurgence captures photographers seeking to ‘slow down’ and hone their art

Treading water off a beach on Queensland’s Gold Coast, Calin Jones is waiting for the right moment.

A professional photographer, Jones would usually be snapping hundreds of photos a second as boardriders pass the lens of his digital camera.

Now, using an old film camera, he only has one chance.

“It’s so much more challenging,” he said.

“You’ve only got 36 shots on the roll, especially when you’re out in the water, so you’ve really got to make it last and watch for good moments, not just take a photo of everything that moves.”

Jones has been taking photos for 13 years. But two years ago, he swapped his digital camera for an old film rig.

“Digital cameras are so advanced; you can literally just hold the trigger and take 100 photos in a couple of seconds,” he said.

“It felt like I wasn’t a photographer. I was just using a camera and it was doing all the work for me.”

The challenge of film

The first photo from the moon was taken with a film camera.

Entitled Earthrise it was developed in 1968 by Kodak, the world’s largest film producer at the time.

Since then, digital cameras have stormed the market, taking away the perceived pain of winding, printing and waiting.

But for Jones, it was his return to film that “re-sparked” his passion for the art.

“I was getting quite bored [with the digital camera]. I just found it too easy,” he said.

“It feels raw. It feels real.”

Blake Tate co-owns Lazarus Lab on the Gold Coast, one of the few businesses in the country that specialises in digitising film photos.

He said the lab gets orders from all over the world.

“In the [last three years] I’ve definitely seen a pretty big upward trajectory on all levels,” Mr Tate said.

“Big brands are demanding the film aesthetic, so it’s come back in on the higher-up commercial level, too.” 

Film is a ‘culture’

Digitised film photos have flooded the social media feeds of hobby photographers, wedding photographers and even businesses in recent years.

Jones said it was the feeling of nostalgia some of his clients were drawn to. For others, it was an aesthetic.

For many who have their film developed with Mr Tate, it is about the process.

“It is a whole culture,” Mr Tate said.

“Back in the day, it’s all that there was, so it wasn’t considered this special thing.

The Lazarus Lab team mix the chemicals, develop and scan the images into digital photos.

Mr Tate said it can take up to half an hour to develop a roll of black and white by hand.

“It’s weird, but people love that it takes so long and that it’s way more difficult than digital. They love what’s involved and that’s what’s keeps it interesting,” he said.

Jones has been developing his own film at home after taking an online tutorial.

“It’s actually been so good for my mental health, sitting there focusing on something … being hands-on, touching the film, feeling it,” he said.

“Doing it myself now, I think, ‘I did that. I did all of that’.

“The rawness and being able to slow down, that was a huge one for me.”

In with the old …

Kodak filed for bankruptcy in 2012 after 130 years in business. It had not embraced modern digital technologies.

But for Jones, it was the simplicity he loved.

“The technology [now] is too good; auto-focus is just next level,” he said.

“I think capturing moments [with film means] waiting for moments and really involving yourself in the surroundings and whatever you’re shooting.

“[You’re] being present there — not just holding a camera and holding down the button.”

Jones believes film will only grow in popularity.

“I am waiting for big [camera] brands … to bring a new film camera out,” he said.

“It’s been 20 years since they brought out a film camera. I think that’s what’s to come.”