Clicking in: Delving into the rising trend of film photography

For those who grew up in the 80s and 90s, swiping through memories meant flipping through photo albums, each page holding a slice of life, developed from film rolls and placed behind a carefully sealed plastic sleeve. Before the advent of high-resolution camera cell phones and instant prints, film photography was a slower, more deliberate process, with only a few owning a camera. Today, rekindling this old passion, film photography and vintage cameras are making a quiet but bold comeback. Whether its about the aesthetic, the process, or the nostalgia, what was once a dying art has now turned into a niche obsession across the city, thanks in part to social media, secondhand camera stores, and a growing community of enthusiasts eager to embrace the old-school appeal of film which demands, patience and a love for imperfect perfection. Mandara Battalahalli, an actor and film photographer, traces her passion for film back to childhood. My father has always been one of the most passionate hobbyists Ive ever known. Id often assist him in the darkroom while he developed his films, she shares. Analogue photography mirrors her love for classic cinema, as she explains, You have to measure the light manually, pick the right ISO and shutter speed. You only get 36 exposures so you really breathe through your frame. Her current favourite is the 120 medium format film. It captures just the right amount of subject and surrounding detail, she says. Photographer Shada Shajahan, who recently had her hands on film photography, shares a similar experience. Introduced to film by a friend, she reflects on how the process sharpened her artistic instinct. With analogue, everything needs to be precise. It has made me cautious and intentional, she says, adding, I visualise art, style, lighting and framing perfectly before shooting anything. The shift is common among those who transitioned from digital to film cameras. Nishanth G, who shoots mainly on a Yashica 635 medium format camera, says the lack of instant results makes him slow down. You create the shot in your head first. You dont get feedback on the spot, and that pressure pushes creativity, he explains. For many, this experience of seeing developed negatives weeks later brings a sense of delayed gratification, with unexpected shots which cannot be replicated using a digital camera. I have made mistakes sometimes with light leaks, but over time I learned that these mistakes have their own beauty, he adds. These results, filled with uncertainty after putting thoughts into clicking, are what appeal to everyone. As Abhiram Karthik Vedam, another analogue enthusiast, puts it, Its a dopamine kick. From loading the film, getting the light right, to the anticipation of seeing the results the experience challenges and rewards you. And why is it truly seizing the moment? No edits are typically done, unlike the digital photography process. The amount of light exposed for the film generates the picture, and if its underexposed, we can edit in post process, but it wont be realistic, so we avoid post processing to maintain its naturalness, he emphasises. Of course, film comes with its own challenges its expensive, time-consuming, and limited in resources, especially in India. Each roll costs at least 1,500, excluding developing and scanning, Shajahan points out. Yet she, like others, believes its worth every penny.