In an era of advanced technology with many modern recording devices, film photography is a way for young people to evoke art from the past and recall old values. Film cameras appeal to young people by giving them the unique moment and opportunity to produce nostalgia-tinged photos bearing the spirit of the 1970s-80s of the last century. There’s no doubt that there’s a sort of nostalgia and romanticism that draws many photographers to shooting on film.

Ms. Phan Thuy An (right) runs a shop that sells film cameras that help young people capture real moments in life.

Experience many emotions

Working with film cameras for more than 4 years, Nguyen O Rin, 23, a native from Quang Ngai Province now living and working in Da Nang, said that when he was in middle school, his father brought home a very nice film camera that made he curious and started to learn how to operate it. He questioned why this type of camera must have film to capture and how is it different from a digital one. Later, when he went to university, he used film cameras very well and took pictures for customers and events.

“I love the film series because it operates entirely by hand and when shooting, I can hear the shutter sound of the film. For me, the art of taking pictures is manually the adjusting of each operation on the machine. I used to wander around taking photos of people in Street Photography style. Film camera brings a lot of emotions to players. Simply when playing with a film camera, I find the truth in the hustle and bustle of life, so I want to stick with this passion for a long time. In particular, the moment I wait for pictures from the film studio, I feel that it is the waiting of happiness, whether it's the first photo or many later ones, that feeling remains the same," said Rin.

Photographic film is a strip or sheet of transparent film base coated on one side with a gelatin emulsion containing microscopically small light-sensitive silver halide crystals. The sizes and other characteristics of the crystals determine the sensitivity, contrast, and resolution of the film.

Sharing about how to take beautiful photos, Rin said, to have a beautiful film photo, with bright sunshine or cold frost, it depends on how we change the parameters on each roll of film. In addition, light determines 80% of the quality of a film image because it cannot be taken in low light conditions and film cameras do not use light correction techniques.

Therefore, taking a film camera forces the photographer to carefully calculate every aspects including composition, shooting angle, light, the scene and human factors to ensure that the image will be harmonious and eye-catching. Importantly, players need to understand the camera they are using to make the most of the features.

According to Ms. Le Hoang Anh, 29, a Da Nang inhabitant, first and foremost, film photography has a higher dynamic range than digital photography. One of the main reasons photographers choose to shoot on film is because of the analog characteristics it gives to a photo. Specifically, film grain adds unique texture and qualities to a photograph that are difficult to accurately replicate in digital photography.

Living with a passion for film photography helps Anh experience many emotions and enjoy the different colours of life. “On the weekend, I and my friends share the same passion for going to suburbs to capture peaceful moments. Photographs taken with film have both the freshness of the present and the nostalgia of the past, expressing sincerity, simplicity but equally shimmering. I feel happy when I take pictures of scenes I see with my own naked eyes and it shows through film photos with true colours that digital cameras cannot. My youth will not be meaningless when I keep film photos as part of my youth memories”, said Anh.

Startup with film cameras

Being passionate about film cameras, Phan Thuy An, 21, a student at the Da Nang-based Duy Tan University decided to start a business named ‘Pho Film’ selling film cameras for more than 3 years at 22 Nguyen Pham, Hai Chau District.

An said, she fell in love with the film camera when she participated in a contest and luckily won the first prize with a film camera. From that chance, she began to learn how to use film cameras and became addicted at times. Although the first photos were not as expected, it was a special memory that prompted her to study more deeply about film cameras.

“I love nostalgia, so I prefer taking pictures with film cameras to digital ones, that's why I got into the business. Film camera business is not easy, I spend a lot of time learning from my predecessors, sourcing goods for sales, and most importantly, I have to really grasp a deep insight into types of cameras and their features to confidently give useful pieces of advice to customers. Moreover, the film camera market is quite narrow because it is only aimed at certain groups of customers, but I still want to find the difference to gain success. Recently, I established an association of film photography lovers with a hope of turning it into a gathering place for young people who share the same passion to exchange experience and share useful information about film photography”, said An.

Currently, ‘Pho Film’ sells a wide variety of cameras with renowned brands such as Nikon, Canon, Olympus, Konica and Minolta and accessories including film, camera bags, batteries, lens caps and straps.

Despite many advantages of film photography, there are some downsides to consider. Because film photography utilizes a physical roll of film, there are only a limited amount of exposures or frames on each roll. This can limit the amount of photos you can take before loading up another roll. Besides, although film cameras have lower initial costs, in the long run they can be a more expensive venture. The cost of film and developing adds up quickly compared to digital photography. However, in return, photos taken from film cameras have their own beauty, breath of life, true and vivid.

“Taking photos with a film camera, I feel comfortable and find joy and freshness in my soul, which is also a way to help myself overcome stress after working hours,”, said An.

Reporting by HUYNG TUONG VY - Translating by A.THU