Hey all, Erik here with a quick guest post about a subject that’s raised a lively debate in our studio. Everyone on our crew has long been shooting with Polaroids, rangefinders, micro 4/3 cameras adapted to accept vintage lenses…even processing digital images to look like they came out of an old dusty camera. Surveying the landscape, it’s clear this tide has been rising for a while now and we’re not the only ones attached to this stuff. So the question I present to you is this:
Why is retro or faux-retro photography so popular these days?
Why, when we have such capable and inexpensive cameras at our disposal, are we reverting to old technology and old aesthetics? Is it pure nostalgia? Is it a palette cleanser from the ease and accuracy of said capable and inexpensive cameras? Is it a passing trend? We have opinions–especially Chase does as you might expect–but we’d like to hear from you.
Retro is the new black. It’s a reaction coming specifically from digital I feel.
I grew up with film, and both my Fiance and I have done large format photography and making Albumen prints, as well as Kallitype, Salt and Platinum/Palladium printing. Using things like lens-less pinhole cameras and printing methods like they did in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s creates an era of history to the images. Using extremely primitive methods of capturing images, photographers of the past were able to create images that had real substance.
Digital can sometimes have that feel of being too polished; too perfect, too sharp, too exact. I love digital, but there is nothing like taking a 30 second pinhole exposure and printing it on Albumen.
So much so, that for my wedding this year, I’ve specifically searched out someone who does 16×20″ wet plate and tin type images using a lens made in the 1860’s. Instant timelessness.
Cheers,
Sid
I think everything is “bound to go old-skool”.
For the past few years consumers have been able to produce razor-sharp and high-end images due to affordable prosumer dslr camera’s. Same as the film and music industry things tend to go back to the olden days (e.g. Metallica’s Garage Inc., The Ataris’ Welcome To The Night and movies such as Machete)
And because film, developing film and retro gear are getting more and more expensive it would be a logical step to produce ‘rare’ images like the feauld-skool we see nowadays.
At least that is what I think is happening 😉
In an age where everyone is a photographer and most are shooting with dSLR cameras that often produce the same general look and feel, the addition of retro filters may be an attempt to differentiate and separate a photograph from the pack, giving the shot some character and perhaps a more personal (less technological) past.
I think it’s old feeling new again. We haven’t seen this sort of thing for a very long time become so easily accessible and it’s so easy to make something so dull look interesting now. I love Hipstamatic on the iPhone and I’m really enjoying 8mm for video on there too. To get these fx with our everyday cameras or even our slr’s we have to sit in front of photoshop or after effects for an age trying to get it right whilst within seconds, you’ve got what you want in the palm of your hand. All that for no more than £4-£5 (not including phone :S) on your phone that basically almost never leaves your side. Plus those who aren’t very creative or artistic feel satisfied by it because they’re exploring something that otherwise they would never have explored. It’s just easy and fun.
I think it’s important to remember that a lot of the “digital generation” may not have been exposed to this style prior to picking up a DSLR. So, possibly, during studying and examining other photographers styles have stumbled across the look and just like it.
I was not really a fan of photography prior to picking up a camera a couple years back. Although, I rarely shoot/process vintage, I find myself drawn to it more and more.
I normally shoot with very harsh lighting. (contrasty?) and find my personal work getting away from crazy lighting set ups etc..I have been really been feeling the freedom of ambient and some older looking processing.