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.
Part nostalgia, part ‘hey, it makes my crappy photo look better’, and part rebellion against cool, crisp perfection.
Every time I look at my friend’s family snap shots I think two things:
1. knee jerk: wow, our childhood photos have so much more character – color shifts, borders, light leaks, what have you
2. what will snap shots look like in 30 years that will make us nostalgic for this?
with ipads and tablets, cellphones shooting video and photo, and consumer cameras doing the same, we’re that much closer to Harry Potter’s magic moving picture family albums.
hopefully soon though, people’s eyes will become numb to the effect of the retrocam, the hipstamic, instacam and the photo beneath will again be judged by it’s merit.
and yes, I use them sometimes too.
Most of my family photos look that way and it strikes a chord deep in my psyche when I see new pictures that have that nostalgic look. It is a way of allowing present images to transcend their otherwise crisp and clean zillion pixel qualities.
This is spot on for me too;)
For me it’s about creating an instant sense of atmosphere. It’s an easy way for the masses to make an aesthetic point without being a professional with resources and knowledge to get it perfect in camera/post
You got it!
It is an easy route to “creativity”
I predict this fad will end as soon as HDR did.
Coming form a film background, I appreciate the imperfections, and embrace them. As well the processes behind it all, and am often shooting with older film cameras over my digital for personal and fun projects.
«It doesn’t matter if the photos aren’t prefect as long as people are capturing memories I will be happy». [Bruce Dorbowski]