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.
A couple examples from the music world that may help explain it. We like the music we listened to when we first started getting laid. The same principles apply to photography. We associate certain memories with the time period and the style of the time. We were all younger when film was more popular. Everything is more awesome when you’re younger.
In the music world analog recording has what we call “even harmonic distortion.” When things are distored, blury, etc. the distortion is in tune with the original recording. Errors in the digital world are completely random. Digital is harsh where analog is smooth even with poor fidelity.
I think there’s also a lot to be said for the simplicity of all things retro. Fewer controls, fewer details to focus on, more emphasis on composition, subject, message. When we use older cameras or even just process in a way that removes detail, we are simplifying, carving away what is unnecessary. When I think of great artists I think of those that conveyed more with very simple technique.
1. 36 shots per roll tends to make you a little less snap happy. You tend to think about things a little more before taking a shot. I find the quality of my shots are better when I’m shooting one roll film as compared to 200 digital photos. I miss out on a few lucky shots though since I’m a little conservative with film…
2. A $2000 dollar camera is over kill when everyone is drinking PBR and you can’t stand up. A Holga, Diana, or Polaroid works great and gives it something a little more personal.
3. Gotta learn your history!
I think like most everything: styles reoccur
I think the main reason is that it’s different. “Styles” and “looks” always shift when the crowed wants something new. It will be something else in 5 years.
I think part of it is that unexpectedness and surprise… giving up some control and introduce the “Happy Accidents” that make a photo intriguing beyond technical perfection. Which can lose some soul in the process.