by Rebecca Williams
Who would’ve thought that film photography would make such a huge comeback amongst millennials? Although, as the obsession of “vintage finds” continues to infiltrate our favourite clothing stores, it may not come as a surprise to all.
I recently fell in love with disposable cameras after developing my first roll of film in March of 2017. For a long time I had been dabbling in the dark art of photography, but I had always longed for something more autonomous than the digital medium. I think the appeal in disposable camera photography lies heavily in the concept of spontaneity and anticipation. I get excited over very few things in this fast world, but receiving developed film is like Christmas to me.
This branch of photography forces us to not look back, edit, overanalyze or delete; we just take the picture and go. Personally, I love how the pictures turn out; they ooze an effortless “cool” factor that you can’t find without over-editing a digital image. Now, I prefer disposables over digital because the photos are more personal. Nothing ruins a hang-out more than someone pulling out a professional camera with fancy lenses to snap a “candid” picture.
I take more pictures now because disposable cameras are easy to carry around and are not as intrusive; each picture is truly a representation of a quiet and uninterupted moment. The colours are rich and the images are inherently full of character and the best part is — apart from the fact that a pack of two cameras only cost 8 dollars — you don’t have to be a photographer because you just simply point and shoot. The wait is more than worth it. It makes the photos all the more valuable.
