Interviews and work of student photographers
Film photography first became accessible to the general public in the late 19th century with the invention of the first mass-market camera, the Kodak. For the next hundred years, manual cameras dominated the photography industry until the rise of affordable digital cameras in the ‘90s.
What’s the difference between the two? Digital cameras use pixels to capture an image, which can be edited after being taken, while manual cameras allow a small amount of light onto the film, which chemically reacts to form an image.
Even though digital photography and cell phones have largely replaced film media, manual cameras still maintain a devoted group of enthusiasts, especially here at the University of Dallas.
Sophomore John Paul Lueck, senior Kenneth Eze and juniors Jacob Nalagan and John St. Pierre are all amateur photographers who have valuable insights about the challenges and joys of their experience with film.
Sophomore JP Lueck said, “Film’s limitations make you a better photographer. Because you cannot control how the colors will turn out in development, the medium forces you to look at your surroundings with a particular eye that determines whether or not some subject would look beautiful with your current setup”.
Liighting, shutter speed, film color and composition must be adjusted before you click the capture button. After the photos are taken, they must be developed in a darkroom before one knows whether or not they turned out.
Learning how to navigate all of these factors is a journey in itself, but the effort involved makes the final moment captured all the more rewarding.
For these students, there is something quintessentially UD about manual cameras and film. John St. Pierre said, “I think our school clearly promotes the preservation of goodness in old things. Film has made a lot of history– most of the photos you find in history textbooks are film photos,” Lueck said. “Shooting film makes one feel connected to the past in an important way.”
Additionally, the education at UD has helped these artists in their work. Eze said, “I feel like my education here has really enriched my ability to convey what I’m trying to say as well as be more precise and intentional when I make a film.”
Because production of film has decreased, buying and developing it is very expensive. This limitation forces photographers to prioritize quality over quantity. Junior Jacob Nalagan said, “Each picture really holds a lot of weight, and I have to make a conscious decision whether I want a photo of this or not.”
However, the cost of film can make it a barrier for those on a tight budget. Senior Kenneth Eze has overcome this obstacle by editing his digital photos to mimic the grain, colors and composition of film shots. For all of these students, film photos have a unique nostalgic feeling and stillness that digital photos lack. “Everything taken in any film medium always feels authentic, and it’s honestly my favorite. It feels real, not forced in any way.” said Eze.
Additionally, the nature of film allows photographers to stay in the moment instead of taking multiple shots to get the “perfect” photo. Junior Jacob Nalagan said, “It really helps you stay in the moment because you just click and you put your camera away. It doesn’t matter whether or not you got the ‘perfect’ picture– what matters is that you deemed something worth taking a photo of.”
He added, “I think it encourages a good outlook on life, especially nowadays when we’re in such a world of instant gratification. If you’re agreeing to do film photography, you’re agreeing to not get what you want, but you’re agreeing to be okay with that.”
All of them encouraged students to find a creative outlet while at school. Eze said, “If we were made in the image of God, one of the greatest things God has done is create. And I feel like we all have that ability and that desire.” St. Pierre said, “It doesn’t take anything fancy. All that matters is that you get out there and do it”.
Seeing the incredible work these students have done, it’s hard to deny that finding a creative outlet enriches both the artist’s college experience and those they inspire. Carrying on the legacy of film photography is a unique and creative way to do so.
Claire Galmish is a junior English major with concentrations in French and painting.