'Ciao ragazzo'
These were the first words from my father after not seeing him for months on end. That's basically Italian for "hello son." I'm home after graduating college and am very disgruntled over recent events with my experience dealing with the "film industry." Now it's not any new news that Kodak announced that they are coming up with a plan to possibly sell or create a spin off of their original photographic film based company. If you somehow didn't hear the news, the Kodak Company basically stated that their business has been in a long decline over the past 10 years. Their plan is to eventually phase out the traditional film aspect of their company and progress into the digital film age. I had never felt the effects of this until quite recently on an adventure to get 3 rolls of my favorite 120 film developed and printed after returning home from college. I am an avid photographer using both digital and film mediums. I however prefer film over digital. Anyways, back to my adventure. As I arrive to my local photo lab, my eyes are full of excitement, I'm energized and bursting at the seems to rush in and hand the young woman behind the counter my film. I had just finished shooting my last roll of film on my most cherished possession, the Holga 120 CFN. How I love thee. I briskly walk up to the counter, a gleaming smile is obviously plastered across my face as the young woman smiles back and barely contains a slight laugh due to my presence. I confidently slide my 3 rolls of film across the counter into her hands, knowing artistic greatness is the only outcome of these 3 masterfully shot rolls. I say to her, "I'd like to have these developed and printed please." She kindly tells me that their lab can only send my treasures of artistic genius off for processing and printing. This is not as I had envisioned things. The next thing that popped in my head after this disappointing news was, "how much are these things going to cost me?" I ask the kind woman and the next words out of her mouth brought tears to my eyes...no not literally, but it was close!
"Each roll will cost 8 dollars to develop and each print will be 75 cents."I quickly do the math in my head, and come up with the figure of $51.00. She assuredly gave me the same total I had come up with plus sales tax, making my day even more ever so bright at this point. I now have a blank expression on my face and unwillingly fork out the hard earned cash for a piece of artistic self satisfaction that will take, "at least 2 weeks to arrive."
"Why is this so expensive?"Well to every question there is an answer. Antonio Perez, the chief executive of Kodak states that, “The traditional film business has only a decade of growth ahead of it.” This means that most all major film and camera companies will be switching to digital film and digital film products. This will eventually eliminate the market for traditional film and traditional film photographers. Perez told
The Times that, “The Hollywood movie industry is the last big film customer in the world, but the digitization is gathering pace.” This means that eventually even the movie industry will switch to digital. This digital switch is very interesting news to most people, especially since Kodak is the company that invented the consumer film camera and pioneered the modern film industry. How do people feel about this digital switch and how will this effect film businesses and professionals in the film industry? I have experienced this effect first hand and am not pleased. No more film industry means that traditional photographers may see a dramatic price increase for traditional film. Actually let me rephrase that. Traditional film photographers will and are seeing a dramatic price increase for film and services pertaining to the industry. This could and possibly will lead to the decline in professional film photographers. The fact that digital cameras and digital “film” is so easy to use and manipulate often scares professionals in the film industry. Many Photographers claim that the elegance and beauty and the artistic nature of film will be destroyed if the digital switch is made global. I would personally have to agree with this statement. I fear for the future of
dark room junkies,
lomographers and
vintage film connoisseurs, as I just happen to be each of these. I leave you now with a few words from an article written by Graham Wood. He sums up his opinion and thoughts on the new digital age which we both share;
“For all of my 35 years as a photographer, I have always used film. Partly it’s because I am a Luddite, partly because film is just magic. It is a much richer medium in which to work, even though digital has come on in leaps and bounds in terms of quality. Now, with a photograph reproduced in a newspaper, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between the two media. My problem with digital is the way it encourages photographers to work. Because you can see the end result instantly on the back of your camera, it takes your mind off the creative process of taking a photograph. Another issue is that film is honest; digital photos are easily manipulated. Of course, the huge advantage of digital is speed, but, if you have time, as I do on a weekly magazine, then there is all the time in the world to make adjustments. Film has a lasting endurance. It is the true medium for photographers. Do you think Ansell Adams would have used digital?
— Graham Wood is the director of photography for
The Times Magazine
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