Bill Clinton (Get Out The Vote) Rally in Reading, PA

Date: October 28, 2016

Film: Tri-X 400

The event was held at Albright College in the Campus Center.  President Clinton spoke of the need to get out and vote for his wife and expressed his disapproval of Trump.  It was interesting to see and feel the sense of inclusion and variety of people at the event, despite one protestor I managed to snap a photo of.  Very similar to the experience with the Bernie Sanders event.  One supporter I spoke with was in his 50's and was primarily concerned with environmental health and global warming.

After the event, I had to capture Ronie's Home of The Steak Inc. as it's my frequently visited watering hole.  

Film's Not Dead

Today, the concept of film cameras seems foreign and essentially obsolete. The days of developing film and flipping through a stuffed photo album seemed like it was a thing in the past. Cameras today are in peoples back pockets, not hanging around their necks. Memories are relived by scrolling through Instagram, not a photo album. Yet for many, the days of film are coming back; and for a few, those days never left. 

When digital cameras were invented some 40 years ago, photography was diving into the technology world with the rest of society. Digital cameras seemed far more convenient than a film camera ever could be. They allowed for people to store their photos on computers and easily share them on the quickly growing Internet. Digital photography let people take hundreds of pictures, where previously they were limited to the number of frames on a roll of film.

So what is it about film cameras that have people going back in time? Is it the quality of the photo or the comfort of sticking to what you know? Is it simply nostalgia? 

““The simplicity of taking photos today with modern technology undermines the value of capturing what you really want to remember.””

Kyle Hurlbrink, 24, of Philadelphia, uses a Leica M6 film camera. He has only been shooting film for a few months but already loves the “organic” feel the camera gives. “Each shot is worth more,” he says, “there is no delete button.” For him, it’s not so much that the photo quality is better, but simply more unique. He says, you have to know a little bit about photography to take a decent photo with a film camera. “The simplicity of taking photos today with modern technology undermines the value of capturing what you really want to remember.”

Polaroid announced in 2009 that it would stop production of film. This caused a huge uproar and started a campaign called “The Impossible Project,” according to a New York Times report. That campaign now sells film, and refurbished film cameras. The article also states that Fuji is still relevant in the film world. It released a line of small instant-film cameras, which quickly became very popular. 

““Digital produces sharper results at higher definitions, but film has an attractiveness to it due to the vintage style.””

Anthony Iezzi, 24, of Philadelphia,  has been shooting film for a few months and uses a Minolta Magnuum 3000i film camera. Film photography is more of a hobby for him. He says he still would prefer digital to film, but thinks film is a lost art. “Digital produces sharper results at higher definitions, but film has an attractiveness to it due to the vintage style.”

What may come as a surprise is that it is possible to still purchase a roll of film, and get film developed. Wal-Mart, Walgreens and Target all develop film, and Wal-Mart and Walgreens sell rolls of film. As for cameras, e-Bay offers options.

““Although film may be slower, less perfect, less predictable and sometimes even more expensive than digital, it has definitely found a place in my heart,””

An entry on photographylife.com, John Bosley, writes about how using film makes photographers slow down and take the time to capture good photos. He says he’s thrilled to use a camera that many people find to be useless. “Although film may be slower, less perfect, less predictable and sometimes even more expensive than digital, it has definitely found a place in my heart,” he writes.

Portland native Nate Matos, 26, is an avid film camera user. He has been using film for about a decade, and he loves it. Matos uses a variety of cameras because “like a mechanic who needs tools to fix a car, different cameras serve different purposes.”  For him, film is about the “tangible mementos” he gets to keep forever. Matos enjoys film so much, that he has never used a digital camera. He feels that digital cameras are missing something from the photographic process.

““Film is proactive instead of reactive, every choice you make along the way impacts what the final print will look like in an irreversible way,””

“Film is proactive instead of reactive, every choice you make along the way impacts what the final print will look like in an irreversible way,” Matos says. He thinks that film is becoming popular again because photographers are no longer being forced to use film as they were so many years ago. Photographers now have options, and they’re picking film.

 It is clear just by a quick search on the Internet that film is coming back, and it’s coming back strong. The hash tag “#FilmsNotDead” is a huge movement. Before you know it, you may be buying a film camera instead of that new digital camera. 

-Emilee Larkin

World War II Weekend in Reading, PA

Date: June 3-4-5, 2016

Film: Portra 400 & 400 TX

The Mid-Atlantic Museum hosted their 26th annual World War II reenactment.

NYC, Spring 2016

Date: Spring 2016

Film: Ektar 100 & Tri-X 400

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Bernie Sanders Town Hall in Reading, PA

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Date:  April 21, 2016

Film: Tri-X 400

The event was held at the Santander Performing Arts Center in downtown Reading.  Lines of mostly people in their young twenties wrapped around the entire block waiting to enter the theater.  The photos were taken on the upper story reception area inside the theater where Sanders spoke to the overflow crowd that couldn't fit into the main venue.  The short 15 minute speech ended up being a whole lot more intimate!

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Ted Cruz Hershey, PA

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Date: April 20, 2016

Film: Tri-X 400

This was the second time I saw a candidate at the Antique Automobile Club of America Museum, so it was interesting to see the changes in setup and audience from Kasich's event. Carly Fiorina, who had previously dropped from the race, introduced senator Cruz.  Later that month, Cruz would announce Carly as his VP. 

Philadelphia, Spring 2016

Date: Spring 2016

Film:  Ektar 100

John Kasich Town Hall in Hershey, PA

Back to photo archives

Date:  April 1, 2016

Film: HP5 Plus

The event was held at the Antique Automobile Club of America Museum and went on for a little over an hour.  He spoke of his accomplishments as the current governor of Ohio as well as his path on achieving recognition in the race for the White House, despite his lower performance in the polls.  The speech was followed by a short Q&A session.

“I will not take the low road to the highest office in the land.”
— John Kasich
Copyright Kyle Hurlbrink