The Young Edge: Gen Z’s shift from digital to analogue in film photography and what’s driving the change

The shift to analogue by Gen Z

According to Karan Suri Talwar, the founder of Harkat Studios, the Generation Z is now channelling conventional ways in the contemporary setup and moving past the filters of Instagram to create original content. Notably, the ‘16mm Film Festival’, an initiative by Harkat Studio, is playing a big role to evoke the shift.

It was the year 1826, when Joseph Nicephore Niece took the world’s first analogue photograph to immortalise his estate in the Burgundy region of France. From then till date, freezing one’s fondest moments is what made and continues to make photography such an important part of our lives.

Not until the late 20th century did the art of photography see its renaissance. Digital cameras replaced film rolls and in no time, image sensors took over artist’s understanding of light and shadow, absolutely isolating the darkrooms.

The revival saga

Talking to The Indian Express, Talwar shares the revival story of analogue photography and photochemical filmmaking amongst the youth.

“We get at least one email from people of the age group of 20-30 years everyday enquiring about analogue photography workshops and that itself speaks for the shift of mood from digital. In response to the over-saturation of digital images taken from phones and DSLRs, most youngsters are shifting to analogue for a different, slow and immersing outcome,” said Talwar, founder of Harkat Studio.

Trends have led to young photographers sharing their raw analogue photographs online with hashtags like #nograinnoglory and #grainisgood, appreciating the rawness and imperfections of compositions.

Light leaks, grainy pictures and the raw outcome

Zaid, a 21-year-old cinematographer and an alumnus of Symbiosis Pune, explains why he fancies analogue in a capsule.

“I’ve been making and watching films since I was a little kid and I’ll any-day choose analogue over digital. Except, being an independent filmmaker, the logistics stop me from doing so.”

Zaid adds, “Light leaks, grainy pictures, double exposure and colour cast makes the end product raw and worth the wait.”

Analogue fits well with the digitised contemporary set up and one such example is Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Challengers’, which was mostly shot on Kodak 35mm film while an Arri Alexa LF camera was used for the POV and several other tennis scenes, given the speed required for the movie’s most turbulent shots.

Rudragsh Gupta, a 21-year-old Mumbai-based assistant director and alumni of Symbiosis Pune, said, “I’ve grown up watching directors like Satyajit Ray — the simplicity, texture, shadows and colours produced by old masterpieces with analogue cameras can’t be matched with what digital produces. I intended to shoot my movie, Aparna, using a film but the budget prevented me from doing so. Nevertheless, after post production work, we could bring the analogue vision we had in mind.” Gupta is now preparing to send his film to different film festivals around the nation.