Analog Photography Makes a Comeback

[radiant]

After all, customers want to distribute the analog product digitally, mostly on social networks."

That is analysis by Silbersaltz CEO. I think he has pretty wide view of the industry.

Yes, darkroom hobbyist are a bit on the rise but that doesn't explain the popularity bubble at all. I think the biggest part are the film shooters that scan to social media.

 

[removed account4]

Huh? What? Where?

young / new users are ( by the olde guard type of folks on web fora like this )

 

[faberryman]

It can inspire you to copy others' work. But there are some great photos posted, if you know who or what to follow, that can serve as inspiration. On the other hand, a lot of what is posted is the usual selfies and food.

With 40 billion photographs on Instagram, I don't know how you are supposed to find photographs you like. Anyway, I thought I would try again, so I logged on, and since I hadn't logged on in a while, they emailed me a secret code, which I entered, and so they gave me a list of suggested people to follow, and the first one on the list was Caitlyn Jenner.

 

[warden]

With 40 billion photographs on Instagram, I don't know how you are supposed to find photographs you like. Anyway, I thought I would try again, so I logged on, and since I hadn't logged on in a while, they emailed me a secret code, which I entered, and so they gave me a list of suggested people to follow, and the first one on the list was Caitlyn Jenner.

Is that the end of the story? Did you delete the app in disgust?

It’s not surprising that Instagram, who does not know you, would suggest starting with a public personality that has over 11 million followers. If you start following photographers, artists, etc. that you already know, in short order you will find people that you do not know yet. That’s because the artist that you already respect is following them, even though they may be young and don’t have 11 million followers. You may find someone that inspires you, which is the point after all.

 

[faberryman]

Is that the end of the story? Did you delete the app in disgust?

No, that is not the end of the story, and I did not delete the app in disgust. I just passed on the opportunity to check out what Caitlyn Jenner had for lunch yesterday. I noticed that there is search bar, so I am going to try to work up a list of living photographers whose work I admire, and search for them. Most of the photographers I know about are dead, so it may take me a while.

 

[Helge]

An affordable scanner that is at least good enough, can’t come fast enough
As in actually using sensor tech from the last ten years and ability to hold film flat, just for the barest minimum of starters. And in not being overproduced to the gills.

The numerous projects and super expensive holders and backlights are not “a start” or “better than nothing”.
They are a diversion and a distraction.
Mostly harmless at best.
Discouraging and demoralizing at worst for consumers and manufacturers alike.

Setting up an enlarger with a digicam facing into the gate is easy for us. But for 95 percent of other would be films shooters it’s bewildering and insurmountable.

 

[warden]

No, that is not the end of the story, and I did not delete the app in disgust. I just passed on the opportunity to check out what Caitlyn Jenner had for lunch yesterday. I noticed that there is search bar, so I am going to try to work up a list of living photographers whose work I admire, and search for them. Most of the photographers I know about are dead, so it may take me a while.

I would pass on Caitlyn Jenner too for what that's worth.

(I know we're going OT here, but it seems relevant in an analog comeback kind of way, which I agree is happening partly on IG.) So in addition to looking for your current favorite photographers another avenue I might suggest is to follow Yale Photo on IG to see what the younger generation of photo MFAs are up to. Yale also use IG to draw your attention to free lectures and interviews that they host live on Youtube. Gregory Crewdson is the hit-or-miss host and the chair of their department, and has interviewed Kara Walker, Tilda Swinton, Robert Adams, Stephen Shore, Catherine Opie, etc. There is a lot to be learned there as they share their experiences with the young ones.

 

[removed account4]

There is a lot to be learned there.

+1 and see and enjoy and mimic and ...

 

[Arthurwg]

With 40 billion photographs on Instagram, I don't know how you are supposed to find photographs you like. Anyway, I thought I would try again, so I logged on, and since I hadn't logged on in a while, they emailed me a secret code, which I entered, and so they gave me a list of suggested people to follow, and the first one on the list was Caitlyn Jenner.

The best way to find photographs that you like is to make them yourself.

 

[radiant]

However, the important thing to remember about Instagram and social media in general is that people are not simply promoting what they do, they are promoting themselves as personalities. So anything that adds character is appealing to them. In other words, Instagram isn't really about photography.

Wise words indeed. I have never thought of this aspect. But maybe it is photography after all; storytelling by capturing still moments (well yes, stories..).

 

[logan2z]

Most of the photographers I know about are dead, so it may take me a while.

Being alive is not a prerequisite for having an Instagram account There are many dead photographers whose estates maintain an account and share the artist's work, news about books and exhibitions etc.

https://instagram.com/louisstettnerestate
https://instagram.com/ernst_haas_estate
https://instagram.com/jillfreedmanphoto
https://instagram.com/tishmurtha

 

[removed account4]

The best way to find photographs that you like is to make them yourself.

the internet seems to be stuffed to the gills with images from galleries and museums well knowns, wannabe well knows, movers and shakers and unknowns who post all their work unabashedly on social media platforms. to me finding someone interesting to look at on IG is like browsing through the photo bin at a junque store and finding something that catches my eye. sometimes you find a photo album, sometimes you find 1 torn snapshot. im not a fan of socal mediah and personally I see most of it as darkness but it has its bright spots.

 

[warden]

Being alive is not a prerequisite for having an Instagram account There are many dead photographers whose estates maintain an account and share the artist's work, news about books and exhibitions etc.

https://instagram.com/louisstettnerestate
https://instagram.com/ernst_haas_estate
https://instagram.com/jillfreedmanphoto
https://instagram.com/tishmurtha

Yes. The list of interesting and inspiring artists, writers, musicians, etc to follow on Instagram is so long that it is daunting to whittle it down to the best, and right sized, feed for you. We hear so many times, like in this thread, that Instagram is filled with vapid pictures of other people's breakfasts and selfies. I literally never see images like that, and if I did I would know that the problem is me, rather than Instagram, which is designed to show me the content that I asked for.

The other main platform that caters to the film resurgence, if you want to call it that, is YouTube of course. Of the two platforms I've found Instagram much easier to control, while YouTube is more aggressive about showing content that is tangentially related to what I'm interested in. Different algorithm designs, I suppose. But for me Instagram shows the people I want to follow, and YouTube also shows what I asked for plus forty percent more.

 

[gone]

"Social media is very important for getting to know analog photography,"

I would ignore that statement. It's simply someone's goofy opinion, and not at all how it works. Besides. making pictorial judgments based on rezzed down scans that are posted on social media is sub optimal. Just say no.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

I use Instagram to follow interesting modern photographers and some old ones too. Every so often I search for different keywords then look at the feed of any good images I find. No reason to have to sift through all the detritus. It is like walking through a field of berries. Just pluck the ones you like and ignore the rest.

 

[Pieter12]

Instagram serves up a lot of crap along with some good stuff, even if you try to ignore the obvious junk. Most photographers I see on IG are promoting a book or a show or a workshop--they're there to drum up business. Sites like Lenscratch or even Lensculture or 500px can be better and you won't end up with tiny, compressed images of someone's breakfast or vacation photos. How many of you post to IG? How often? And if you are on a mobile device IG serves up a ton of annoying ads.

 

[logan2z]

How many of you post to IG? How often? And if you are on a mobile device IG serves up a ton of annoying ads.

I post on Instagram fairly often, but only if I think I have something worthy of sharing - no pictures of my breakfast or any selfies

Yes, there are ads but they're easy enough to scroll past. They have to pay for the infrastructure to store, index and serve up 50 gazillion images to a bazillion users somehow, and still leave a few bucks for Zuckerberg to live on

 

[warden]

Instagram serves up a lot of crap along with some good stuff, even if you try to ignore the obvious junk. Most photographers I see on IG are promoting a book or a show or a workshop--they're there to drum up business. Sites like Lenscratch or even Lensculture or 500px can be better and you won't end up with tiny, compressed images of someone's breakfast or vacation photos. How many of you post to IG? How often? And if you are on a mobile device IG serves up a ton of annoying ads.

Yeah, ads, they exist. Kinda like on literally every click here on Photrio, which is totally fine with me if it keeps the lights on. I read somewhere that ad blocking can reduce revenue for the sites you visit, so I don't use them here. I don't know if that's true but I don't want to reduce Sean's revenue.

 

[pentaxuser]

I just passed on the opportunity to check out what Caitlyn Jenner had for lunch yesterday. .

Damn! That's the one thing I was hoping you'd find out and tell us about

pentaxuser

 

[Arthurwg]

Tell me again, what is Caitlyn Jenner?

 

[faberryman]

Tell me again, what is Caitlyn Jenner?

Remember Bruce Jenner, who set a world record in the decathlon, and took home the gold medal at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal? Well, Bruce Jenner over the years somehow became involved with the Kardashians, who are of course famous for being famous, and a couple of years ago had a sex change operation and is now Caitlyn Jenner, so she naturally has a huge social media following, so huge in fact that Instagram thinks that if you sign up for Instagram, you must be interested in what Caitlyn Jenner has for lunch, and so suggests you follow her. She also was a candidate for governor of California in the recent recall election. She came in last place with 1.1% of the vote. Gavin Newsom survived the recall and remains governor. Now he can go to the French Laundry restaurant at often as he wants without wearing a mask and not catch any flak about it.

 

[Pieter12]

She came in last place with 1.1% of the vote

Angelyne beat her?

 

[faberryman]

Angelyne beat her?

I don't know who Angelyne is or how many votes she got. I just assumed that anyone who got 1.1% of the votes came in last. Maybe Angelyle got fewer votes and holds the title of California's biggest loser. Anyway, Instagram didn't suggest I follow her, so her lunches must not be all that exciting.

 

[BradS]

maybe, we should steer clear of California politics, eh?

I thought is was interesting, exciting and encouraging to read that so much of the demand for film is driven by people under the age of 30!

 

[faberryman]

I thought is was interesting, exciting and encouraging to read that so much of the demand for film is driven by people under the age of 30!

Probably because people over 30 remember using a film camera, so it doesn't really have the same cachet.