06/28/2026
Recently, I spent time reading the latest research on the surprising resurgence of film photography.
What I discovered challenged one of the biggest assumptions in our industry.
People aren't returning to film because it's better than digital.
They're returning because it changes how they think.
Researchers studying the "Analog Revival" found that film photography demands something smartphones largely remove from the process:
β’ Intentionality
β’ Patience
β’ Craftsmanship
β’ Delayed gratification
β’ Decision-making
A smartphone asks,
"What can I capture?"
A film camera asks,
"Is this worth one of my 36 exposures?"
That single difference changes everything.
As educators, we often focus on cameras, lenses, and technology. But perhaps the greater lesson is that photography has never been about the equipment.
It's about learning to see.
The more our devices automate exposure, focus, color, HDR, sharpening, and now AI-assisted image creation, the more valuable human judgment becomes.
Ironically, the resurgence of film may not be a rejection of digital technology at all.
It may be a response to convenience.
It reminds us that limitations can sharpen creativity, that waiting can deepen appreciation, and that making photographs is different from simply taking pictures.
Whether you shoot with a Leica, Nikon, Canon, Sony, Fujiβor the camera in your pocketβthe question remains the same:
Are you documenting what you saw... or creating a photograph with intention?
After more than four decades behind the camera and many years teaching photography, I'm convinced that this is the conversation we should be having.
The future of photography may not belong to those with the newest camera.
It may belong to those who learn to see with purpose.
