The Film Resurgence

Walk into any thrift store and you will see them: teenagers hunting for vintage film cameras. Disposable cameras are back in stock at Urban Outfitters. Photo labs are thriving again. In an age of AI-generated perfection and infinite digital storage, Gen Z is choosing intentional limitation.

Why Film Hits Different

Digital photography gave us unlimited tries. Take fifty photos, pick the best one, edit it to perfection. Film gives you 36 shots and you do not know how they turned out for days. That constraint creates value. Each shot matters. Each photo is a commitment.

Plus, film is honest in a way digital is not. No filters, no face-tuning, no AI enhancement. Just light hitting chemicals, capturing a moment exactly as it was. The imperfections become character. The light leaks and grain are features, not bugs.

The Anti-Algorithm Statement

There is something deeper happening here. Digital photos live on platforms that mine them for data, optimize them for engagement, and serve them back to us with ads. Film photos live in your hands. You control them. They are not content for an algorithm โ€” they are memories for you.

In a world of infinite digital replication, physical photos feel precious again. You can not infinitely copy a negative. Each print is an object with weight and presence.

The Cost of Real

Film is expensive now. A roll of film costs $15, developing costs another $15-20. Each photo costs about a dollar. That cost forces intentionality. You think before you shoot. You compose carefully. You wait for the right moment.

Maybe that is the lesson: when everything is free and unlimited, nothing has value. When something has cost and constraint, it becomes worth caring about.