The Cameraventures team recently launched the Save Analog Photography project to see the current status of film photography in the world and know where it is heading in the future. Thousands of participants of the survey came from different parts of the world. Among these, there were 316 film photographers from the Philippines who participated in the Save Analog Cameras survey.
Ultimately, knowing what is ahead for analog photography in the coming years is the purpose of the Save Analog Photography survey. Cameraventures wanted to know what the future looks like for analog photography worldwide.
As an analog photographer, have you ever wondered where the medium is heading? Wondering if there’s a chance of sustainability for film photography in a world where almost everything is digital can be daunting.
The Situation in the Philippines
In the Philippines, there are definitely some challenges when it comes to keeping analog photography alive. For one, most brick and mortar shops that sell films or analog cameras are located in big cities like Manila. In the provinces, finding one can be difficult. However, the analog online community and the strong online presence of some shops have helped out those who live far from the cities. Many online shops have opened up and a few have started to offer developing and scanning services. Most of these online shops are run by people from Manila who also have the same passion for analog photography.
Shops have an active online presence in the film community. This is why most of the film photographers who participated in the survey said that they purchase their supplies online. A lot even noted the groups on Facebook are great sources of information when it comes to analog photography. Such has helped in keeping the flame of film photography alive in the Philippines and has nurtured many newcomers.
The population is also composed of younger people. Most of the analog photographers in the Philippines are newcomers or amateurs and artists. There is only quite a handful who are shooting films professionally. However, through the strong online community, this has helped in keeping many young analog photographers and newcomers interested.
Fresh Excitement for Analog Photography
Although the population of film photographers in the Philippines is well scattered over the different islands, the community is growing. According to the survey, there are 87 participants who know around one to three people with fresh excitement for analog photography. There are 72 people who said they know three to five other people with such excitement for film. On the other hand, there is a close number of survey respondents of about 49 and 50, who know five to seven and seven to 12 people who are interested in analog photography.
Author: Ana Melissa Ortiz