Over the last 9 months Cameraventures has been researching the current state of analog photography around the world, interviewing hundreds of people from CEOs integral to the industry, to upcoming young enthusiasts. We have gone on to undertake a survey of over 7500 analog enthusiasts from around the globe so that we can see how vibrant, varied and ultimately how healthy the analog camera scene is. This all with the hope that we can answer whether analog photography has what it takes to survive and be appreciated by the generations to come. If you’ve already taken part in our survey then we’d like to thank you for helping with this project, and if you’re yet to do so you can still take part here.
Throughout our research our main goal has been to try and assess the state of the analog scene. Juho, founder of Cameraventures made his living with analog photography from the age of 15. He set out to see whether the same opportunities to shoot analog may still be around when his son reaches that age.
From the UK portion of the Cameraventures survey results we’ve been able to see how diverse the analog scene in the UK is. The sheer number of people who have taken part in our survey should give at least some call for optimism when it comes to the future of film in the UK. However, to have such a proportion of shooters under the age of 35 is something else. In fact over one third of those who took part in our survey were under the age of 26, which would make them almost entirely digital natives and so for them to go and shoot analog would require the active will to do so.
Our survey has also shown us some of the benefits that are being reaped by analog photographers in the digital age. There has never been a greater level of access to analog photography information. UK photographers are tuning in to Youtubers such as The Art of Photography, Matt Day and Negative Feedback. They are coming together on the Film Photographers Facebook page or on Reddit’s Analog board and sharing and discovering each other’s work through Instagram hashtags like: #120mm, #35mm, #filmisnotdead and #shootfilm.
There’s a passion for analog in the UK and there are still those that want to shoot it. Businesses are also still able to cater for processing and scanning the film and to repair and maintain the equipment. The results of the Cameraventures survey point towards the film faithfully continuing to shoot and the youth continuing the tradition. What is left to be seen is whether it’ll be enough. Fundamentally the future of analog depends on the film itself. From our survey we can see that there are certainly many shops and specialists still able to source, stock, maintain and repair analog equipment here in the UK, without even mentioning eBay. If film continues to be produced and continues to be accessible here in the UK them there will no doubt be photographers ready to shoot with it.