Three young photographers talk about their love for analogue photography

Siddarth Govindan

For 23-year-old Siddharth Govindan, it's a childhood framed in albums and prints that becomes the source of his affinity towards film cameras. "Shooting on film has taught me a lot more about photography and has taught me to make better judgments. The revival of film photography does not mean everyone goes back to film. A lot of people my age have never seen a film print nor have they ever taken a film image; they hadn't made a physical image until very recently. I find the process magical. There is plenty of joy to be had in that. It's like reading a book, instead of an e-book as it feels real and is tangible.

Maitreya Mer's journey with analogue photography began at 12 when his father gifted him a fixed focus film camera. "Film photography is the root of technique in photography. Each roll only gives you about 36 chances or less (depending on what film you're shooting) so, every shot counts. I like the texture and grains," the 25-year-old shares. Mer also develops films at home, elaborating on that he says, "I always dreamt of having a darkroom at home. The first step towards it was to start developing my black and white films. I took the plunge after watching videos on YouTube and refrigerating around 60-65 film rolls. It was mesmeric."

If you were to trace Manini Bansal's foray into photography, you'd find yourself in a Tollygunge (Kolkata) bungalow's storeroom. There, you will find 20 to 25 of her father's cameras ranging from Voigtlanders to Baby Brownies still in mint condition. For her, that's where it all started. "My first camera was a Kodak KB10, which I loved dearly. It got stolen during a school trip but a new one found its way back into my life. Since then photography has been a passion," the 25-year-old reminisces. "I was never a big fan of editing my digital photos either. The rawness and surprise element in an analogue photograph intrigues me. It's an expensive hobby, especially since film production isn't popular and most studios don't develop anymore. Hopefully it'll return some day," she adds.

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