Is analog photography worth it?
Film photography is a great hobby. You can still get your film developed, but the process is long and it takes time.
But that doesn’t mean the results aren’t worth it, especially if you’re into the quirkiness of imperfection. The whole process is very different from digital photography. You have to wait for your photos to come back from the lab and when they do, there are often things wrong with them: an unsightly scratch or something else stuck on them—like fingerprints! But those imperfections are part of what people love about analog photography.
The waiting period
With digital photography, you can take shots right away and see them on your screen. You don’t have to wait for the film to be developed, which can be a long process. The process of developing the film is expensive, so it’s best to take care of that part yourself unless you want to spend a lot of extra money on prints made by someone else. Most importantly, though, waiting for your photos to be developed can be stressful and frustrating if they don’t come out as expected or they’re too dark or overexposed.
Printing your own photos isn’t too difficult, but it can be time-consuming if you’re not doing it professionally.
Are all photos good enough?
You also have to consider how much you like each photo you took. After all, no one wants to sit and look at hundreds of pictures that are only mediocre. You’re going to want a few pictures that really stand out as being your favorites, which means taking more than just a couple of photos during the course of an outing.
Take time to review your photos after each session and decide which ones you like best before moving on with your day or evening. That way, if something happens in between sessions (and it probably will), then you won’t waste any time reviewing new images when there might not be enough light left for shooting anymore anyway!
A hobby like no other
It may not be right for everyone, but analog photography can still be a great hobby even in this digital age.
When you’re done with a roll of film, you can go to a lab and have it developed. It’s little more than taking a photo, but there’s something magical about seeing your images in print form. You can make prints out of your negatives and make your own photo books, or send the film off for processing so that the lab will create prints for you.
You could also use an instant camera. And because it uses Polaroid-brand film which self-develops in its own chemicals, there’s no need for darkrooms or chemistry sets here either (though we’ll admit that those can be fun). It produces an image immediately after pressing the shutter button—no waiting.
So if you have a passion for analog photography, don’t let anyone put down your hobby as a waste of time or money!
