Over the summer, I became more interested in photography and gained a lot of experience using a digital camera at a summer program. After the program, I also used my father’s film camera from high school, and noticed that the experience of using each felt very different. Over the rest of this year, I will use both film and digital cameras to take photos in various environments to try to understand the appeal of film photography myself, and I will also talk to experts on why they prefer film photography. Specifically, I will inquire about what film contributes to the experience of taking photos, the importance of each photo, and the end product. My hope is that my project will show where film photography may still have a place, not only for professional photographers, but also for enthusiasts and even beginners. Film photography is so different from the digital photography that is so prevalent, and it would be criminal to let it disappear, so I am aiming to find situations where it can continue to be used.

A combination of some photographer friends, a summer program, and my father's own experience with photography in high school motivated me to focus my project on photography. My photographer friends use both film and digital cameras, so I was eager to do the same while incorporating it into my project. Additionally, finding my dad's film camera from his high school days prompted me to find out how using that camera compared to my digital one.