Why Fashion Photographers Are Returning to Film (And Not Just for the Aesthetic)
Photo via © Blake Cheek / Unsplash
The grain is back. The blur. The light leaks and soft edges. The kind of texture you don’t get from a filter, only from film. Yes, analog is everywhere again, but this wave isn’t a throwback moment. It’s something else. Something more defiant.
Digital Got Too Easy
Fashion photography used to be slower. Film forced patience. You had to think before you pressed the shutter. You didn’t get to see results instantly, and that created intention.
Now, with digital, everything’s fast. Shoot, review, retouch, post. Clean lighting, sharp focus, endless storage. It’s efficient, but sometimes it feels like too much perfection. The edge is missing. The accidents are missing. And the pressure to constantly produce… it’s freaking exhausting.
Film Brings Back the Process
Photographers are going back to film to feel again. Film gives the process weight. Every shot feels considered, every moment more real. Every frame counts. You become hyper-aware of light, shadow, color, and timing. Mistakes become part of the final image, not something to erase in post.
Campaigns are catching on too. Gucci’s recent capsule shot entirely on film. Indie editorials embracing 35mm and Super 8. Covers that feel raw, gritty, a little off, and somehow more honest.
Texture Rebellion
In a feed full of polished pixels, texture feels radical. Film introduces unpredictability: the soft focus of a moving subject, the uneven exposure, the grain that lingers even after scanning. These aren’t even flaws, they’re signatures.
Most photographers using film cameras aren’t chasing 'the' look. That can be simulated in post-production. They’re rejecting the pressure to be perfect. And that’s what makes this shift powerful. It’s a refusal to keep up with the algorithm. A quiet protest for genuine content.
What This Means for Creatives
Film won’t replace digital, but it’s making space for something slower, more mindful, and more meaningful. The next time you’re shooting a campaign or exploring your own passion, analog gives you something digital doesn’t: limitation, and freedom inside it.
For a new generation of fashion creatives, film is more than a medium. It’s deeper connection.
‘Exquisite’ Gucci Campaign 2022 | Photos below via © Gucci
