What opportunities does film photography offer for documentary makers in the digital age?

Film photography captures the original, natural depiction of the world. It represents reality, unlike an image generated by artificial intelligence, which tends to reflect our desires, a kind of dream world. Film attracts enthusiasts of naturalistic art.

1) Because it exists in the matter world. Inside a digital camera, there are pixels, electric signals stored in a memory card. Matter with electric charge. But an image materialised inside a film's argentic layer is something totally material. Why it's important? Because, ?We are spirits in a material world?. We need matter to be alive in this world. 2) An argentic photography is a full image made of silver allogenides, on a film. A digital photography is a mosaic of square pixels. Why this is a huge difference? Because our unconscious mind sees this difference while our conscious mind cannot sees the difference unless a close look at the upscaled pictures on a paper. That's why we "feel" more reality watching an argentic photography.

"an image generated by artificial intelligence, which tends to reflect our desires, a kind of dream world." - Totally agree with that. Great thought and insight @Dóra Réti.

For us, film photography forces you to work, learn, and be creative. It also captures the real life in the IA world. We started our career with film, and that gave us strong assets.

At this moment in history, cinematographic photography will become the ultimate testimony of light. Framing is the last verse of human narrative, before AI reaches levels of perfection in its simulation. That which we call 'reality' or 'material universe' we recreate in our minds through the electrical stimuli of light in our brains and, with the composition and editing rhythm signed by a team of people. The testimony of how 'they' intend to see and narrate that world 'common' to our senses cannot be recreated in the same way with photography that is 100% digitally generated.

You can check instantly what you are doing, so you have to have a strong knowledge about light before clicking. Also, you have to think about the photo before the click, which is not the case in the digital world.

Film photography requires experienced professional skills. It involves working with precise exposure values, and there's no instant feedback for verification. Therefore, meticulous planning is necessary for each shot. Knowing the different types of films and when to use each is crucial. I used to enjoy shooting on film, developing. However, nowadays, shooting on film has become quite expensive, and finding skilled professionals for developing film has become increasingly challenging.

Read a lot about techniques and also about photographers. You have to try yourself until you find the one that matches your creations.

Film photography is recommended only for those who excel in using a camera. Understanding the relationships between exposure, aperture, and ISO is crucial. It requires diligence, continuous learning about the craft, and extensive practice. If you feel well-prepared and confident in handling various situations, then venture into film photography and unleash your creativity.

In today's digital era, the advantage of film photography is that it allows you to stand out quickly from the crowd because only a few engage in it. It can add a unique touch to your portfolio and aids in portraying a manipulation-free depiction of reality.