Dominik Sondergeld - Olympus Mju 2 - Kodax Portra 400

49 | 100 Analog photography

When old techniques become modern again, it usually means that they have delivered very good results. This is also the case with analog photography. In this article, we explain the history of analog photography and what makes it so popular today!

Dominik Sondergeld - Olympus Mju 2 - Kodax Portra 400

From science to art

In the past, 'photography' was mostly practiced by chemists and physicists, as it was seen as a science rather than an art. Experimentation with a wide variety of photographic processes ran through the entire 19th century and produced numerous emulsions for developing, fixing and transition processes. Over time, photography became simpler and more accessible to many interested parties. During the industrial revolution, the demand for portraits increased as it was a faster and cheaper alternative to oil paintings. The growing interest primarily contributed to further research and development of photography. in 1884, roll film was introduced: a groundbreaking invention; a dry gel now replaced the photographic plate during development, meaning that users no longer had to carry the chemicals with them. in 1888, the very first analog camera appeared on the market. The development continued. At the end of the 19th century, there was the 'autochrome plate process', which was based on the idea of taking three individual photographs through a mosaic of tiny color filters. These plates contained five million potato grains that were pressed, dyed and flattened to create the illusion that red, blue and green tones were mixed together. The light was captured with the help of silver bromide, which the plates contained. However, the negative then had to be converted into a positive image: Reverse processing made this possible, in which a transparent positive image was developed from each plate that could be viewed or projected immediately. in 1936, Kodachrome film in 16mm and 35mm came onto the market, followed by the first Polaroid film (instant color film) in 1963, which caused the enthusiasm for photography to grow more and more. As you can see, 'analog photography' is a true science and art in one. It requires a great deal of willingness to learn and interest, but those who muster this will be surprised with an incredible color space and dynamic range. That's why analog photography is so trendy again today. Many users want the unique look and depth of field. Analog photography is also very suitable for beginners, as you have to make all the settings yourself and therefore learn to understand your camera better.

These pictures were taken in Lisbon with an Olympus Mju 2 and Kodax Portra 400 film. You can find out more about the photographer on his Instagram channel .