I was flipping through one of my mum’s photo albums from her teenage years and couldn’t help but feel a little envious of how much fun her life looked. It got me thinking—what’s different between then, in the ‘90s, and being a teenager now? One of the biggest things I immediately noticed was the lack of mobile phones. These days, you rarely see anyone without one.
As I looked at the photos of my mum and her friends on a skiing trip, I realised the entire trip was captured on film. They didn’t have endless shots to choose from for the perfect post—they had to make every photo count. When they got the film developed, some photos had a thumb over the lens, or someone was caught mid-blink. But those imperfections made the moments even more authentic.
Inspired, I decided to try it myself. I bought an old film camera from the ‘80s for my next trip. Along with my digital camera and phone, as I’m just used to bringing them, I set out on a weekend adventure to Sydney. I started shooting with the film camera, and by the end of the weekend, I realised something surprising: aside from maybe 10 quick snaps on my phone, I’d shot the entire weekend on film. The feeling of being completely and utterly present in what was going on was addicting. And the sound of that film camera shutter? Pure satisfaction—there’s nothing like it.
The thrill of developing the film when I got home reminded me why film is so special. Using film forced me to focus on the experience, to be in it, without the constant urge to capture the perfect shot. The anticipation of getting the film developed added excitement too—like rediscovering the weekend all over again. So, here’s what I learned: 1. Our parents were right—phones are the problem, and 2. I’m definitely stocking up on more film for my future trips!
