An Ode to Film
By Lexi Amedio
Image by Lexi Amedio
I bought my first film camera 8 years ago. I did extensive research to make sure that whatever camera I got would fulfill my wildest dreams. Weeks later, my eyes ached from reading pages of instruction manuals and blogs full of recommendations for beginner photographers. I saved up all of my babysitting money and finally settled on a camera.
It was small and used, but it was perfect and mine.
I carried that film camera with me everywhere. To the grocery, up and down the street on my bike, and even to school (sorry mom, but those candid shots of the school cafeteria couldn’t take themselves).
My camera case slowly became tattered and ripped, and soon enough, I was simply slinging the string over my shoulder every time I left the house. I would frequent my local camera store to get the film developed, and wait impatiently for the email that it was ready.
The act of taking photos is entrancing, but I think that the aspect of film photography that I was enamored with was the inherent emotion. Whether it’s nostalgia or whimsical allure, each photo tells a story. The grainy appearance made the picture come alive in a form of media where the entire purpose is to instill a single moment. I was completely and totally enamored.
You only have a certain amount of control over film photography. You position the frame, adjust the settings on the camera, and choose the type of film you shoot with, but you never quite know exactly what the picture will look like. What story it will tell, who will be completely moved by the emotion it radiates, and what random light leaks will grace certain photos. I fell in love with that unknown.
Looking back on this moment now, I am so grateful for the girl who saw this passion as an attainable art and went for it. The girl who rolled her eyes when people told her her dreams weren’t “realistic.” The girl who saw her creativity as her most compelling trait.
So tomorrow, I will go outside and set up my film camera on the picnic table in the front yard of my college house. I will brush my hair and paint my face, and take a photo of myself. Because that girl who absolutely never stopped chasing her dreams deserves to be remembered.
