Topic: Film proselytizing to a few hundred kids!

[mcduff]

So I have somehow managed to keep a nice little darkroom running at the university I work at. We have a engineering/science summer camp for kids that runs each year and I am running a session each week introducing them to the darkroom. As there are so many of them and I only have 45 minutes to work with them I give them a quick explanation as to why I like to shoot with film (more than my digital cameras), briefly explain (in a manner that is within the attention span of a 10 year old) how film works, create a print from a neg, and then help them make a few photograms such as the one enclosed.

The cool thing is that in each group of 10 kids, there is usually some kid that has some interesting film experience. One girl was given her mom's film camera "to learn on before she got a digital" and decided she liked film. And every couple of groups there is some kid that has been in a darkroom.

According to the camp organizers, they are having a blast and I am having fun as well.

[jharr]

Good job introducing the new generation to the 'old ways'. If 10% hold an interest into adulthood, I think analog may have a fighting chance.

[Francois]

I must admit that this must be a fun experience

[Indofunk]

One girl was given her mom's film camera "to learn on before she got a digital"

I don't understand how this works, but I'm glad it happened... 

[mcduff]

One girl was given her mom's film camera "to learn on before she got a digital"

I don't understand how this works, but I'm glad it happened... 

Haha, I think the kid wanted a DSLR like mom's and was given the cast-off SLR as a placeholder to getting her own crappy DSLR... Except this girl saw the light ;-)

[Late Developer]

I was lucky.  When I started in photography (early 1970s when I was approaching my teens) there was no alternative to film.  Much as digital has some distinct differences - arguably even "advantages" (immediacy, consistent, convenient, etc) - compared to film, there is NOTHING, from a photographic perspective that tops seeing negatives you've just processed and a print emerging from the chemical soup.

Well done, McDuff.  The photographic world needs to make sure that there are enough of these kids involved actively in keeping film shooting alive.  My guess is that it will always remain "niche" - but, hopefully, a healthy and thriving, niche.....

[mcduff]

My daughter had a funny response to digital. Of course she shoots a ton of pics on her iPhone but she totally ignores her hand-me-down D70 (which certainly can beat her iPhone 5s at least in good light) and uses her k1000 more than the d70. She also has friends that like vinyl but none that "like" or even use CDs (to make that well worn comparison).  I could see the niche of film cameras eventually being a comparable size to the niche of digital (non phone) cameras.

I am generally positive about it and when I see the young'uns excited by it I am encouraged.

[Kayos]

Fantastic that the new generation get to learn about it

My boy (3) tells me often "I want to have a go" so I hand him whatever camera is nearest, it's very rewarding to watch him instinctively wind on a film camera before he takes the shot