Jamie Potvin, the darkroom instructor at the School of Photographic Arts: Ottawa — commonly known as SPAO — has been witnessing a revival of interest in film photography despite the dominance of digital cameras in the 21st century.
“For a while, it was like these niche companies that were sustaining (film) for the hobbyist,” Potvin said. “Now the mainstream companies are repurchasing it, so hopefully that means that it’s sticking around.”
An article in Pattern, an e-commerce acceleration platform, recently showed that the demand for film was 61 per cent higher in the U.S. in 2021 than in 2020.
“Film cameras, once thought to be going the way of the dinosaur, appear to be only growing in popularity,” the article states.
A few Ottawa businesses, such as Galaxy Camera on Bank Street, sell disposables, develop negatives and offer repair services for vintage film cameras.
People like Neddy McIntyre say they are a fan of film because it’s an experience.
