Gen Z and Millennial's love for analogue is reviving real photography

According to Google research, the most searched items online by Italians before going on vacation are flip-flops, magnesium and potassium sachets, water bottles, inflatable mattresses, and mosquito repellent spray. Analog cameras do not appear in the top 10, perhaps because they are purchased at flea markets or inherited from grandparents and parents after finding them dust-covered in some attic. Capturing snapshots of one's travels with a camera instead of a phone is an increasingly popular trend among Gen Z and Millennials, a phenomenon that is truly reviving the analog market: according to a recent study by Cognitive Market Research, the market for "retro" technology, specifically 35mm, is rapidly growing, and it is expected to be worth over 350 million euros by 2030, compared to 260,000 in 2023. Kodak, a company known for one of the most widely used disposable cameras in the world, recorded a doubling of demand for its films this summer. For years, clothing and interior design stores targeting younger generations have placed vinyl records, Polaroids, and other vintage-feeling items on their shelves, but analog has never been talked about as much as it is now. Part of the credit also goes to public figures who are often seen around town with a camera around their necks - Paul Mescal, Zendaya, Zoë Kravitz, Frank Ocean, and Kendall Jenner, to name a few. 

Among the celebrities who have been spotted with a vintage camera in hand, whether it’s a 2000s digital one in full Paris Hilton style or a Contax G2 (like Zendaya’s favorite), we also find Bella Hadid, who even used it to shoot the campaign for her brand Orobella, Ayo Edibiri, the star of The Bear who brought it to the Emmys, indie sleaze it-girl Alexa Chung, and also soccer player Megan Rapinoe, who chose an analog camera to remember the Paris Olympics. Besides the photos they took during public events or outings with friends, there are also a number of professional projects shot on film, including Euphoria, the HBO series that excellently personifies the issues faced by today's youth, and the cover of Drake and 21 Savage’s collaborative album, Her Loss. Even Oppenheimer, the film directed by Christopher Nolan that won seven Oscars, was the first film to be shot on black-and-white IMAX film, created specifically by Kodak for the occasion. 

Paul Mescal

Frank Ocean

Kendall Jenner

Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber shot on film at Coachella

Megan Rapinoe

Zendaya

Zendaya

Frank Ocean

Alexa Chung

One of the clearest reasons behind the return of retro cameras might be the entry of artificial intelligence into the image creation sector. We are bombarded with photos and videos 24 hours a day, and it is now almost impossible to distinguish what is real from what has been created by a computer. The haste and carelessness with which we treat what we see on a screen are incomparable to the awareness and attention we devote to an object we can hold in our hands, even though almost all analog photographs are then posted on Instagram or projected on TV and computers via streaming platforms. Beyond nostalgia and the essentially cool appeal - we can't find a better term to describe the look of someone mysteriously wandering around with a camera around their neck - it’s the risk of imperfection that captures the attention of the new generations, raised on a diet of Photoshop. In an interview with The Times, Film Camera Store commented on the growing demand from younger consumers for Polaroids and Olympus Trip 35: “These cameras are used by students to capture important events such as prom, vacations, weddings, and graduations. They feel it helps them relive memories in a meaningful way”. Between the "invention" of dumb phones, the resurgence of analog cameras, and that of the Nintendo DS, it becomes clear why cargo pants are so popular among young people: there’s a need for pockets.