Why Analog Photography Is Essential
In an era defined by digital acceleration and image overload, analog photography is a powerful, tactile counterpoint that reclaims intentionality, material presence, and authentic artistic expression. While digital photography has revolutionized accessibility and speed, it has also introduced challenges that threaten the essence of photography as a fine art. In their 2023 study, Analog Photography in the Digital Age, researchers Yurif Setya Darmawan, Yasraf Amir Piliang, Acep Iwan Saidi, and Intan Rizky Mutiaz explore this tension and make a compelling case for why analog photography is not only relevant but essential for meaningful artistic creation in our modern age.
I make photographs slowly—with light, paper, and chemistry—using large and ultra large format cameras, handmade calotype paper negatives, and historic printing methods like salt and platinum/palladium.
Table of Contents
Temporal Symphony: Cycles of Change
The Search for Meaning Beyond Automation
The researchers began with a set of deeply philosophical questions: How is analog photography understood in the digital era? What happens to the essence of photography when automation replaces the hand of the artist? Can analog practices offer a counterbalance to the alienation brought about by digital tools? (Darmawan et al., 2023, p. 218). These questions reflect a growing discomfort with the hyper-efficiency of digital photography, where sensors, algorithms, and software dictate much of the image-making process. In this environment, the role of the photographer shifts from creator to operator.
The study reveals that this shift results in a loss of artistic agency. Digital automation, while convenient, removes the nuanced decisions that once defined photographic craftsmanship—exposing, developing, and printing by hand (p. 230). As these tasks are delegated to machines, photographers risk becoming disconnected from the creative process, losing artistic depth and presence.
My work is rooted in a quiet, deliberate process. Each print is contact-printed by hand and guided by the emotional and spiritual weight of the subject—often shaped by themes of memory, impermanence, and solitude.
Reclaiming the “Aura” in Art
One of the central concepts the researchers discuss is Walter Benjamin’s notion of aura—the unique presence and authenticity of an artwork, grounded in its creation by a human hand and its existence in a specific time and place (p. 220). Benjamin argued that mechanical reproduction strips art of this aura, and digital photography magnifies this issue with its limitless replication.
Analog photography, by contrast, preserves this aura. Each image—shaped by physical tools, chemical processes, and the artist’s intent—carries an irreplaceable materiality. The smells of the darkroom, the weight of a fiber-based print, the subtle imperfections—all become part of the artwork’s story. Researchers note that “analog photography in the digital era is not just a matter of nostalgia but also a form of resistance against dehumanization and alienation” (p. 231).
The three images below tell a transformative story. On the left, the flowers as we see them in reality—alive and present, their forms captured by the eye. In the center, the handmade calotype paper negative renders a softened, ethereal interpretation of the scene, where light is transmuted into shades of possibility. Finally, the salt print on the right emerges from this alchemical process, its tactile, atmospheric qualities transcending the limits of digital precision. It invites us into a dream-like space where emotion and memory intertwine, offering an experience that reality alone cannot convey.
You may also want to read a more detailed article about aura that I wrote.
The Role of Process in Fine Art
In fine art, the creation process is often as meaningful as the final piece. Analog photography demands slowness, patience, and presence. Unlike digital capture, which encourages rapid-fire shooting and instant feedback, analog processes invite contemplation. Exposure decisions must be made carefully. There is no “preview” button—only the photographer’s understanding of light, form, and chemistry. This slowness fosters a heightened awareness of one’s subject and surroundings, a key ingredient in creating expressive, emotionally resonant art (p. 227).
By reintroducing time and tactility into photography, analog practice becomes a poetic act, or what Heidegger calls poesis—a process of revealing truth through making (p. 228). This aligns analog photography with other traditional fine art forms, where the hand of the artist is inseparable from the final piece.
Materiality Matters
In a digital world where images are reduced to binary code and viewed through glossy screens, the physical properties of analog photography—paper texture, emulsion grain, and chemical tone—reassert the importance of material experience. The researchers emphasize that these tactile qualities contribute to the multi-sensory appreciation of photography, something digital images, however sharp, cannot fully replicate (p. 219).
This materiality also creates permanence. Unlike a digital file that can be deleted or lost in a crash, a silver gelatin print or platinum contact print has weight, texture, and longevity. Collectors, galleries, and fine art institutions continue to value these qualities deeply.
My work is rooted in a quiet, deliberate process. Each print is contact-printed by hand and guided by the emotional and spiritual weight of the subject—often shaped by themes of memory, impermanence, and solitude.
Artistic Integrity in the Face of Commodification
Another major theme of the study is the tension between art and commodification. The researchers draw on the work of Simmel and Heidegger to argue that when art is created solely for economic gain—detached from its creator and mass-produced—it loses its capacity to awaken human consciousness and inspire reflection (pp. 228–229).
Analog photography resists this commodification by demanding personal involvement and craftsmanship. Each print is a product of deliberate human effort, not algorithmic efficiency. This reinforces the artist’s integrity and each piece’s uniqueness—a principle at the heart of fine art.
Conclusion: A Medium Rooted in Human Experience
Ultimately, the researchers argue that analog photography in the digital era serves a dual purpose: it is both a form of artistic preservation and a philosophical response to the alienation of modern image-making. As they conclude, “analog photography brings back the value of authenticity and ‘aura’ in art… not just as nostalgia, but as a way to foster awareness and reclaim human creativity” (p. 231).
In fine art creation, analog photography is not outdated—it is essential. It reaffirms the value of time, touch, and intention. It reconnects the artist with their subject, the viewer with a physical object, and the act of photography with a deeper human experience. As artists seek to navigate a digital world saturated with noise and simulation, analog photography offers a quiet, grounded space to create with soul and substance.
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References
Darmawan, Y. S., Piliang, Y. A., Saidi, A. I., & Mutiaz, I. R. (2023). Analog photography in the digital age: Examining transformation, alienation and authenticity in modern photographic practice. Indonesian Journal of Art and Design Studies, 2(3), 217–232. https://doi.org/10.55927/ijads.v2i3.11019