From Negatives to Zines

Film photography, compared to digital, is tangible. You can physically hold your film negatives. After developing the film, you have two options: you can either scan them to have a digital version or print them. Of course, you can use a darkroom, which is so much fun, especially for black-and-white photography, but let’s be honest—not everyone can have a darkroom in their limited space, and prices are increasing year by year on everything related to analog photography, whether it’s film, chemicals, or paper.

It’s okay to have a mixed solution for your photography, hybrid with digital. I always scan my film and keep a digital library of my photography, but it’s an appreciation of your work to print, look at, and feel it. Sometimes, we just shoot photos and never return to them—or almost never—but having nice prints of your work makes you feel better, like the cherry on top! For this reason, I purchased an Epson photo printer some time ago, but unfortunately, I rarely use it. The high price of dye ink was a “hidden cost,” although the printer itself was quite cheap. It can print A3+ paper, and I like the results.

But having a single photo print is one thing; having a photography book, booklet, or zine is another. The creative process of choosing photos, grouping them by some pattern—location, color, or theme—designing the layout, and assembling a booklet is exciting! Once the idea gets inside you, it grows, getting bigger and bigger, and drives you while fulfilling you. So, by the end of this year, I have to do it.