Film is Changing: Why Black and White Photography is Booming While Colour Fades
By Julia Evans,World-Today-News.com
(September 26, 2024) – A captivating trend is emerging in the resurgent world of analog photography: a shift towards black and white, and a general desaturation of color images. As film photography enjoys a remarkable comeback – defying predictions of its demise at the hands of digital – a new analysis of over 15 years of photos from the Lomography community reveals a striking change in aesthetic preferences.
[Image of Fujifilm Provia 100F. Caption: Fujifilm Provia 100F | Photo by Jaron Schneider]
For years, film enthusiasts have driven a revival of the medium, drawn to its unique qualities and tactile experience.But according to Lomography,a company deeply rooted in analog culture,the photos being shot today look markedly different than those from just a decade ago.
Their in-depth study, analyzing thousands of images uploaded by its community between 2010 and 2024, shows a clear increase in the popularity of black and white film. Together, color film photos are becoming less vivid, with cooler tones gaining prominence while warmer hues fade.
[Image of Lomography’s chart showing the relative frequency of different colors and shades of gray in photos uploaded to its analog photography community from 2010-2025. Caption: Lomography’s chart shows the relative frequency of different colors and shades of gray in photos uploaded to its analog photography community from 2010-2025. Over the past 15 years, black-and-white images have taken up a larger piece of the pie, while color’s influence has shrunk.Notably, the relative proportion of different color tones has changed, too. Cooler colors are relatively more common now than they were in 2010. Consequently, warmer tones have become less prevalent. | Credit: Lomography]
“Right away, one trend stood out: darker and more monotone colors outweighed the colorful ones year after year,” Lomography writes in their blog post.”What we found most compelling in our data was that color seems to be fading from film photography overallโฆ It feels like the world is moving in a more neutral, muted direction, and we wanted to know why.”
The reasons behind this shift are multifaceted. Lomography suggests three potential factors contributing to the less colorful nature of modern color film photography:
Changes in Film Stock: The availability and formulation of color film stocks have evolved over time, perhaps leading to less saturated results.
Shooting Preferences: Photographers may be intentionally opting for shooting styles and subjects that naturally lend themselves to more muted tones.
* Post-processing: While traditionally film was developed and printed without digital manipulation, some photographers may be subtly adjusting colors in post-processing.[Image of a narrow cobblestone alley between tall buildings leads to a sunlit town with a tall,ornate clock tower in the background under a clear blue sky.Caption: An example of a color photograph taken on Kodak Ektar film.]
nonetheless of the cause, the