Film photography is far from dead. More and more photographers are using film due to the ease of scanning and sharing. This is in spite of the increasing costs of film and processing.
Here, we have 25 of the best film photographers, still capturing analog images in 2020.
25. Toby Harvard | @toby.harvard
Toby Harvard is a big fan of neon, and what feels like, alternative processes and unique coloring. These are all apparent in his cinematic and stylised portraits.
He focuses on the human element and moment’s of people’s lives. You can tell he places importance on the setting he uses.
He has a talent for screenwriting, obviously seeping out of his film photography.
24. Zhamak Fullad | @zhamakthecat
Zhamak Fullad is a photographer based in Toronto. Her analog photography work has recently been shown by Galore magazine. She also captures BtS images for Roy Woods.
If you are looking for those hard-to-capture party vibes, look no further than her work. The images you find are versatile and full of atmosphere.
23. Tess Mayer | @tesslomayer
Tess Mayer is a film photographer based in New York City. Her regular day sees her working for Interview Magazine, where she still manages to shoot on the side.
The analog photography style she uses ranges between portraiture and documentary. One of her film photography projects follows her younger sister growing up is one to keep up to date with.
22. Ana Topoleanu | @anaonanalog
Ana Topoleanu is a portrait and landscape analog photographer. Her work covers all kinds of settings, from beaches to mountains.
This Romanian photographer has traveled and lived in many countries. She is now based in Mexico. Her full-page images really show the details and grain in her 35 mm photography.
21. Cassandra Klos | @cassandrasaurus
Cassandra Klos is a Boston-based photographer, using mainly 4×5 large format analog photography. The film photography project you need to look for are those set on Mars.
She used Utah and Hawaii as settings. Here she documents the lives of people devoting their time living like astronauts on Mars would.
20. Rosie Matheson | @rosie_matheson
Rosie Matheson was in the running to win the Portrait of Britain award in 2016. She is an expert when it comes to portraits, using 120 medium format film photography to do so.
This British photographer spends a long time setting up her scenes. They come out as crisp and neatly composed.
Her selection is short, keeping the best of her work on her site.
19. Anna Gallifent | @annagallifent
Anna Gallifent is a London based fashion photography student. Her analog photography features grain and light leaks, showing her experimental talents.
She creates and organizes many different magazine editorials. Her images are placed in categories of images using a menu on her website portfolio.
As far as film photography fashion photographers go, she is one of the best.
18. Rachel Jane Lemme | @todayjane
Rachel Jane Lemme isn’t only a photographer. She also works with fiber and all kinds of printing techniques.
This Oregon based analog photographer captures moments of true intimacy. Her scenes are richly colored from a huge range of settings.
There is something for every film photographer in her feed.
17. Patrick Cleland | @dayzedandconfuzed
Patrick Cleland’s Instagram feed feels like the reel of an old movie. Vintage color tones, harsh contrast, and nostalgia all shine through in a very slow manner.
16. Benjamin MacMaster | @benmacphoto
Benjamin MacMaster gives you a peek into the past with his stunning film photography. His old film texture is plastered over his street photography shots.
They cover intimate street scenes to amazingly composed architecture. You can sense the love he has of interesting characters and spaces in the city.
15. Leanne Surfleet | @leannesurfleet
Leanne Surfleet is a British photographer. She focuses on dreamy and surreal analog photography images. She is no stranger to Lomography, as she uses their instant film camera exclusively.
We love her website. It shows real film photographic images – so real, there are dust and hair marks on every one of her images. The flaws make the image even better.
14. André Terras Alexandre | @andreterrasalexandre
André Terras Alexandre is an analog photographer based in Portugal. His favorite film photography project is based on capturing lesser-known areas of Europe.
His travels gave him the opportunity to capture landscapes. He does so in an innate and personal manner. Fall in love with nature by going through his Instagram images.
13. Teva Cosic | @tevac
Teva Cosic is a freelance photographer based in Cairns, Australia. She is a film photographer at heart, specializing in portraits and travel photography.
Her images are bold, touching and come in a wide variety. This keeps her Instagram feed fresh and unexpected.
12. Ryan Muirhead | @ryanmuirhead
Ryan Muirhead is a true follower of emotion and connection. This is apparent in his portrait images, which his Instagram is full of.
He is an inspiration to all us portrait photographers with his 35 mm photography.
11. Cian Oba-Smith | @cianobasmith
Cian Oba-Smith is an analog photographer based in London. One film photography project follows him capturing bikers in English suburbia. Another documents the Islamic community in Iceland.
Cian has many film photography projects that are great to follow. You’ll also find his work in Dazed & Confused and The Guardian.
10. Niklas Porter | @niklasporter
Niklas Porter is a Swedish photographer. He explores his home country through film photography. These could be shots of cold, empty streets or people going about their daily routine.
Apart from the black and whites, he photographs extensively in color. Lights for Niklas are important. Especially when the majority of his images are captured during nighttime.
9. Santiago Murillo | @santimurillos
Santiago Murillo wanted to be a cinematographer. Instead, fell in love with the still image. He wanted to capture life in a meaningful and personal manner.
His images do have a film look to them, showing stories in the scenes and portraits he captures.
8. Michael Novotny | @hazy_island
Michael Novotny is a photographer based in Iceland. Before that, he was based in Prague. He lives the photographer’s dream as a semi-nomadic visual artist.
He only uses analog photography. This is a great medium for a photographer who captures the raw and dreamy side of the world.
7. Elsa Bleda | @elsableda
Elsa Bleda has one of the best Instagram feeds in the world, let alone for a film photographer. Her nighttime scenes are magical and mystical, like a David Lynch escapade.
The colors and details are exquisite. They fall somewhere between a dream and a futuristic nightmare.
6. Wayne Levin | @waynelevinimages
Wayne Levin is one of the older photographers you’ll find on Instagram. Being born in the ’40s, he mastered film photography before digital was even an idea.
One of his film photography projects is set underwater. His images in this topic are amazing, showing his love for the ocean through and through.
5. Ian Howorth | @ihoworth
Ian Howorth’s film photograph project concentrates on forgotten places. Here, minimalism and feelings of a-time-once-passed are very present.
Textures, colors, and patterns are important in his work. You’ll find a slower paced Instagram feed here and atmosphere oozing from every pixel.
4. Louis Dazy | @louisdazy
If you love sci-fi, then you’ll love film photography from Louis Dazy. You’ll see blues, oranges, double exposures and a futuristic use of light.
The neon signs and lighting give his analog photography a cinematic aesthetic. They feel cold yet seductive.
3. Emma Picq | @emmapicq
Emma Picq is a photographer based in Paris. She balances both digital and film photography, which isn’t always an easy task. Both are used for her fashion shoots and personal projects.
Her grey and yellow backgrounds are now synonymous across her work, giving it a personality. We like the shots that include the negative frames.
2. Pierre Crocquet | @pierrecrocquet
Pierre Crocquet is a very special addition to our list. In 2013, he was the subject of a fatal car accident. Before this, he spent his last years capturing the places and people across South Africa.
Nowadays, his sister Jeannine shares Pierre’s photos. They are still exhibited to this day. The notes on images reveal relationships he and his subjects developed.
1. Justino Blake | @ernestohemingwayo
The film photography from Justin’s Instagram feed has a very magical quality to it. He manages to capture light and colors in a way that makes you feel like its a painting.
Escape; discover his images, and fall in love with landscapes in a way you’d never thought possible.
