D

ale Neill says, “I really thought this was magic

happening before my eyes." He is recalling the first

time he saw a print emerge from a developer tray.

“Even after all the thousands of prints I’ve

processed, I still think it’s magic, the fact you can create an

image on a bit of plain paper.” In his more than 50 years of

photography, he has revelled in the magic of film with students

as a teacher at TAFE and University of Western Australia, and

shared its results with clients in the fine pictures he has made in

his professional photography business.

And today an increasing number of photographers,

and newcomers to the craft, want to enjoy the magic of

that experience of capturing an image on film and then

developing and printing a picture. There is a resurgence

of interest in film photography, Neill says. When he walks

down the street with a film camera around his neck, he says

enthusiasts who know see him working with it and come up

to him to ask about it, and about film. Some enthusiasts,

he says, believe that film has advantages. ‘Novelty’ and

‘quality’ are two factors Neill puts forward for its resurgence.

38 AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

Film

Fanatics

SHOOTING ON FILM Three Experts' Tips

Digital technology dominates

the world of photography, but

around the edges there are

still professionals and amateur

aficionados shooting film, and

maintaining a healthy niche

market. Some enthusiasts

spoke to Rob Ditessa.