Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
There is a plethora of digital-camera how-to books on the market, but none that approach film cameras with the humor and knowledge that Kai Man Wong brings to his very popular, in-the-know YouTube channel. This same sensibility is translated into his first book, which taps into the current film-photography revival driven by young enthusiasts worldwide. Kodak and other film manufacturers are bringing back discontinued films, including Kodak's beloved Ektachrome slide film, re-released in 2019. OLD SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHY is a how-to manual for taking photographs with 35-millimeter and medium-format film cameras. Through writing, diagrams, and photographic examples, author Kai Wong explains all you need to know about owning and using the best film cameras available in the world. Like the resurgence of vinyl records, there is a huge renewed interest among camera and photography enthusiasts in collecting and using vintage film cameras. In fact, film manufacturers have started reselling out-of-print film stock--Kodak just re-released their beloved Ektachrome film in 2019. Old-school photography is new to many young photographers, and many of them are looking back at classic techniques with renewed creative interest. Unlike with digital photography, in film-based photography there is a sense of craft, skill, patience, technical knowledge, and a trial-and-error process that results in a greater sense of accomplishment. This growing trend is becoming a larger niche in the realm of photography in the digital age.
This book is both informative and humorous, and it looks back at the many available and easy-to-obtain film cameras from previous decades that are very collectible today. Authored by the popular and knowledgeable camera guru Kai Wong, OLD SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHY provides information and anecdotes to a new generation of fans that are eager to experiment with film cameras. Ironically, in this digital age, film manufacturers are now re-releasing discontinued film stocks like Kodak's Ektachrome, and film labs are processing and scanning film for a new generation that then often posts film photographs online.
OLD TECH EXPLAINED IN NEW VOICE: There are a plethora of digital camera how-to books on the market, but none that approach film cameras with the humor and knowledge that Kai Wong brings to his very popular, in-the-know YouTube channel. His tone covers the old while speaking easily to a new, young audience.
CURRENT TREND: Young photography enthusiasts worldwide are turning in droves to film cameras as vehicles for a more curated and craft approach to the art of taking pictures. Kodak--maker of the beloved Ektachrome slide film, which was re-released in 2019--and other film manufacturers are meeting the demand for analog film by bringing back discontinued lines.
IDEAL GIFT/ COVETABLE OBJECT: This is an ideal, well-priced gift for any young photography and camera enthusiast.
MERCH / DISPLAY OPPORTUNITIES: The cover, a riff on a vintage 35-millimeter film box from the 1970s, makes it a cool, object-like book that will work beautifully for merchandising and gift displays.
Perfect for:
Photography and camera enthusiasts, fans of vintage cameras, photography students
Synopsis
Old School Photography is a must-have modern manual for learning how to create great photographs with a 35mm film camera. Famed YouTube personality Kai Wong expertly and humorously shares 100 essential tips for selecting and using film cameras, shooting with film and various lenses, and employing specific techniques to ensure you can get great results quickly. Known for his breadth of knowledge and quick wit, Kai Wong delivers an informative and entertaining read on how to take great film photos.
- An informative and entertaining read on how to take great film photos
- A must-have guide for those new to old-school film techniques
- A much-needed book for the current resurgence of vintage 35mm film cameras
Renewed interest in film photography has surged in the past few years, both among those rediscovering their past passion and those discovering it for the first time. Vintage cameras that had previously lost their value are now often worth more than they first sold for due to high demand amongst enthusiasts, students, and collectors. Film manufacturers have even started reissuing long discontinued stocks--for example, Kodak's much-loved and recently re-released classic Ektachrome slide film. In our modern world, billions of people have access to instantaneous photography on their mobile phones, but as a result there has been a resurgent desire for a more tactile, physical, unaltered, and thus honest medium. Much of which, ironically, ends up on the internet, with photography fans and influencers sharing their images across Instagram, Flickr, YouTube, and the like.
More so than with digital photography, film photography requires a sense of craft, skill, patience, technical knowledge, and a trial-and-error process that results in a greater sense of accomplishment. Old School Photography is both enlightening and humorous, and attracts a new generation of fans who are eager to experiment with film cameras, make prints, and post their film photographs online.