retro-spectives
Film Cameras
Analog Film Lab
29 October 2013, 5:00pm
Analog Film Lab, an online film processing lab, was set up in 2011 by Lo Sheng (right) and Ernest How (middle). By day they are full-time software engineers; by night they process 35mm, medium and large format film that are mailed to them from photographers all over the island. They have no shopfront, choosing to run the business via Facebook. It's interesting, this crossover and merger between digital and analogue platforms. I chatted with them to find out more about why they choose to hold on to a dying and increasingly expensive medium.
1. How did you guys start Analog Film Lab?
Ernest: A few years ago I came across my aunt's mechanical camera. It was purely mechanical, which means technically you do not need a battery to take a photo, and that intrigued me. I passed it to Lo Sheng to see what I can do with it. From there he introduced a few more cameras & dark room printing to me. That got me hooked to film and the dark room process.
Lo Sheng: I've been doing photography since my 2nd year in uni. There was a dark room in Yusof Hall, and that's the first time I tried dark room printing. And then it was taking up freelance jobs to pay for the gear. I had an enlarger and processing stuff at home. At some point it was crowding the home so much I brought it to the office, which became a temporary dark room for us to play. How we started Analog Film Lab... I wanted to shoot 4 x 5 reversal film but realized there was no one in Singapore doing it, so I had no choice but to do it myself. The first step was getting hold of the chemicals, and after a whole chase around the world it turned out that the chemicals were actually made in Singapore. There's actually a plant in Tuas that makes reversal film chemicals for Fuji, and supplies to all the East Asia processing labs. So I got in touch with them. They said, "Ya you can buy the chemicals from us, but everything comes in cartons." To buy a set of chemicals cost a $1000 over dollars, for 200 litres of concentrate. So when it dilute it down it's a lot of chemicals. That's a lot of money for a lot of chemicals - there's no way you can finish it. So I posted a thread on ClubSnap's forums, and surprisingly 3 other guys came forward and split the lot with me. Then I had to order a 2nd lot because more people were getting interested and that began to get things going. But we found that we still could not finish the chemicals, plus there's a shelf life once you open them. So we suddenly thought, why don't we process reversal film for other people? And that's how we got started.
2. How did this interest in dark room processing start out?
LS: I was in photography club in Yusof Hall, and one of my seniors introduced it to me. In the past it was very common to have dark rooms.
E: During the days of film photography half the process was done in the dark room, so when you talk about photography it involved the dark room.
LS: I think it's very therapeutic. You go in, it's just you and yourself, and it's a very quiet and reflective process. You're very focused, you do your own thing, and hardly anything can disturb you. Because you can't open the door , people can't come in. You just keep the music on, work the images through one at a time. It's much nicer than photoshop, sitting at the computer, getting aches everywhere! And in the end the colors don't even match when they print out!
E: In the dark room, you can be in there for hours without realizing it.
3. What was it about your aunt's camera that interested out?
E: At that point in time I owned a digital point-and-shoot camera, but I was just using it to record events; it could very well be a smart phone nowadays. Photography only became a hobby for me when I started using the mechanical camera. It's just very intriguing - at this day and age - to have something that isn't powered by electricity. All you need is the cocking motion, the light, and the spring. It's the simplicity of the whole thing, that's what intrigued me.
LS: Half the time people can't even get through the menu on a digital camera. You can't find what you need to set, you don't even know why somewhere some setting is off!
4. Does that mean you have more control over a mechanical camera, compared to a digital?
LS: It's also a lot more intuitive. It works exactly how you think it would work.
E: You still need to know your basic photography, aperture and all that. It's essentially focusing on the plane, then controlling how much light hits the plane. But that is all. With digital cameras, I didn't know that this is all you need to capture a photograph. It only hit me when I started using the mechanical camera.
5. Why do you like the medium over digital?
LS: I think a lot of joy in analogue photography is actually in the process itself, the making of the picture. Whereas in digital it's very disposable and transient; you shoot everything excessively, thinking that just by shooting a lot you'll eventually get something that works. So nothing is very directed and deliberate.
E: You may get a good photo by chance. Unlike analogue, it's not turning out good because it's how I think it would turn out.
LS: In the past there was a lot of debate over whether film is still better than digital. Today the digital sensor has already surpassed film, but it's the whole slow, deliberate process that makes it enjoyable. You have full control every step of the way over what you're doing, there's no intelligence/smartness. There's no accidents with computer programmes. Everything is how you direct it to be, how you meter it, how you frame it etc.
6. For you guys, you're not doing this as a full-time business, so is this why you spend more time and effort in getting the dark room process right?
E: We just want to get back to how people used to do things. This is what photographers in the past expected of a processing lab. In the past the professional photographers had very intimate relationships with their processing labs, so we're trying to see if we can get back some of that intimacy.
LS: We ourselves also shoot and process our own stuff. We're not running a big business so we don't hire people to process our stuff, so when we process our own shots we wanted to be sure that we're the best in this. It's a diminishing market; whether this will be as thriving as the vinyl records market, maybe it will never reach that level again, I think we will always be very niche. Even Fotohub doesn't want to do it. So when we started we said we have to be the best, otherwise you're just accelerating the death of the craft.
7. Do you think that the quality of photography has dropped..?
LS: In general the quality of picture-taking is dropping, especially with the medium in which pictures are presented. Sometimes when you look at big posters, it's quite amazing how low people's expectations are. The pictures are sometimes not printed at the correct resolution. This didn't happen in the past; if it's a print enlargement you'll do it on an enlarger on photo paper, and people will shoot on large format. But look at what's happening now, things are so cheap, you can print easily and cheaply with a inkjet printer. And now everyone thinks that everyone can take pictures, and the value of it as a craft has dropped. Everyone thinks, "My cousin has a DSLR, why do you want to charge $2000 for a shot? My cousin can do this for free."
Printed media is less and less expected; everyone sees pictures on their small smartphone screens or computers, so they don't hold much expectations for what is being printed. But for a lot of us, a photograph is not a photograph until it's printed and framed on the wall, where you can step back and say "Wah, very nice!" It's not like on the screen, it's still an image of pixels.
8. Do you see an increasing interest in film photography?
E: I cannot say for sure, but the number of people still doing it surprised me.
LS: Actually when we first started this, I expected that our customers would largely be people of my age (40s). What was very surprising to me was that the people who got in touch with us are people between the ages of 20 and 35. You would think that the people who are shooting film are people who cannot let go of the past, but actually a lot of them are people who grew up in the digital age. It's very strange; they would have grown up with digital but they are going back to film.
9. So what is the demographic of your customers?
LS: Ya they're in their 20s to 30s.
E: They're actually pretty serious.
LS: There are a couple of pretty good photographers, this one girl did fantastic work on a 4 by 5 and had an exhibition at the Singapore Art Museum. So there are some very serious young photographers. By and large they are mostly people who are exploring. I met several young professional photographers who wanted to do a project on film, but they couldn't get the client to pay for it. We just had a chat with another professional photographers were complaining about the digital age; everyone is just saying "let's try this, let's try that; let's shoot more". In the past you would never do that; if you want to shoot one more roll of film, that's another $20. People would get the project well-thought out first before executing. Right now it's like pixels are free, so let's see what we get; nobody has a concrete idea, let's just try this just in case, just in case, just in case. The whole methodology has changed.
10. Do you think it's important for young photographers to learn these basics of film photography?
LS: Everyone thinks that digital is so forgiving. But whether it's important… maybe it's not so critical, with the availability of Photoshop and all that. It just shifts all your work from the pre-shooting stage to the post-shooting stage. Now people think that shooting is only the first part, the real part happens in Photoshop and they do whatever they want during then. On the other hand, you had to be very exact on analogue and calibrate everything, but you don't have all these constraints on digital.
11. Analog Film Lab doesn't have a shopfront and relies on Facebook to reach out to people, why?
LS: You need to adapt to the digital platform, which helps to mitigate the cost of setting up small businesses in Singapore. And because our main presence is on Facebook, our core customers are the younger people.
E: And I don't think both (digital and analogue) are mutually exclusive, because there are certain advantages to digital media in that it spreads at zero cost and almost immediately. I feel that these two mediums are two completely different fields to begin with; one should not exist without the other.
LS: I think the prevalence of digital also makes people yearn for a certain kind of craftsmanship. Deep down a lot of people appreciate craft, and I think that will be enough to keep film photography going. A handmade print is a handmade print, and things made by hand carry so much more value.
E: It's something you will probably save in a fire, because it's not reproducible. No two prints are exactly the same.
LS: Even if you ask the same photographer to make another print, it will never be exactly the same. There's a human factor and that itself makes the whole art piece the one and only.
E: But it's undoubtably more convenient for digital media to share, and people will always want to share their photos.
12. So you were saying that you collect typewriters and watches too?
E: Things that are mechanical are so fascinating.
LS: Because it's very physical, you see it in action and you understand exactly how it works. It's just human nature to be amazed with mechanical things.
E: In contrast to current gadgets where you just see what is presented and you'll never know how it works. You can't see electricity. When you open it up, you see a chip but you don't know what it does…
LS: There's a lot of fascination with, again, craftsmanship. When you look at mechanical things, it is well thought out, and you follow through the thought process and you think, "Ah, this is here to move that". There's always a lot of fascination in understanding the designer you never met. "Ah, this is here to connect that, so clever", and that kind of connection is amazing. Whereas on a digital chip, unless you're in the domain… even the programmer does not know what the chip does, and with digital there's a lot of layers in between the formation of the machine.
E: We are not mechanically trained, yet by moving the parts we can see how it works.
13. Do you think analogue will be a continuing trend, more than just nostalgia?
E: We can't really speak for those who grew up in the digital age. They will be fascinated if they come across something mechanical, but the fact that these items are more rarer, it means they have less chance to touch something mechanical. So I'm not as optimistic as it making a comeback. For people like us, when were young, a lot of things were mechanical. So it does bring out nostalgia when we come into contact with one. But 10-20 years later, for a person who grew up playing with an iPad will not have the same feelings when we touches a mechanical clock. There will be no emotional attachment for them, so I'm not sure if it will be a trend. But there's a universal appreciation for good craftsmanship; when you take an iPad out people still appreciate it because it's well-crafted, but I'm not so sure if the trend will carry into mechanical things.
LS: I think people's meaning of craftsmanship will change, people who grew up in the digital age will probably appreciate digital as a craft. The medium is different. The world that we live in is very physical, everything is by touch. But things are becoming more virtual, you exist as an identity on Facebook.
E: But it's not wrong, it's just different.
Chee Yong
30 October 2013, 3.30pm
Photo: Facebook (by user Vanini Belarmino)
Chow Chee Yong is a local artist, photographer and educator. He also was my lecturer back in Temasek Polytechnic, from whom I had learnt much about photography, including darkroom technique and process. I thought it was a good idea to talk to someone who shoots in large format and teaches others about it.
1.
A year ago we thought that photography books were dying; people are just putting their images online, why is there a need for books? So last year, a friend started the Singapore Photo Book Day, not knowing what's going to happen. But I tell you, it was amazing. We just called for entries for the fun of it. The whole day, it was packed with people. There were around 60 books for sale, some of which we've never seen. And personally I sold a lot of books that day - it's strange! Because you put the book at Page One and it hardly even goes. This year they just had it at the National Library and it was so packed with people! People are still buying books - why?
2.
Digital has really improved over the years, and I think to a certain extent, it has almost surpassed film in terms of sharpness. Depending on what you're comparing with, of course. But in most cases, digital is strongly and widely accepted. When digital first came about, the quality was so poor that advertisers and photographers didn't want to use it because it makes the products look so terrible. But now, everything is shot digitally. So the question would be - why still use film? Why are there still people using film?
I think there are a few reasons. For the younger people, it's just fascination. A fascination with, "How on earth can this piece of plastic have an image? How does this work?" It's like going into a chemistry lab where you mix this, you mix that, and bingo! Something magical happens. And it's really that magical moment of film that interest people. The immediacy of things is no longer so interesting. In the past the immediacy of things was very interesting, because in the film days we couldn't see what was happening. We had to wait. But now it's so common that we're kind of gelat already, "Oh man, this is terrible. Actually I don't want to see it immediately." It's like eating instant noodles all the time. When it first came about, it was such an interesting phenomena for people to eat noodles within 3 minutes. Everybody was into it. I remember it was one of the biggest things when we were in the army. Today, it's like, "Oh please, don't give me instant noodles." You want to go to a hawker centre; and some people line up for 1 hour to wait for the char kway teow! But it's okay, I can wait, I don't want to eat instant noodles. It tastes horrible. The aftertaste of digital is no longer that shiok anymore, I would say.
And I think digital images - most of them - somehow have this very clinical, robotic, cold look. It doesn't look human at all, it's like some futuristic cyborg at work. It's too clean and mechanical. In fact, digital - it's probably the software - is so so sharp that photographers decide to go the other way. When they get the details that they want, they start softening images. And as a result, bokeh today is such a big thing. You want it softened, you don't want it too sharp! Simply because being too sharp is not how the human eye sees things. The human eye sees things in variations, some soft and some sharp. You don't see things super clean or super sharp. Even if you're focusing on something, yes it's sharp, but we don't see it so sharp that we see the dust on it, the texture… But today's camera can capture that. And it has become a little distasteful, it's no longer so nice. Film, to me, retains that human touch. It is sharp, but not so sharp that you start getting irritated by things like that.
The second big thing, for me personally using film, is that it really makes you think more. Because you simply cannot rush it. It's costly. For example, every shot I make costs me $20 because I use large format. Whether I make it, or fail, it will cost me $20; I have no choice. Now, digitally it costs you nothing so to speak. If you make a wrong shot, just delete it. To me, it promotes laziness and a wishy-washy mind, a haphazard way for working. But film doesn't allow you to do it. At the back of your mind, you know you only have that 1 shot and it's going to cost you. Sometimes it's not even about the cost, it's your last shot, you don't have any more film. Am I really going to click the shutter? If I make a wrong choice, then I'm burnt, that's it. So that requires the photographer then to really think carefully, to make a really decisive decision, "Yes, I've made up my mind, the light is good, the conditions are all good, I'm going to start working." Rather than "Just try la, try la, we can do it later in Photoshop." With that kind of mentality, you almost have a very careless and carefree mentality, which is no good in most situations. Unless you really treat digital with a film kind of mentality… So that, to me, are the main reasons why someone would want to use film, besides being able to touch and hold the images up. Whereas in a phone or iPad, it's somewhere inside. No matter what you do you're just touching the frame, the device. Of course the sound of the shutter is also quite nice to hear, but that's just the appetizer, something that comes along the way.
So for me, even when I shoot digitally, I convert the file so that it looks like it's film. Because there is a difference. One has a very artificial look, and the other one is human. And I prefer the one that's human. Skype is good, but nothing beats face-to-face. Digital is like Skype; it's better than nothing, but if you can meet… It's even better. For example, if I give you a choice of buying clothes online versus I bring the clothes to you. I think 99 out of 100 will want to see the real clothes, and not seeing it through a screen. Your 5 senses are involved now, you can see, you can smell, you can feel the texture, whether the material is cold or warm. I think all these has an effect on us as humans.
I like what Cartier-Bresson said, and I paraphrase him, "The difference between a good photograph and a not-so-good photograph is just millimeters. But it is essential." I translate it into Singapore's context, and since I'm in education, "Chee Yong, why you fail me? My classmate and I have similar pictures, she/he got an A but I failed. It's just that she/he had a man walking past, but I don't. That's the only thing that is different." My reply would be, "The difference between 4D or Toto, is that one number. If you get that winning number, you get that million dollars. But one cannot say, 'Hey I only got 1 number differently, can you give me some of that money?' " And it's that kind of situation. The difference between digital and analogue sometimes may appear obscure. But the difference is essential and important. And it makes a person feel better or otherwise.
3.
It's like visiting a place, feeling the wind, hearing the leaves fluttering. Compared to looking at a painting where it's static, nothing is moving. So it's that feeling that's different. When you look at a digital watch, on the outside it's moving; you can see the numbers changing. But with a mechanical watch, the thing that watch enthusiasts are fascinated with, the first thing they do is to put it to their ears to hear its ticking. The sound of the ticking… I can't explain it. Some people will say it's just amazing to hear the sound, it's so satisfying, therapeutic. Once in a while, crazy people like me will open up the watch to see the mechanical parts moving. That's like wow… So fascinating. A few hundred parts, put together, and this thing works. And the moment one part is removed, everything stops. But for digital watches, when you open it up, nothing is moving. It's just electricity running inside, and you can't see it. It's like it has no life. You take out the battery and put it in, nothing happens. You only see the screen appear and disappear, but the internal parts are dead. It's like listening to our own heartbeat. We don't normally see your heart, but when you hear it, it's therapeutic. Because of this fascination, a lot of high end watch companies have made glass backs, so you can see the parts moving. It's this kind of fascination that fills up that emotional void in digital. Maybe one part of our emotions have to do with this touch, with seeing things work. Humans cannot live without touch. There was this study where 50 babies where they were provided for, but they all died because nobody touched them; there were no relationships. And I think a mechanical thing seems to have relationships. Some people call it 'soul'. It's like the more I touch and use a camera, the more I know it and the more the camera seems to know me. And there is this strange relationship between the camera and the photographer, the turntable and the listener.
4.
I think humans do not like to be controlled, they like to be in control. With digital it seems that somebody else is controlling it, somebody inside your iPod, your phone… And you just don't quite like it. You prefer to want to be in control. I want to process the film for a certain amount of time, I don't want the digital camera to do it for me. It will just automatically be done. With film, I will blame myself if I make a mistake, because I made that decision and I feel responsible for it. As a result, I feel there is a certain life that I put in. I made it alive, I put an image on the piece of plastic. But digitally, it doesn't seem that way.
5.
Some of the mechanical watches are ridiculously expensive - it has become a status symbol, a prestige. The film camera itself is not expensive, but the film is expensive, you have to keep feeding it. The turntable itself is not expensive, but the continuity to feed it is expensive. So it's a very status thing. With digital you just need a CF card. But similarly, the soul is missing. And I think the cycle of life is becoming shorter and shorter. Meaning fashion will turn around in a shorter time. For mechanical watches it took 15, 20 years to revive. For film cameras, it's about 10 years? Around 2 years ago we started to see a renewed interest. I went to a conference in San Francisco where I met a few professors from around the world, and I talked to them about this. They said, "Ya, our students like to shoot in film." We do a hybrid now, which is what I do too, where we shoot in film then scan it in. But that initial part is therapeutic. And I think there will be more and more interest.
I just taught the 2nd year students darkroom processing yesterday, and they were so fascinated. They enjoyed it, that magical moment. And this kind of magical moment doesn't occur in digital. The image just appears. The 3rd year students were grumbling about not learning darkroom, because in their year a lot of chemicals were unavailable so we didn't do it. And they want to learn.
6.
Actually I started my interest in watches and cameras at the same time, back in 1987. I was interested in photography, so I went to this place that made leather bags. I commissioned this uncle to make a leather camera bag for me, and I went down everyday to see the progress. What interest me was that he wore a vintage Rolex watch. And I didn't know such things exist, and that's how I started my interest in watches.
7. So what was it about the watch that caught your attention?
Initially it was just the mere look of seeing something that you don't usually get to see. Everybody has a G-Shock but not everyone has a vintage Rolex. It's just being able to own something special and uncommon.
Peek-ture
15 November 2013, 6.45pm
Peek-ture is an analogue photography retail store located on Armenian Street. Set up in 2010, it is "Singapore's largest dedicated analogue & toy camera store", selling cameras and equipment from Lomography, Red Army and Impossible Project. Joanne Lim (left) and Ming Lim (right) spoke to me before the launch of their exhibition, In An Instant, which showcased instant analogue photography.
1. How did your interest in analogue photography start?
Ming: I think it was a very organic experience for myself. I was interested in different things, so when it came to photography I wanted to try something more. I was never interested in photography until I started shooting tim. I heard of lomography first, then a good friend got me a starter kit from Lomography. From there I got interested.
2. How did that lead to the setting up of Peek-ture?
Joanne: For me, it started out when one of my friends showed me a Diana. The Diana itself - you understand - comes in so many different shapes and sizes and colors so that was very attractive to me, but at the same time, it was very vintage. At that point in time in Singapore they didn't have a Lomography store and we were in UK. So from there the interest came, so we read and find out a little more to get my own Diana, and managed to find a place that sold one. After that, because it's a hobby and we had love for it, we thought that… there wasn't a space in Singapore that sold such products to the younger generation. Most of the time, when you go to Peninsular Plaza you see a lot of vintage shops but it always feels very… scary?
M: Intimidating.
J: You're scared the uncle might like, "Why don't you know your stuff?" (in Chinese) But we thought that, it would also be a great way to have an interactive shop where people can touch, feel, browse. It's always great when we see the younger generation came in. So when Peek started out, it wasn't like "Oh we want to start a business" kind of thing. We all came together, and we thought it will be great if there's somewhere where the younger generation can learn more about this art form. On the way, yes, buy the supplies as well, but more importantly that we don't lose that piece of art that is so important that we feel lacks in Singapore.
3. When did Peek first open? Wasn't there a Lomography Embassy then already?
J: 2010. There was a store that was hosting them, I can't remember which store…
M: Objectifs I think.
J: Yes Objectifs, and Objectifs wasn't like Objectifs where they are now. (Objectifs moved from Liang Seah Street to Arab Street in 2009) So when you go in you see a few racks of Lomograhy products, but you still can't touch and feel. It's all still inside the packaging. Unlike, when we travelled, New York, London, where the products are always on the table. I love that concept. So that was something that, when we started out Peek…
M: We wanted to emulate that experience.
J: That touch-feel-see-look kind of thing. And that's how Peek came about. Yes we experienced theft and all that, but it doesn't stop the kind of experience we want to impart.
4. So what exactly is this 'experience'?
J: You don't walk into a store and feel like "I have to buy something."
M: You walk into a store to learn more about it, not necessarily buy.
J: We want people to come in and, if they're interested, they can buy something to further their education through interaction. But more importantly, you come in and you're not going to purchase anything you just want to learn. And the moment you walk out the store knowing you've touched something that is new, then I think we got it right, we sold something.
M: I think it's a process of going back. A lot of young people get exposed to digital technology very early in the game. They usually crave for something more. That's when they do their research, and find out about film.
J: I think it's very frightening. Even before we started Peek, we did a flea [market stall], so we bought the stuff to the flea. For me, what struck me was - there was this lady, she was in her 40s. Mind you ladies in their 40s, they've grown up with probably more film photography than digital at their point of time, right? And when she bought it, she was like, "Would you mind helping me load the film?" I was like, "Oh no." If someone who grew up in the film era does not know how to load the film, then what about the 12-year-olds? They all would not know how to do it.
5. What do you like about this medium? Why do you think 12-year-olds should know how to load film, for example?
J: It's the process that starts even before loading the film. What camera should I pick up today? What's the weather like? Where am I going to shoot? Which film, what speed? Should I waste my one shot on that object? And when I'm done with that whole roll, I have to wait for my film to develop. I think it's that, everyday we're faced with instant gratification. You want something, you get it fast. And you don't have that kind of patience, that kind of "let's wait and see" feeling. That's what we enjoy.
6. Comparing it to digital mediums, what other aspect of film attracts you?
M: The element of surprise is what appeals to me to shoot on film.
J: And I think learning to embrace imperfections.
M: The analogue can be so gratifying in the sense that, when you get back your negatives, you look at it and think, "Oh my god, I am able to achieve that shot with such a simple frame." I think that's an important form of gratification that one can have when shooting film. Nowadays I dabble more in instant analogue photography, so it's that element of getting an art print. I shoot on Polaroid and Impossible [Project] film; it's that element of surprise and it's not a simple plain digital photo. To me, it's art.
J: Digital has it's benefits. Look, it's cheap, it allows us to transmit ideas across the internet, no one can deny it takes better photos. At the end of the day, you're gonna pull out an analogue camera but you're gonna back it up with a digital camera for sure. It's just having that option, which allows you to embrace a slower side of life that is very, very important.
M: And it makes it more interesting, and makes your photography experience more exciting.
J: I think for us personally, apart from the phone [camera], if you ask me to handle a digital SLR I'd probably be more worried. We rather take a film camera, I mean that's our preference. But of course you cannot deny the benefits of using digital at the end of the day.
7. Do you see an increasing interest in film photography amongst the younger generation?
J: Yes, we're seing hobbyists.
M: A lot of customers who come - I mean, we expect our range of customers to be young people.
J: The youngest one was 4. He's got a Diana, so cute, very adorable!
M: We've got 19-year-olds coming in…
J: We've got elderly coming in too, to share their experience as well. So we really see a whole range, and I think that's nice, cos there's something to talk about. Oh you have a digital camera, look, so do I!
M: So in a sense it's bridging the gap, we're bridging the generation gap. Where, you know, your father used to shoot with this, and now you're shooting with this.
J: So we have a good mix of ages.
8. Why do you think young people are going back to film photography?
M: Like I said it's a process. They get so exposed to digital photography, they want to know how else they can make that image.
J: I guess it's also because the younger generation like to be individual, everything must be so unique to them. Some of them actually stumble onto it, thinking that this camera makes my shots look so interesting, compare to my friends' digital photos. Then of course we've got those who are very… organic. Or maybe their grandfather or father who introduced them to a film camera. Alternatively, we've got another group of people who join a club, let's say in school, and they learn photography.
M: Or someone brings an interesting camera, like "Oh my god, what's this?"
J: "Let me try, let me try!" So there are so many different reasons why they will pick up a film camera.
9. Do you think cost is an issue with them?
J: Actually, surprisingly, if they don't have the money we see them bringing their parents.
M: Either that, or they will save up. We have customers saying, "Can you save this for me? I will come back and buy, I really want to buy." They really go all out, cos they're really passionate about film.
J: I think compared to those who were born in the 1980s, the kids from the 1990s and above… they pick up fast, and they have more pocket money.
10. But what about having to keep buying film to feed the camera?
J: We're not saying it's a cheap process, that's why we said it's a hobby. If they're really into it, they will find a way to save, to earn. In a way I think they use their film more wisely, they don't go around just clicking away. They treasure that every shot. Every successful shot out of the 36 frames is a form of satisfaction, so it feeds itself.
Samantha / Feelim Photography
Photo: Feelim Photography
Whilst searching for local film photographers, I came across Feelim Photography, the film photography portfolio of Samantha Ann Francis, who is a sub-editor for a business magazine. What struck me were her wedding shoots done on film. I thought: it must take someone quite a lot of passion to 'waste' film on wedding shoots, something which uses up quite a lot of shots, as most would attest. To also be able to turn a hobby into a business ... I wanted to find out what it was about film photography that she loved.
1. What started your interest in film photography?
During my primary school days, I received my first camera- a 35mm film point-and-shoot hello kitty camera. 2 years back, I cleaned my closet and discovered it. It sparked off my interest in film photography all over again so I started experimenting with lomography toy cameras, and eventually had a serious passion for film SLRs and various forms of analog photography (wide format, medium format, instant film).
2. How did this interest lead you to start Feelim Photography?
It was a natural progression for me, as my favourite subjects were people. I began shooting portraits for my friends, some couples and later on, I started getting requests to do prewedding shoots. People found it rather novel that my medium was film, as the majority of wedding/prewedding photographers nowadays shoot solely on digital. I guess I also rode on the whole 'vintage' wave that was consuming our generation, where vintage clothing, accessories and cameras started becoming something nostalgic and attractive to behold.
3. Why do you like this medium? How is it different from digital mediums?
I like the analog medium as there is no instant gratification (unless you're talking about instant film). In a world where everybody's about technology and efficiency, it's a humbling experience to admit you want to slow down. With film, I find myself composing shots carefully and training my eye for details, so that I never waste the 36 frames I have with each roll. With film, it is about the process as much as the end-result, and it forces you to concentrate and focus on the moment you're shooting, rather than fire off as you would with a digital camera, thinking you can save yourself in post-processing. Other than that, what I love is the look of film photos, the subtle grain, the range of colours and depth. It's just different from the stark sharpness of a digital image, although both have their own merits.
4. Do you see an increasing amount of interest in film photography? Why do you think this is happening?
I feel that this increased interest can be attributed in part to the growing interest in vintage products, which are now seen as in-trend. It's somewhat become an image that young people seem to like, being all free-spirited and in touch with nostalgia, and it's backed up with the blossoming of vintage clothing stores, vintage bicycle shops etc. Of course, there's also the successful marketing ploys of Lomography to thank. Film cameras have attained a cult status with its quirkiness. Everyone wants one because it's a conversation starter, or because it's a cool hobby to have. As for true blue photographers, most go back to analog so as to learn the basics of photography all over again.
5. What are the demographics of people who approach you for jobs?
They range from 18-40, mostly young adults of marriageable age.
6. Have there been any concerns from the couples you've shot? (Eg, afraid that the film won't turn out well, etc.) Or how do people typically react to being shot in film?
The most common reaction goes like this "Ohh can't see what you shot right?" People in general are aware that film must first be developed, and most marvel either at how old-school or troublesome the process must be. When it comes to my clients, they often have no qualms or hesitation about trusting me to shoot completely on film especially for pre-wedding shoots as that's considered a rather controlled environment and my portfolio gives them the reassurance. However, when it comes to actual day wedding, I always bring along a DSLR for back-up, acknowledging the fact that film never works as well as digital in low-light conditions (ballroom etc). It's also to give my clients the reassurance as that's their big day I'm shooting.
Typewriters
Aqilah
23 November 2013
I 'met' Nur Aqilah Mohd Mislan through Claudia Tan, who had added me into their typewriter-enthusiast Facebook group. Aqilah, an 18-year-old student, is one of the youngest members of the group. Yet - as Claudia tells me - she is passionate about typewriters, and sometimes even uses her typewriter to type study notes.
1. How did your interest in typewriters start?
I started being interested in typewriter when I was 16, partly fuelled by my love for writing. I love anything vintage, so when I saw several typewriters on Tumblr I thought I had to have one. When I got my first typewriter, I was in awe for like 2 days haha. It felt surreal maybe? Like a (short term) dream come true.
2. So cost was kind of an issue for you I guess? Especially being a student... So how have you managed to 'overcome' that?
It is one of the two bigger problems haha! The other being space constraint. I usually have to save up for weeks before I purchase once. But just in case, I keep like 400 bucks safe first. Because typewriters get sold quit fast around collectors and it's very sad if we lose out esp if the typer is rare.
3. What was going through your mind when you typed on your first typewriter?
I was definitely excited, especially since the typewriter was a surprise gift. The clicking sounds of the keys and the jamming of the paper! It was definitely awesome, because nothing ever felt that cool when we press on keyboards! (sorry if this ans sounds a little stupid I'm not sure how to put in words ._.)
4. Why do you like this medium, as compared to digital mediums? How is it different from digital mediums?
I think many of us like typewriters because of its mono-functionality. Devices these days have so many functions that it's hard to see the novelty behind them, which is unlike typewriters. To me, the idea of multi tasking is a little absurd. There's practically no point dividing you attention into many different things when we are made to do things and live one step at a time. So with mono function items, we take things one at a time, and in doing that we get to savour or enjoy the things we do. Also, old things/vintage items are growing very rare these days. And to know that I might own something someone else may never get to even see is a special thing. In more ways than one, you get to distinguish yourself from majority of our tech saavy generation.
Even though they're both mechanical, the typewriter adds in personal touch to whatever we're doing. For example, typo mistakes. Computers and other electronic devices can correct them for you, but analog objects leave whatever trace of you that's on the paper (in the case of typewriters) so yup, human touch :)
5. How did your family and friends react to your interest?
They thought I was weird haha. It seemed like an expensive interest that I'd get bored of very soon, but it's been 2 years and if anything, I'm more interested in it!
6. Did you let them try typing?
I did let my friends use them! My family didn't really understand my interests so they pretty much didn't bother. As for my friends they were as excited as I was, and they were scared to press harder to so that the ink can be seen on paper!
7. Do you think young people are increasingly getting interest in analog mediums? Why do you think this is happening?
I think it's becoming a trend! Probably due to the insurgency of digital media so maybe we get tired of it really quickly :)
8. In what ways have you been using your typewriter?
I write letters with them, and I use them to write my own notes as well! I will type quotes on manila tags or papers and paste them into my journal too.
9. What made you start collecting (and not stop at just 1 typewriter)?
The first time I got it, I thought one would be enough, but then when I met Claudia and the others, I learnt a whole deal about them. And to know that there were typers with different fonts, it sort of kick started this whole need to collect more and more of different fonts! It's unlike computers where u can just download fonts. For typewriters, I think the more variety of typefaces you have, the better the inventory.
Claudia / Tappy Typewriters
Claudia Tan is an English teacher and avid typewriter collector going by the Facebook name Tappy Typewriters. She and her husband also sells them, amongst other antiques, on their Facebook shop Vintage Empire. True to her passion, she typed out the answers to my interview questions on a typewriter before snapping a picture of the pages and sending it to me (via Facebook, no less).
1. What started your interest in typewriters?
I have always had a love for language and reading, and when we came across typewriters in museums, films, etc… It was literally love at first sight! There is something quite romantic about composing poetry on a typewriter ;) Once I had my first machine and started doing much research on these mechanical marvels, there was no curtailing this obsession!
2. How did this interest lead you to start a business dealing in typewriters?
This was actually never anticipated… It was purely a hobby, but when my friends learnt of it, and friends of my friends did, I was inundated with queries… Because I have been collecting for a few years now, I have established contacts locally & globally and take pride that a typewriter that leaves our hands would have been professionally cleaned & serviced and ready to last a few lifetimes! Typewriters are hardy machines. We have a base of customer-friends who are always assured to make a purchase from us. Shipping in a typewriter is risky business if you are new to it. Our friends encouraged us to provide this service and product sure to our experience and knowledge.
3. Why do you like this medium? How is it different from digital mediums?
Typing on a typewriter is a very tactile experience and all your senses are engaged. There are no distractions, and it is always fascinating to watch the metal typebars strike the ribbon and print on the page. If you haven't already tried using a manual typewriter, I urge you to. I also have students who will not do homework using the computer, but can sit for an hour typing on the machine.
4. You mentioned that "typing on a typewriter is a very tactile experience and all your senses are engaged". I happen to agree that these analog devices tend to be more tactile and requires a certain amount of 'commited' participation (like what you said, digital tech offers so much distractions!) Can you elaborate on how the different senses are engaged when typing?
The typewriter is a very mechanical machine and there is the extra finger effort required, the clacking of keys and ding of the bell! And because you cannot delete errors, you have to commit to what is typewritten.
5. Do you see an increasing amount of interest in typewriters? Why do you think this is happening?
Yes, there is definitely more interest generated in vintage items in general - a sense of nostalgia amidst a fast-paced lifestyle perhaps? I also see younger and younger visitors to my home. Recent movies like The Great Gatsby and Populaire also romanticize the typewriter to a large extent :) Many of use also start off with 1 machine, and in typical Singaporean Kiasu fashion, the collection grows… The typewriters I have include different brands, models, colors, etc… I am a typeface aficionado in particular. Different typeface for different texts/moods. I think the fact that I have awful handwriting contributes to this fascination.
6. You mentioned that "in typical Singapore Kiasu fashion the collection grows". I never really thought about how it that way haha, cos the analogue trend seems to be a worldwide thing. Do you think there are other reasons it's taking off locally?
Many of us are on social media and interestingly, interest spreads pretty quickly... For example, the scrapbooking community is a tightly woven one. What starts off as a single purchase generates interest when the customer posts pictures of their machine or shares them with his/her friends. I must also add that we have organised Type Ins where we bring our typewriters to public places (typically cafés) to use our typewriters... It's almost like a subculture in a sense. Interest may also be sparked off then I bring my typewriters out quite a bit and it's always a conversation starter!
7. What is the demographic of people who've been buying typewriters?
We have all sorts - parents buying a surprise gift for a child, teenagers, lovers looking for that special present, organizations, and the list really goes on. But I would say ladies in their 20s-30s will be the largest group ;) I fall into that category myself. Many of these ladies may also be into scrapbooking (which I am not into).
8. I notice you're quite passionate in advocating typewriters (with the NLB thing, show-and-tell, Type Ins); why is this so?
I think I'm generally a very enthusiastic person who has no qualms about sharing my passions! I've brought along my typewriters for school functions (where I teach) and the students have been receptive, so it's encouraging! I think it is a very fun hobby! I've never had a dull moment in my 3-4 years of collecting! They've become part of everyday life for me!
(On her students' response when she brought a typewriter for show-and-tell):
They were very curious and fascinated at first, and once they tried typing on it, many were quite engrossed. It's something novel to them and they liked that the words printed "on-the-spot" without any printer - cute!
Karen / aitype
Photo: aitype
Whilst researching about typewriters, I came across Karen Hoh's typewriter blog. I could tell from her posts that she was a connoisseur of the medium.
1. The "About" page in your blog mentions that you've been through many crazes. What made typewriters so special?
I like it because anyone can just pick it up and start typing. It's like an extension of our thoughts and one can type straight away. No electricity and printer needed. The feeling of typing with a typewriter is very different from computer. It's almost like hand writing, personal. I would like to think that receiving a typed letter is more personal versus a computer printed one. Of course a hand written one is more personal but I do not have nice handwriting! :)
Some of these machines lasted more than a hundred years and still function as good as new. So unlike today's used and disposal electronic gadgets.
2. Why do you like this medium as compared to digital mediums?
I have to think before I type, process my thoughts first, but with digital medium one can just write whatever and edit later, like verbal diarrhea? Sometimes the final edited copy may not be what we had in mind in the first place.
3. Do you see an increasing amount of interest in typewriters? Why do you think this is happening?
I do. The younger generation is curious about these machines. many are collecting because of the sentimental values. there are also many models of different makes and countries. Even the shape of typewriter differs from brand to brand and year manufactured.
4. You also mentioned that your children have started to type with you. Do you think it's important to 'pass on' such things to younger generations? Because some of my friends find that vintage stuff is just sentimental baggage, and see no point in keeping these 'relics' of the past.
Yes. I want my kids to know and appreciate how their parents or grandparents live in the past. You are right that some may not see the point of keeping these ' relics' but one should know and experienced using one before making that decision.
Vinyl Records
Kurt / #vinyloftheday
#vinyloftheday is an online sharing platform for vinyl record lovers. Its 'About' page reads:
...#vinyloftheDay showcases the intricacy of music, art and touch – a connection of audio, physical and visual.
Growing with record collections and a rising passion for vinyl, #vinyloftheday will feature music pieces, individuals, collectives and the emotional experience of the analogue world.
#vinyloftheday is an open call to share and celebrate the intimacy of vinyl.
Founder Kurt Loy, a DJ and music producer, replied to my queries via e-mail.
1. What started your interest in vinyl records?
I grew up with my dad’s old disco, funk and soul records, and my mom’s Mandarin pop records. That gave me the ability to use the turntable and I would just play those records and get really submerged in the music.
2. How did this interest lead you to start #vinyloftheday?
I started this #vinyloftheday project with my pals, Gerald Ang and Darren Dubwise. The concept behind it is to build a platform that fuels the music culture around vinyl records collecting and music appreciation. The sub-thought is to also build a social platform that enhances the way people interact and consume information about music.
3. Why do you like this medium? How is it different from digital mediums?
Sound quality debates aside, vinyl keeps the music listening experience alive and well. Playing vinyl instils a greater reverence for the music at hand and encourages a listener to really pay attention to the music and play it the entire way through each side. It’s a wonderful experience and you will never get that with any other audio formats. When you start collecting vinyl, it is a love affair that you will always have.
4. Do you see an increasing amount of interest in vinyl records? Why do you think this is happening?
In recent years, vinyl records have gotten their groove back. It could be due to the fact that people have abandoned the mainstream CD stores that do not cater to niche interests. The major labels also starting to see the potential of making money from there, and have been releasing vinyl records. Oh and wait, virtually every other Hollywood film that came out in recent years had a scene where someone puts a record on. I guess there’s some coolness to vinyl records. I can never see it diminishing.
Kok Kit
29 October 2013, 8.15pm
Mr. Kok Kit is a friend's father, whom I had heard was an avid vinyl records collector. He also collects turntables and other antiques. I wanted to hear from an older generation's point-of-view about keeping these 'relics' from the past, whether there were reasons that is more than just nostalgia.
1. How did your interest in vinyl records start?
I started collecting around 3 years ago. I like analogue things, and most of them are from 50 years ago. Now all these things have become collectors' items because they're not manufactured anymore. But for tube amplifiers, it's a family sort of thing because my brothers had it. So as I was growing up my brothers were playing hi-fi, and we used to listen to radio. And the radio stations back then will play from records, so we're very attuned to this sort of sound. Whereas nowadays… it's not that digital is bad. They have increased the dynamic range, and made it sound too perfect and unreal - the high is too high and the bass is very low. In the past there's no such thing as subwoofers. And youngsters nowadays prefer to listen to music with higher high and lower bass. After a while, you'll find that it's quite straining to the ears. The comfort of listening might not be there as compared to analogue sounds.
2. Why did you choose to keep the records?
People are probably tired of listening to digital. I don't know, there are 2 extremes. One type of people are very content with listening to mp3, where a lot of details are taken away but they don't realize it. Whereas for analogue you listen to a more complete sound. And it also has a familiarity to it; listening to old music on a turntable sounds different from one that has been converted to mp3. You can listen for hours without straining your ears.
3. So is that why you like records?
There's a lot more to it than just listening. Because collecting records - especially you find a good buy, you will treasure it, and it has historical value. Like stamp collecting, old things come alive. And when you look at record covers, there's a lot of stories behind it, and the artwork is very impressive. I notice that the artwork on records are more impressive than CDs. Maybe in the past they spend more time to do it hand-drawn. Whereas with computers there are filters that can make your photograph look like cartoon drawings instantly. At first I had a lot of fun, but after awhile I got tired of it.
4. Do you find that analog devices involve a lot more participation, like having to put the stylus onto the record?
I will think that doing all these is part of the fun, even though we might find that CDs are more convenient. Every 15-20min you have to flip the record over. But that to me is half the fun, because you want to listen to quality music. With the CD, after awhile you get sick of it.
5. Do you think this trend will last?
I will think that it will last indefinitely. Because the amount of records being reissued is not able to meet the demand. They're not able to come up with a large variety. And records can last you a long time, as long as you take care of it. You can still play the records with scratches, just that you get a lot of noise.
Nick / Hear Records
4 November 2013, 2.00pm
Photo: City Nomads
As someone who is for the most part clueless about vinyl records, the first place I thought of visiting was a record shop. I picked Hear Records - and I won't lie - solely because it had the most 'Likes' on Facebook. Imagine my surprise when owner Nick Tan told me that he had only recently opened the shop in March 2013... which goes to show how popular this medium has been recently.
1. What started your interest in vinyl?
You see the thing is, for vinyls, CDs and mp3, it's still the music that matters. For people my age, there were no CDs or mp3s then. You either had cassettes or vinyls. So my passion started out in music, and not the format itself. But if you ask me, there is a special thing to cassettes and vinyls that surpass - I mean if you're into music - things that CDs and mp3s cannot give you. For example better sound, and the visual art itself. But most importantly, the sense of owning something. So things that you can just hold on to… I own something, it's a work of love. Whereas for CDs, the booklet is smaller and somehow there is a 'cold' factor to it. Vinyl actually gives you a better precision of the album. For vinyls, the 50s, 60s, 70s albums are great albums. For example, Pink Floyd. People are still buying their album. But if you think about it, why? Legacies. You see, the thing about vinyl is that you play from side 1 from side 2, side A first song to side B fifth song… so you actually listen to the whole album. For Pink Floyd, they actually only had 2 hits in their lifetime. And now, any amateur CD band can have more hits than that. But the thing about the vinyl format is that they force you to listen to everything. So you actually listen to everything. So actually for some of the tracks, on the 1st listen, you might think "Look, it's not a hit song." But actually when you listen more, it actually grows on you and you realize that they're good songs after all. And there's not really a thing called 'fillers'. But now, with CD and mp3 format, you have the ease of actually selecting one song. You don't actually listen to everything. And sometimes, you only listen to the hit song and actually forgo everything else. You don't give the albums enough digestion to realize that they're great. It's probably the change of listening habits. The whole album concept just doesn't gel.
2. Since you grew up listening to vinyl, what made you continue using it when the digital age came around?
It just gives you more sense of owning an album, as compared with newer mediums. Sometimes, for example, a photographer might shoot a few 100 photos. But because of the ease of taking many shots, people actually take photographs by chance. "Would it turn out well? Who cares. Let's just take a lot of shots because it's free anyway." But in the good old days, every shot actually matters because it costs, you see. And people actually give more attention into taking that one particular shot. It's the same with vinyl. The thing is that, A) It's a lot more troublesome in terms of maintenance and cleaning. So you actually sit down there and listen. As compared to digital, it's so disposable and easy. One friend used to tell me, his son downloads a 100 songs a week. Then by the end of the week he will delete that 100 songs and download another 100. Then you ask yourself, "How much do you actually love music in that sense?" Sometimes, it's only when you pay that you feel that there's a love and passion for something. Vinyls are actually something that you have to pay for, and once you pay for it, you listen to it. And because it's so troublesome, music becomes something you actually sit down to listen, appreciate, digest. It doesn't become just background music anymore. But this isn't happening in today's context. I had a customer who came in and told me that a person who loves music will buy vinyl. A person who buys vinyl are more serious about their music.
3. Why do you think people are 'going back' to vinyl?
To some people, vinyl is a deleted format. But to people your age (20s), it's actually a newer format. So why is a lot of people your age coming back to vinyl? Some people say sound, but let's not bullshit, not everyone knows sound. But what makes people your age go back to vinyl is the sense of ownership. CDs, because of its size and convenience, didn't give people your age a sense of belonging like "okay, I own that particular album." But now with the vinyl revival, teenagers and young adults - they have never encountered this. Then all of a sudden, we introduce them one thing - owning their music. A sense that you didn't have… and they actually listen and the rest just falls into place.
4. Do you see an increasing interest in vinyl?
Actually, internationally, the vinyl revival started more than 15 years ago. It took Asia more than 10 years to realize this. A couple of reasons; 10, 15 years ago in Europe or America, music is actually sold not in specialty stores but megastores like HMV or Target. Vinyl became very accessible to the Western kids, and they have a much better advantage because of locality, so they could get their music more easily than in the East. And the price difference between vinyls and CDs are actually not that far off. Also, in the 90s, people can't get the titles they want on their software (vinyls). But from 2000 onwards, they actually started a thing called 'reissues' which are new titles, so you don't have to be stuck listening to the music from the 70s or 80s that your dad left behind. All of a sudden you can listen to music that actually appeals to you. As I said, the vinyls price and CDs price is not much different in the West, so it makes kids think that the 12-inch looks big and cool, "Maybe we can give it a try." So that's how the vinyl revival started in Europe and America. But it has not materialized here yet for a couple of reasons. During about 15 years back, you still can't get a lot of the new titles you want in Asia, and because of tax and freights, it's a little more costly so we did not catch on as quickly. But we do see the crowd growing pretty well. In fact a couple of months back, Amazon gave a comment that their sales went up by 700% or something like that in the few years since they launched their vinyl store. You can't deny that internationally, vinyl is coming back in a strong way. But digital will be the future.
5. What are the demographics of your customers?
The youngest customer I've had here was 15. You see the thing is that there are 3 generations coming in here. The first would be the older crowd, who come for nostalgic reasons. Then there are people in their late 30s and 40s. Why? A) they realised they had more fun then. B) You can say it's for nostalgic reasons. When this age group were in their teens - when vinyl was making a headway - they couldn't afford it. So now when they can afford, probably they want to come back and buy the software that they wanted then but couldn't. Then of course, the third group is the youngest group. Some came in because of the 'cool factor', they find that it's cool, et cetera. But there are some who are very much into the music, and they find that they can appreciate more of the music and album artwork with vinyls, rather than with CDs or mp3s.
6. Is there an increasing crowd of young people?
Yes of course. But people must understand that - no matter what - it will still be a niche market, just like film cameras and typewriters. Online people are saying that vinyl went so well, it went so well, it went so well… but it still only makes up something like 4% of international sales. Which is not exactly a huge thing. So even if vinyl sales jump, it's still a small percentage of what music will be, or what will come along.
7. Is cost an issue for the younger crowd?
The thing is that, in comparison, young people used to get music for free. And now they need to pay. Sometimes teenagers and young adults will pay to a certain extent, but regardless of whether you like it or not, this is an expensive hobby. People should know what they're heading into. You can't deny that there are newcomers because of the 'cool' factor, but if we're able to ignite their passion for music, people will actually stay. But if these newcomers are in because it's cool, they will eventually wear off. Like I said, we don't have the best of localities, and with freights and taxes, high shop rentals and everything. So some of the vinyls can go for $40. If you ask somebody in the West, they cannot afford and will not afford the price. But in the Singapore context the standard of living is higher, even teenagers and young adults will afford this. It's a matter of how long they will do it for.
8. How did your interest lead you to opening Hear Records?
What happened was that last year, somebody came to me with an investment plan. I was talking to my brother-in-law, and he said "Look, at this stage where you're 40s plus, where you start up a new company and move away from your career path for two reasons." One is for more money - which I'm not interested - and the other one is to seek your passion. So I started this.
9. What makes analog different from digital for you?
As I was saying, if everything comes free and you have no sense of ownership, you will never feel for the materials. When you think about it, everything has a story. Can you remember the first handphone you bought? Can you remember the story behind buying those shoes? Can you remember your first download? Do you know what I mean? You wouldn't remember. The thing is, every album has a story to tell. Every picture has a story. But once you start taking a thousand photos, trying to pick the best shot out of that thousand photos, you don't relive that moment. So there is a special element with analog that's missing in digital. I gave this quote before on the Facebook page, "We're living in a digital world, but you have an analog heart." When you ask somebody in their 30s and 40s, they'll tell you a lot of things have changed with technology. They will tell you, "I remembered all my friends' phone numbers. I would write down all their phone numbers. But now I'm dead because I lost my phone, years of contacts." You can't deny that technology gave us a lot of convenience and flexibility, but it might have taken a lot from us, things that we probably don't realize. Back in those days, people don't bring a handphone. Now you feel so naked without a handphone, you can't leave home without it. But when you go to a restaurant, families don't chat anymore. You have mom, dad, kids all playing with an iPhone. I don't recall that in the 70s or 80s, because you have nothing much to do while waiting for the next dish, so you chat.
Also because vinyls cannot be duplicated, so you have this sense of originality when you hold an album. With CDs, you can just download the songs and convert onto CD.