Summary of my MA thesis about why young photographers still use film

Below: In English.

Vaikuttaisi siltä, että olen muutaman viikon kuluttua taiteen maisteri. Esittelin opinnäytteeni eilen tarkastustilaisuudessa ja työ hyväksyttiin. Osastollamme tarkastustilaisuudessa opinnäytteen tekijä ensin itse esittelee 30 minuuttia opinnäytteensä sisältöä ja sen jälkeen tarkastajat ja yleisö kommentoivat toiset 30 minuuttia. Opinnäytettä tehdessä tuntui vaikealta ahtaa laaja aineisto ja teoria sataan sivuun tekstiä. Vielä mahdottomammalta tuntui sulloa tuo sadan sivun kokonaisuus 30 minuutin esitykseen. Huh. Vaihtoehtoja oli kaksi. Puhua pikakelausvauhdilla tai jättää 90% sanomatta. Valitsin jälkimmäisen vaihtoehdon.

Sain pääasiassa mieltä ylentävää palautetta. Kritiikki kohdistui enimmäkseen muodollisiin seikkoihin, taittoon sekä työn nimeen. Kritiikki oli mielestäni aiheellista ja osuvaa. Hyvä kritiikki on aina jees. Positiivista palautetta sain kielestä, sisällöstä ja kyvystä tarkastella omaa toimintaa kriittisesti.

Suomenkielisen opinnäytteen voi lukea ja ladata tästä: Pakenevat rakeet - Miksi nuoret kuvaavat filmille

Alla englanniksi osa keskeisistä löydöksistä:

In my MA thesis I studied why photography students still use film and what do they think about the digitalization of photography. I gathered my research data with questionnaire which I sent to 13 different photography schools in Finland. I got 46 replies and the average age of the respondent was 23. Most of the replies were from Aalto University of Arts and Design (26%) and Lahti University of Applied Scieces (24%).

Here's some of the findings:

• Family & school have supported the analog activities of the respondents: many had gotten their analog camera from a family member and many told they used school darkrooms and cameras.
• Students felt that the analog process differs from digital process. When you shoot on film you can't see the picture right away and you know that there's only a limited amount of frames available. As a result you concentrate more and use more judgement. You can see this in the results. Some of the students addressed that especially the usage of medium/large format cameras affects the process and the results. 
• Digital process was described as fast, easy and cheap. Working on a computer was also considered easy. 
• Respondents described analog photographs positively - most common positive features were tones, grains and materiality.
• Respondents described digital photographs more negatively - most commonly as "code".
• Analog methods were used mostly in "art projects" and "own projects" where as digital photography was used in work and school related commissions.
• Most of the students felt that the analog photograph can be stored more safely than the digital photograph. Many considered computers and hardrives as unsafe storage platforms.
• 63% had tried to manipulate their digital photograph to look like an analog photograph (this is related to concepts of simulation & imitation).
• Many felt that shooting on film is some kind of a trend phenomenon which is related to subcultures (hipsters & lomography).
• Filmlook applications like Instagram and Hipstamatic aroused variety of emotions - some thought they are funny and some considered them irritating.
• Over 80% of the respondents use social media. Some said that through social media you can get your work noticed.
• 89% had displayed their digital photos online - 76% had displayed their analog photos online.
• Many felt that the digitalization of photography (cheaper professional cameras etc.) has toughen the competition - it is harder to make a living as a photographer. Still many felt there's always a demand for good pictures made by professionals. 
• Many of the students use hybrid-strategy which means that they shoot on film and afterwards scan the image and process the picture digitally.
• In the activities of the students the analog and digital processes are interlaced and used side by side, so we can talk about some kind of hybrid culture.

As a result I suggested new kind of analog photography courses to photography schools and hoped that it would be possible for students to continue using the analog method since there's obviously a place for it. I underlined that there should be a freedom of choice at least (or especially) in the context of art.

My English is not perfect and I didn't have the energy to use dictionary or grammar book so sorry for all the mistakes(!!!).

Kiitos vielä paljon kaikille kyselyyn vastanneille. Yllätyin iloisesti vastausten laadusta ja pituudesta. Oli todella mielenkiintoista lukea ja analysoida hyvin perusteltuja ajatuksia. Tulevaisuudessa jatkan luultavasti aihetta läheltä liippaavien kysymysten parissa.