Should I Learn Digital or Analog Photography?

This hot-button question pits tradition against innovation, professionals against amateurs, and art against technology. In the battle of digital versus analog photography, who should win?

We'd argue that they're both important art forms with a place in the world today, and that what you choose to learn is highly dependent on your goals. Will you be doing this professionally? As a hobby? What kinds of equipment do you own or are you willing to buy?

If you're feeling conflicted, the good news is, we did the research for you. Here's the lowdown on finding the photography class (and method) that's right for you.

Film

Flip through old family albums, and you’ll probably be looking at film or analog photography. It’s essentially a chemical process that starts with images captured on light-sensitive film that’s been treated with a silver halide emulsion. Prints are made by projecting images through the film onto light-sensitive paper, then processing the paper in a series of chemical baths that “develop” the image and prevent the it from absorbing any more light.

The process is obviously manual, requiring many different steps (composing and taking a photo, developing film, making prints) and special equipment (camera, light-sensitive film and paper, a darkroom, chemicals). There's also the ongoing cost of purchasing film and development to consider, plus the unreliable nature of many different kinds of analog film.

BUT all that said, photographers still herald film for its superior dynamic range, or its ability to render details in both highlights and shadows. It’s much more forgiving and better adapted to working with natural light than digital cameras—old-fashioned film blends light and color very adeptly because images aren’t composed of millions of tiny pixels. There’s also an irreplaceable (and visually pleasing) grain in film photos that just can’t be recreated with digital images.

The bottom line: There are many scenarios where digital is better, but film has some advantages that keep it relevant as a modern technique. It's artistic and nuanced with distinct qualities that make it an art form worth learning.

Digital

If you’ve ever snapped a photo on your iPhone or done some online shopping, you’ve taken advantage of the benefits of digital photography. It’s convenient for the way we life live in the present: there’s no film, no chemicals, no light-sensitive materials, and no darkrooms needed. Photos are captured on digital cameras, stored on easily reloadable and replaceable memory cards, and printed using fully automated printers.

The big surprise: sensors in digital cameras are still analog. Sensors are made up of light-sensitive photocells that actually capture the image. The “digital” aspect of digital photography comes into play when brightness levels are coded into binary, and a resulting image is generated.

Though sensors in digital cameras are analog, they still won’t handle light as well as film does—and they’re missing that genuinely pleasing grain that old-school photography sports.

The bottom line: If you’re aiming to be a professional, you’ll probably want to pick up digital photography (and learn some post-processing photo editing skills to boot). Editing and sharing digital photos is infinitely easier, and digital cameras have an advantage when it comes to capturing essential-yet-fleeting moments.