Old School Photography: Chronicle Chroma

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