| Abstract [eng] |
The growing number of amateur practices in analogue photography, as well as the cost of photo-development and prices of analogue cameras and films, testifies that analogue photography is on its return. This phenomenon is part of a wider phenomenon of the resurgence of analogue practices and is particularly noticeable among young people, i.e., individuals born in the age of digital photography. In the academic literature, the return of analogue photography to the young people’s ranks is seen differently –some associate with nostalgia and use the idea of ​​analogue nostalgia in their interpretations, others see it as a pragmatic choice or an opposing practice. The concept of analogue nostalgia used in such research provides guidance, but is too abstract and there is no consensus on what this idea means – the authors who develop it interpret it differently. Moreover, given the existence of different incentives for practice, analogue concepts of nostalgia are not sufficient to explain them. Thus, there is a lack of consensus in the intellectual debate regarding the resurgence of amateur analogue photography among young people, and existing interpretations of analogue nostalgia are inadequate. This is a qualitative study that aims to find out how analogue nostalgia is revealed in young people's amateur analogue photography practices and whether the concept of analogue nostalgia are sufficient to explain the resurgence of this practice among young people. The object of the research is amateur (not professional) analogue photography practices among young people (18-30 years old). The research uses an interpretive qualitative research method. Semi-structured interviews are carried out and an additional method of unstructured observation is applied. After applying qualitative data analysis by induction, the data is coded, transformed and presented. The empirical part of the work presents the obtained results – the forms of expression of nostalgia and what is there beyond nostalgia. [1] Nostalgia is the pursuit of vivid, authentic, and meaningful realistic photographs (against the backdrop of modern technology that promotes speed and quantity); the participants of the study pay special attention to the moment being experienced and feel the importance and value of this present moment, see it nostalgically in advance, because it will soon disappear. [2] By developing a strong personal emotional connection with the camera, people seeking to break out of the temporary crisis caused by modern technology are attached to the camera and practice; it is a way for them to go back to the past and recreate the old media, which is just an illusion, so a nostalgic relationship is seen in this continuous pursuit. [3] A nostalgic relationship is like nostalgia for the past – people practice analogue photography as a way to get closer to the past to try to recreate it in the future. Analogue concepts of nostalgia are not sufficient to explain the phenomenon under study, as it encompasses broader meanings than just nostalgia. [1] In particular, it is an opposing practice that prioritises the slow process of analogue photography, its imperfections, limited quantities and unpredictability. All this is part of the general resistance to modern technology and consumerism. [2] In addition, such practices are ritual-like processes that interfere with everyday life. [3] They are heavily influenced by the social environment, with practitioners being influenced from the outside and engaging in these often social practices, which are thus maintained, developed and continued. The results of the research allow clarifying the existing concept of analogue nostalgia and explaining what is beyond nostalgia in the amateur analogue photography practices among young people. |
