WOBURN, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — According to one Massachusetts photo shop owner, traditional film photography is experiencing a rise in popularity among younger generations.
Fred Hajjar owns Apex Photo Lab on Main Street in Woburn, and he tells WBZ NewsRadio's James Rojas that he has been seeing a resurgence in "old school" film and photography methods.
"Retro, that's the word," Hajjar said. "Just like the vinyls, you know the records and the cassette tapes, its all coming back slowly."
Hajjar said he noticed a change in demographic around January of 2019, with more and more younger customers coming into the shop.
He added that the shop was "on the verge" of not even using or selling film anymore because it appeared to be declining in sales.
But social nostalgia trends and the pandemic have introduced many new people to film and photography as a hobby, with over 17 million shots shared on the hashtag #FilmIsNotDead on Instagram and other social media channels.
"To them its also artsy, its a different feeling, you know loading the film," Hajjar said. "Having been in this business for so long its really a pleasure to help the younger generation discovering film and enjoying the feeling of it."
WBZ NewsRadio's James Rojas (@JamesRojasWBZ) reports.
Follow WBZ NewsRadio:Facebook|Twitter|Instagram|iHeartmedia App
(Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio)