Embracing Grain and the Power of Nostalgia
I used to HATE grain. Now it's my buddy.
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about why I (and many others) like adding grain to modern photos.
First, let’s go back in time for the youngsters out there: your digital camera wasn’t always this good.
In fact, back in the day, taking a “clean” photo on anything outside of ISO 400 on those digital cameras would come back with noise. LOTS of noise, and it was ugly.
I remember spending hours in a program called “Noise Ninja,” which would do its best to remove noise (it did a pretty good job!). The ultimate goal as a photographer: make sure the photo is as clean and noiseless as possible.
Today, it’s a different story.
Noise/grain isn’t nearly as much as an issue as it used to be. Instead, photography has been a little “perfect” in the sense that even our cell phones take photos that are, even in tough conditions, “clean” (lifeless?) images.
As an example, I’ve been spending a lot of time in hospitals recently, and I thought I’d do a mini-project on the mundane things I spend a lot of time with.
I took a few photos with my iPhone.
The photos just don’t feel legit. They seem like crappy, flat cell-phone photos. Maybe because I’m… using a cell phone?
However, just add a little grain and some computational blur (courtesy of the Leica Lux app)…. and now I’ve got something:
The feeling is totally different. The photos with grain and blur are more lived-in. More real. (Or are they? Can they be, if they are made with computational madness?)
For me, the grainy, deeply imperfect version of the photos hit deeper. Does it matter how I got here? Would you be more impressed if I was using a Pentax K-1000 with a classic prime and 1600 speed film?
These black-and-white, grainy, selectively-blurry shots tap into the vibe of old, grainy photo essays of the past, regardless of the computational cheating.
Nostalgia is powerful right now…
My son is about to be 16, and he’s obsessed with the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s music and fashion. Most kids his age are.
And current stars? They’re banking on the popularity of nostalgia:
Photographers are not immune to any of this.
Grainy, blurry, imperfect photographs seem to have, for some of us, more impact when compared to the relative “perfection” we see in modern photography.
Camera manufacturers are taking advantage of this nostalgic trend by adding stylistic choices like “film-like” grain and/or unique color to our in-camera jpegs. (You should check your camera to see what kind of fun settings you can apply to jpegs.)
Initially, I used the X100 series to get in-camera grain. Fuji was first to really jump in and take advantage of the nostalgia trend. (Did they start it?)
Recently, Nikon has made headlines by updating their retro-style digital camera, the Nikon Zf, to include in-camera grain:
The Panasonic Lumix G9II has a surprisingly robust selection of color and black-and-white options for grainy jpegs:
And you all know I love my OM-3 with its awesome in-camera jpegs:
WHAT DO YOU THINK? Does grain add something? Is this a trend? Am I taking the shortcut here, trying to make my photos more “meaningful” just by chucking some grain into the photos?
Look - I don’t shoot jpegs exclusively.
Instead, I Shoot RAW + jpeg knowing that I can now do all these cool in-camera tricks to the jpeg and I still have a clean RAW image. (Most of the photos in my newsletter and in my videos lately have been with straight-out-of-camera jpegs.)
Adding grain and tweaking colors in-camera are becoming more and more part of my creative process. It allows me to quickly tap into the zeitgeist of current photography trends.
Is the nostalgia thing a trend?
Maybe, but I don’t care.
My son asked me for some “cool, old-looking” photographs, and I showed him the ones with the grain. He smiled, and said “yeah, like that.”
This is special because my son does NOT care about photography - at all. So for him to dig something I’m working on? I’m all in!
The Power of OG Prints
Related to nostalgia, I’ve been reminded how powerful it is to see photography off the screen.
At recent art shows and even just holding a few of my own prints in my hands, it’s just a different experience to view an image IN REAL LIFE.
There’s something special about a tangible print that has a way of bringing the scene to life in a quiet, personal way.
With the holidays coming up, it felt like a good time to update my print shop with some of my most recent photos and make it easy for people to bring that feeling home or share it with someone else.
I’ve given my online shop a bit of a refresh with some of my newest work: quiet fields, backroads, autumn trees, flowers, and soft light inspired by the peaceful places I love to photograph. You might even find one (or many) photos with grain in them!
ALSO - use the code “NOVEMBER” at checkout if you’d like a discount of 20%!
If you’re looking for alternatives beyond Amazon and big box stores, for yourself or to gift, I’ve got lots of prints to bring a touch of nature’s calm and beauty indoors.
I take a lot of photos, and sometimes I forget to do something with them. When someone reaches out about how an image stirred a childhood memory or reminded them of someone or something, that ROCKS! It’s a great feeling.
You can take a look at my updated collection here → SHOP.
And if you need some ideas for what you can with the photos, how about sharing them with:
Friends and family who love peaceful landscapes and awesome nature images
Teachers, coworkers, or healthcare workers who could use a moment of calm
Anyone who finds comfort in nature’s beauty
Or just for yourself, because we all deserve something beautiful
You can also:
Create a nature collage wall
Keep it by your desk for a daily dose of calm
Art is meant to be seen and felt
P.S. - If you’re getting this, you’re probably already subscribed to my newsletter, but please share this with any photography enthusiasts who are looking for inspiration, tips and a positive photo community (no judgement here)!
And as always, send me any questions you have or topics you’d like to see me cover in upcoming newsletters or YouTube videos (you can subscribe here).
More than anything, even if you don’t purchase a print, subscribing to my YouTube channel, watching some videos, and leaving me a comment about what you think is a great, free, way to support me!
Comments? Leave them below or email me: jerredz@gmail.com