Film Photography is Not Dead – It’s just developing way faster
Long before algorithms and Instagram dictated how we create, film photography taught us how to wait.
Instant gratification defines our generation, everything is just one click away. In a world built on this type of motion, analog or film photography feels almost out of place. You have to think it through with limited frames on the roll, it’s slow, intentional and requires a certain amount of patience – three things Gen Z is constantly told we don’t have. In Quezon City, film photography continues to survive and adapt inside spaces like Sunny16Lab.
Nothing beats the look of film, with a lot of simulation apps popping up here and there, it still can’t compare to the unpredictable, tactile and soulful look of it. The chemical process carries a texture and emotional weight that our iPhones or digicams struggle to replicate.
But Sunny16Lab proves that analog still belongs in a fast moving city.
Keeping Film Photography Alive in the Digital Age
Based in Quezon City, just a few minutes’ walk away from UP DIliman, Sunny16Lab has become a haven for young creatives who love the nostalgia of film but live at a digital speed.
They can develop a (C-41) colored film roll as fast as in three hours time with processing and scanning included. Compared to a week processing time with other film labs seems like a great deal, as it turns out the wait in itself comes with its own rewards.
While your roll develops, you can kill time at Sunny16Cafe. Which is also situated next to their lab. It’s a great place to settle in and get work done at the same time. From matcha and coffee to full meals served from breakfast through dinner. They make the waiting part easy.
Inside, the space is as thoughtful as its process itself. Chic, minimalist interiors with cozy seating, plenty of natural light, and laptop-friendly outlets make it easy to settle in, work, or linger. And not to mention the carefully curated indie playlist that completes the vibe of the place.
The lab also sells a wide selection of film and develops multiple formats ranging from 35mm to 120mm, black and white to monochrome. But processing time may vary on some selected film stocks.
Whether you’re there for a speedy processing or just to linger over coffee, with the amount of people and community that Sunny16Lab has fostered, it’s clear that the art of film is not dead. It adapts and continues to survive. It bends to the present without breaking from the past.
