We as photographers spend thousands on modern digital sensors, then spend even more hours making them look like cheap film from the 70s and 80s. The irony is thick, but the trend is real. Film simulations are everywhere, from in-camera profiles to endless Lightroom preset collections promising that elusive "film look."
Where does this come from? It’s partly Instagram aesthetics, and partly nostalgia for a format most digital photographers never got to interact with. There's a genuine reaction against the "digital look" too—that clinical sharpness and perfect color rendition that feels sterile compared to film's organic qualities. The problem is distinguishing between a legitimate creative tool and procrastination theatre.
