I shoot film and digital.

The niche market for film is growing strongly.

The community college where I teach has had film classes throughout the digital revolution. Three classes per quarter and a wait list continuously.

Exposure, lighting, composition and creativity is universal to both film and digital. The film camera's are much simpler and drawing some back from digital.

I won't make any comments on whether you can make a career out of film, but some pros are still shooting film, while others are succumbing to the immediacy of digital.

I would hope the cross-over fundamentals would be taught to your granddaughter.

As far as processing goes, the chemicals and film are still available and film production is growing from it's low points of the last ten years. Kodak is still producing. Ilford from England has created a presence on the US continent. The Impossible Project is recreating Polaroid, and a Type 55 Polaroid project is starting up. Fujifilm is strong.

I keep my film costs down by buying refrigerated, recently expired film from good sellers on eBay. There are high count positive feedback sellers who do cold storage and sell nothing but film on eBay. I frequently shoot film that has been cold stored and expired for ten to fifteen years, with no color shift. 1-5 expiry is somewhat better, and current date film is also available on eBay.

I have local processing for 35mm film available locally from 5-6 processors, and I can get Medium Format film processed by Fujifilm Professional Labs, with the middle man being Walmart and the prices absolutely minimal. (more on this if you PM me)

Digital is cheaper, but film is a hobby. People spend money on hobbies.. ie golf, sailing, betting on horse races. No accounting for hobby tastes and expenditure.

Young and old alike are attending those classes.

I wouldn't expect a lot from a high school class, but there will still be more advanced classes available for film in higher education.

Daylight film processing equipment has eliminated the need for a dark room. A light tight closet for loading the tanks suffices.

I'm having a great time using the Caffenol process. That's using daylight equipment (cheap) and Folgers Instant Coffee, Washing Soda and Vitamin C to process both film and paper prints. Look it up... Caffenol. It's all over the internet.

Furthermore, I have been making a nice side income buying and selling film camera's 35mm, medium format and Large Format for the last 15 years on eBay. Activity in film camera's and prices are rising for some equipment, while serviceable equipment is dirt cheap.

I have more than paid for ALL my photographic expenses, including gear... lenses and bodies, and counting both film and digital by my selling film equipment on eBay for more than the last decade. None of my photography expenses come out of household income.

I don't deal in much digital. The depreciation on digital equipment is measured in hours, and profit in gear is not a word synonymous with selling digital cameras.

Film is not going away.... In fact, it's doing quite well.

Give the young lady your blessings and don't try to sway her direction. Her interests are not your interests. In fact, your's may need some dusting off, when digital becomes boring and that old film camera beckons.

And please read my SIG line below!!!

:mrgreen:

This semester my granddaughter is taking a photo classes in high school. Last semester it was a digital class. This semester it is a film class. Part of the class deals with developing the film. Also a large part of the classes deal with long essays and not much on the camera and shooting specifics (lighting, subject, camera settings, lenses, etc).

Now: how many still use film (she is using my old Nikon N75 and I still have some film)? And how many still develop B&H or color film?

I am disappointed with what she is telling me that the teacher is teaching or rather not teaching.

This semester my granddaughter is taking a photo classes in high school. Last semester it was a digital class. This semester it is a film class. Part of the class deals with developing the film. Also a large part of the classes deal with long essays and not much on the camera and shooting specifics (lighting, subject, camera settings, lenses, etc).

Now: how many still use film (she is using my old Nikon N75 and I still have some film)? And how many still develop B&H or color film?

I am disappointed with what she is telling me that the teacher is teaching or rather not teaching.

This semester my granddaughter is taking a photo classes in high school. Last semester it was a digital class. This semester it is a film class. Part of the class deals with developing the film. Also a large part of the classes deal with long essays and not much on the camera and shooting specifics (lighting, subject, camera settings, lenses, etc).

Now: how many still use film (she is using my old Nikon N75 and I still have some film)? And how many still develop B&H or color film?

I am disappointed with what she is telling me that the teacher is teaching or rather not teaching.

Wow two different posts regarding photography in schools. What are these schools doing? Sounds like all the expense is falling on the student. I was an art major and we "rented" (paid a fee) our camera equipment from the school, when the equip was outdated, they sold it to students first then offered it to the public, then they bought new updated equip for the students. Film was cheaper back in the day, not so much now. It also sounds like the gym teacher is teaching photography instead of a real photographer. I have nothing against gym teachers but I see over and over again where public schools have gym teachers teaching other subjects, because the school board feels the subject is not important or "anyone can teach that". Sorry, rant over.

This semester my granddaughter is taking a photo classes in high school. Last semester it was a digital class. This semester it is a film class. Part of the class deals with developing the film. Also a large part of the classes deal with long essays and not much on the camera and shooting specifics (lighting, subject, camera settings, lenses, etc).

Now: how many still use film (she is using my old Nikon N75 and I still have some film)? And how many still develop B&H or color film?

I am disappointed with what she is telling me that the teacher is teaching or rather not teaching.

This semester my granddaughter is taking a photo classes in high school. Last semester it was a digital class. This semester it is a film class. Part of the class deals with developing the film. Also a large part of the classes deal with long essays and not much on the camera and shooting specifics (lighting, subject, camera settings, lenses, etc).

Now: how many still use film (she is using my old Nikon N75 and I still have some film)? And how many still develop B&H or color film?

I am disappointed with what she is telling me that the teacher is teaching or rather not teaching.