Digital cameras: snapping back into style

Akshay Vadlamani |  The Chronicle

There is a new, familiar kind of click in the air, and it is not coming from your smartphone.

Mason High School (MHS) has seen a resurgence of students using compact, digital cameras known as point & shoots (P&S). These cameras offer a quick photography experience: using them only requires turning the camera on and pressing the shutter button. Most students would simply use their phones for taking day-to-day photos, however, some students at MHS have a different reason for leaning towards these digital cameras.

Senior Paryseh Siddiqi rekindled her interest in photography when she found one of her parents’ old digital cameras in her basement. After fixing it up, Siddiqi decided that she wanted to use it to keep a scrapbook of her high school experience. Siddiqi’s love of photography was inspired by her parents and their influence on her.

“My parents have photo albums of everything organized from when they were in college to when me and my brother were born,” Siddiqi said. “I knew for sure I wanted to show my kids someday, like how they did to us. It’s a conversation starter with my family when we talk about the pictures that I take and the memories I’ve made.”

Siddiqi said the bold lighting and old mystique of digital cameras led to their surge in popularity, especially on social media. Siddiqi runs her own Instagram account in which she posts her P&S photos, and she uses this as an outlet to express her creativity with the various filters and styles of photos she takes.

“More people gravitate to digital cameras because they’re super easy to use,” Siddiqi said. “I think it’s an old look and it’s timeless because they look like film cameras, and the aesthetic is so much cooler when you’re posting on Instagram.” 

Junior Sarbesh Rajarajan started taking photos with his dad when he was a child, and that initial spark propelled his passion for photography and videography. Rajarajan runs Interloop Media, a social media page that takes quality photos and videos on a high-end digital camera. Rajarajan got his start in photography with P&S’s, crediting them for starting his passion. He believes dedicated cameras provide not only better photo quality but also zoom and lighting control when taking a photo.

“A digital camera is going to be better than your iPhone camera, it has around 10 times the size of the sensor inside,” Rajarajan said. “The photos will be much higher quality. And with the variety of lenses you can use, you can customize it however you want.”

Rajarajan is also passionate about teaching people the intricacies of photography. He believes that even though some people might get into photography because of a cool TikTok or social media influence, the various ways students can express themselves using it will ultimately keep them coming back for more. Rajarajan hopes this digital camera trend will push more people into creating a life-long passion for photography.

“It’s great because I’m seeing a rise in people who are invested in photography,” Rajarajan said. “As people learn more, it’s better for the hobby, and I see the community growing. People buying these digital cameras that take these great photos creates a community. And it’s awesome reviving those old digital cameras.”

Connecting with fellow MHS students through football photography is one of MHS Senior Ethan Fang’s passions. By focusing his skills on an area he was passionate about, Fang could connect with like-minded students and create bonds through photography that he could not have otherwise.

“When you’re on the football field you have to stay in one position to get a steady shot, and you don’t want your camera moving around,” Fang said. “So a lot of times I’ll go to another side of the field in case they throw the ball over there so that one of us gets it and we don’t miss a big play that way. That’s one way we work together, because that way we can, you know, get more angles and really add to a video with more perspectives.”

For Fang, taking pictures at games requires teamwork with other creators to capture shots that one person could not. Taking shots from multiple angles makes for a more cohesive picture when it is time to post everything afterward.

MHS Senior Kajal Brahmbhatt found her passion for photography after purchasing a digital camera recommended on Amazon, and she has been hooked since. Brahmbhatt prefers old P&Ss because she believes they bring out her creative side and allow her to connect with other people more easily. Despite her phone being more convenient, Brahmbhatt said she loves to take photos with her camera because she believes it is a great way to make new friends.

“It’s the idea of having one,” Brahmbhatt said. “I feel like when we think about having digital cameras, it’s just a cute little thing that you do with your friends. And every time I feel like I have my camera around me, they’ll talk to me. ‘Oh, what’s your camera? It looks so good.’ I’m able to really have a conversation with people.”

Brahmbhatt loves the social aspect of photography. Being the designated photographer at social events provides Brahmbhatt with a sense of pride, knowing that her friends and family are having their memories captured by her. She believes that digital cameras, unlike most other trends, are here to stay.

“Taking pictures for them makes me happy as a person,” Brahmbhatt said. “For us as teenagers, we love to express ourselves regardless of what we do. I feel like [digital cameras] are not going to be something like a 2024 or 25 thing. [Digital cameras] will be consistent in how we express ourselves.”