Taking photos has come a long way, with the creations of advanced cameras, and new and improving innovations such as smartphones. Yet digital cameras are extremely popular despite the innovation of smartphones. There is a special charm about these vintage digital cameras that have younger generations drawn into buying them, and using them. And this special charm of digital cameras comes in the form of  notalgia, a type of aesthetic that people look for. 

According to BBC,  although digital cameras are more difficult to use when capturing photos, the usage of cameras reminds people of memories of their childhood. Most people believe that they are convenient for being able to put into bags and pockets, yet they also come with their own problems such as being  imperfect and require more attention into deciding what memories to preserve for a lifetime. 

For a very long time, one of the goals in my own life was to purchase a film camera, like a polaroid camera. I have always loved the aesthetic of these types of cameras, especially for taking pictures of fond memories as a part of my life. But polaroid cameras can be quite costly, so it was regarded as a future investment. As I looked to see what I could do to meet the satisfactions of a polaroid camera, I found myself turning back to the old digital camera of my family. Digital cameras are convenient, and while they don’t produce the same effects as a polaroid camera, they give off a “vintage” and “old” feeling to cameras that smartphones do not do nowadays. 

Bringing back digital cameras has appeared to become a trend in social media, and while it has become a trend, for some people, it has brought people such as myself into realizing why creating long lasting memories are so vital and essential. Memories are like a record, and experiences are like a permanent record when people take photos. For myself, if I look back into my past, I realize that I don’t often take pictures of myself- most of them are with my own family. There aren’t any pictures of my friends, the places I’ve visited, and the experiences I’ve shared with many other people. Within time, I’ve realized that all these impactful memories I’ve created with my friends have slowly vanished away, slowly fading as I am unable to recall them. 

Finding  my family’s digital camera has provided me much joy in taking pictures than on my own phone as I’ve come to realize. I’ve taken photos of scenic places, and recently on field trips that I have attended.  While the photos are certainly not perfect, and clear, they provide me with comfort knowing that 16 years ago, my family used this camera to create memories. It can be certainly said that  smartphones compared to digital cameras have higher resolution for photos but there is something pleasing to look at when taking photos with digital cameras. For me, taking pictures of scenery with my digital camera is my favorite thing to do, and taking pictures with friends for memories as well. It is certainly something that I will continue to do as long as this camera is still functioning. 

Memories are so important, and although encaptivating one’s daily life isn’t necessary, it provides comfort knowing that someday someone can find these photos, and others can look back on these photos and remember the past. As people progress into the future,  nostalgia hits them more and more often. We can’t turn back time, but photos and memories serve one way as a time traveling mechanism, that will last forever.