In an age dominated by fast content and endless scrolls, a growing community of artists, photographers, and collectors is rediscovering the timeless appeal of film photography—and reviving one of its most expressive mediums: the zine.
Film photography zines are small-batch, self-published magazines that showcase analog photography. These aren’t mass-market publications, but rather independent expressions of visual storytelling—raw, honest, and deeply personal. They offer an alternative to digital galleries, allowing the photographer’s vision to live and breathe on paper, untouched by algorithmic compression or filters.
Most zines are printed in limited runs and often feature curated bodies of work shot entirely on 35mm, 120 (medium format), or even instant film. The tactile experience of holding a zine—flipping through pages of grainy textures, vintage hues, and hand-written notes—is something that digital images simply cannot replicate.
Why Film Photography Zines Are Becoming Popular
1. A Return to Authenticity
With the rise of vintage cameras, film stocks, and DIY darkroom processes, many photographers are reconnecting with the roots of photography. Zines offer a physical and emotional depth—a feeling of “realness” that resonates with both creators and viewers.
2. Tactile Storytelling
Unlike scrolling through Instagram, flipping through a zine engages the senses. You feel the paper texture, absorb each frame slowly, and often read the artist’s process or thoughts. This deepens the connection between artist and audience.
3. Creative Freedom & Self-Publishing
Zines allow photographers to bypass traditional gatekeepers. You control every aspect of the creative process—from layout and typography to sequencing and themes. This democratization of publishing has fueled a resurgence in DIY culture and print media.
4. A Growing Collector’s Market
With limited runs and signed editions, film zines have quickly become collectible items. Art collectors, archivists, and photography lovers are preserving these small books as historical records of modern analog photography.
My Journey: Publishing an Analog-Only Zine
As a film photographer deeply inspired by nature, timeless beauty, and storytelling, I decided to publish my own zines not just as a collection of images—but as physical works of art. Every frame in my zines is:
Shot on real film: 120 medium format, 35mm, and Polaroid
Developed by hand: No lab scans. All negatives are developed and curated manually
Printed in small editions: Some in darkroom prints, others in premium digital offset, but every piece remains analog-rooted
Narrative-driven: I follow stories—"Early Morning," "Waiting," and "Doesn’t Matter" are a few of the series I explore
Exclusive Originals: I offer unique collector options like original negatives or single-copy Polaroid prints—no digital copies distributed
This makes my zines exclusive in every sense. Not only are they tangible collections of my work, but they also include personal notes, exposure settings, the films used (like Kodak Gold 200, Portra 160, Vision3, or HP5+), and the emotions behind each frame.
Publishing these zines is a way to honor the very process of photography—the meter reading, the film loading, the waiting, the developing, and finally, the sequencing of images. With each project, I capture fleeting human emotions and environments using tools that are mechanical, deliberate, and historical.
And most importantly, I retain complete creative and legal rights to my work and models. Every project follows legal protocols including model release forms, ethical collaborations, and transparency with collectors. All my models are over 18 and respected as collaborators in the creative process.
I release all my zines through zineoriginal.com and via my nas.io community at nas.io/msourish. You can collect:
Printed Zines (limited editions)
Digital Zines (curated and downloadable)
Original Polaroids (one-copy only)
Darkroom Prints and Fine Art Silver Gelatin Prints
Premium Photo Prints in 11x14" and larger sizes
Workshops & Custom Fine Art Commissions
In a time where every image is instantly viewable and easily forgettable, creating zines brings back intentional photography. It slows the process. It revives storytelling. It preserves the essence of analog.
Whether you're a collector, a fellow artist, or just curious—this movement is about reclaiming photography as an art form. My zines exist as archives of feeling, frozen on celluloid and printed for the world to hold.
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