Are you taking photos with a film camera and looking for a digital space and online store for your photography? Picfair Stores could be the solution for you!

During a recent deep dive on camera data from images in Picfair Stores, we noticed that thousands of photos, from hundreds of different photographers, were in-fact digital scans, rather than images taken with a digital camera.

This data insight certainly correlates with how we've noticed a growing number of photographers showcasing 35mm film scans or 120mm film scans in their Picfair Stores over the last few years, a number that's increasingly growing, too.

Learn more on how Picfair Stores are a great solution as an online space and store for your film scans, along with inspiring examples from Picfair photographers...

"During a recent deep dive on camera data from uploaded images, we noticed thousands of photos, from hundreds of different photographers, were in-fact digital scans, rather than images taken with a digital camera."

What makes Picfair Stores such a good home for film images?

You can upload images to your Picfair Store at a minimum resolution of 800px. We know that when it comes to film scanning, the dimensions can significantly vary depending on the type of film scanner used and the size and quality of the original negative, slide, or print.

Picfair also doesn't discriminate against any natural filmic defects in the image (as discussed in more detail below) or scan itself. So long as your images adhere to our moderation guidelines how you present your film images in your Picfair Store is up to you!

Also, with the Picfair Stores design, these film scans are housed in beautiful setting, with customisable features available (more on that below).

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Does the Picfair Stores design suit the film aesthetic?

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We believe so, and we think our photographers will agree! Picfair Store layouts have been designed purely with photography in mind and feature a sleek, contemporary, and minimalist setting were your photos will stand out.

In fact, we’ve also created several Picfair Themes (set designs for Picfair Stores) specifically with analogue photography in mind, with analogue-styled fonts, background colours, the ‘grain’ effect, and filmic-style rounded corners on the image display. Take a look at these three themes, Fog, New Generation Film, and Retro, and see for yourself!

Will grain, scratches and the general “film aesthetic” affect the saleability of my images?

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Not at all!

Unlike some photography outlets, we understand that the film aesthetic, and everything that comes with it, is hugely popular right now (not to mention gorgeous) and sought after from photography buyers and enthusiasts.

Whether for a campaign, an editorial, a print for the home, or for online use, photographers regularly sell their film images through their Picfair Stores, and that includes images that have all the typical film traits such as light leaks, high grain, softness, and experimental processing techniques. We certainly don't see that slowing down any time soon–as emphasised in this guide, that fondness and desirability for the film aesthetic is only getting stronger.

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What's the best way to get my film photos scanned?

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These days, there’s a massive amount of film labs and film scanning services available. Most places where you buy film online will either have a service you can use to both process (develop) and scan your film images -typically by sending the used film rolls back to them - or they can help advise you of a lab where you can send them, or drop them off. A simple search for film processing in your local area will bring up results, too. Expect to pay around £10/ $15 for processing and scanning of each roll.

If you’re developing the film rolls yourself (a growing trend), you will also find plenty of labs where they’ll scan your negatives only; however, if you’re serious about working with film to the point of processing your own film rolls, you might want to invest in your own scanner if you haven’t already. Note that investing in a scanner will cost a fair amount, so consider that before taking the plunge!‍

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Best practices for scanning film photos

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We recommend scanning at the highest resolution possible (at minimum, 300ppi), as this will give you a bigger image in pixel size. It will also help bring out the details in your shot, and you’ll have a lot more flexibility in what you can do with it - a bigger image opens up the opportunity for printing at larger sizes, for example.

Most professional scanning services will automatically scan your images at 300ppi or greater; however, if you’re self-scanning, remember this setting when using your scanner. It's also worth making sure your negatives, or slides, are as clean and as dust-free as possible (unless a dusty image is part of your aesthetic).

If you can, we’d recommend scanning and keeping both a JPEG and TIFF file of your images. TIFF files are much bigger file sizes but will give you more detail in your image and “lossless editing” (where the quality of the image does not deteriorate when editing). They are helpful if you want to have an extremely high-quality version of your image. Whereas a JPEG is great for sending to people, publishing on the web, and uploading to your Picfair Store.

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Do you have any examples of photographers working in film using Picfair Stores and displaying their film scans?

Yes, we do. Below are some of our favourite images from film photographers and their Picfair Stores. We hope these inspire you, not just with their beautiful photos, but also to set up a Picfair Store (if you haven’t already).

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Ethan Jorge Fazon

Finlay Broadhead

Giedrius Lazutka

rottenmacaroni

junglegiu

Sounds good? What about if you have an archive of old film images, should you scan them too?

Yes!

Not only could you uncover some hidden gems in your photo collection, but you never know what images will be commercially valuable without present them to your customers or making them available to buy.

We have an entire guide for revisiting your archive to inspire you, too!
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Final thoughts

Film photography is thriving, and we believe Picfair Stores provides the perfect online space to showcase and sell your 35mm film scans, 120mm film images, and scanned analogue prints - whatever you're working in!

Whether you're a seasoned analogue photographer or just starting to explore film, having a Picfair Store makes it simple to bring your work into an online setting without compromising the unique character of your images.

With beautiful Picfair Themes designed for the film aesthetic, no restrictions on natural film traits like grain and scratches, and complete control over your pricing, now is the perfect time to start sharing your film scans with a broader audience.

Ready to get started? Take inspiration from the photographers featured, revisit your archive, and start building your film photography store today!