The Analog Travel Comeback Is Changing How People Photograph and Remember Their Trips
Before you take another thousand vacation photos, this may change what you photograph and what you remember years from now.
For years, a trip had one last stop after you came home: the photo lab. You dropped off the film and waited. When the envelope was ready, opening it felt like getting a small piece of the vacation back. You never knew exactly what would be inside. Someone may have blinked. A stranger may have walked into the frame. Then you found one picture that brought the whole trip rushing back.
I thought about that while reading Christopher Elliott’s new Seattle Times story, “Analog travel: Why film cameras and paper maps are back.” It looks at travelers who are using film cameras and paper maps because they want to experience more of the place in front of them. That idea makes sense. We have better cameras than ever in our pockets, yet many vacations are now seen through a screen. We photograph the hotel room before putting down the suitcase. We take six versions of the same sunset, check each one, and almost miss the sun going down.
What Happened to 36 Pictures?
In Elliott’s story, a traveler named Bob Gourley went to Oman with just a 35mm camera and only one roll of film, which held 36 pictures. Think back to when 36 shots could cover an entire trip—each photo was precious because there was no delete button. You had to carefully choose when to take the shot, as each one had its cost. Today, many of us can snap 36 photos before breakfast, and while that’s amazing, it often results in hundreds of similar images that we rarely look at again. Remember, taking more pictures doesn’t always mean we’ll keep more memories.
Film made the vacation last a little longer. The pictures did not appear the second you took them. You came home with questions, and the answers were waiting inside an envelope at the photo lab.
The Picture Changes Because We Do
Elliott included my perspective in the story: “When people finally revisit old travel pictures, it often changes how they think about their trips,” said Mitch Goldstone, CEO of ScanMyPhotos.com.
I have seen this happen again and again. A travel picture can sit untouched for 30 years, then suddenly mean more than it did when you took it. At first, you may have loved the picture because of the view. Years later, you notice the person standing next to you. The clothes bring back that time in your life, while an old hotel sign reminds you of a story you had completely forgotten. At ScanMyPhotos, old travel pictures often arrive years after they went out of sight. Once the prints and slides are digital, people look past the landmark that first made the picture worth taking. Their attention moves to the person beside them or a small background detail they had forgotten. The picture becomes less about where they went and more about what that time in their life felt like. That is one reason old photos often matter more with time.
The photograph stayed the same. You brought more years and more memories back to it. That is why old travel pictures can be so surprising. The part you treasure later may be something you barely noticed when you pressed the shutter.
Try a 36 Photo Day
You do not need to buy a film camera to understand the appeal of analog travel. On one day of your next trip, give yourself a limit of 36 pictures. Before taking one, stop and look. Decide what you want the picture to help you remember. Leave room for the people who shared the day with you, since they may matter far more to you later than the famous place behind them. The limit is only a game, but it changes the way you pay attention. You may spend less time checking pictures and more time noticing where you are. You may also come home with fewer duplicates to sort through.
When the trip is over, choose the pictures that still make you feel something. Add the place and date while they are fresh in your mind. Print your favorites or share them with the people who were there. A picture becomes much easier to enjoy when you can find it again.
Take One Old Trip Today
Before planning your next vacation, revisit one you already took. Find the prints, slides, or home movies from a single trip and spend an hour with them. Start small so the project stays enjoyable. One envelope of prints or one carousel of slides is enough. You may be surprised by what you remember once the pictures are in front of you. Look beyond the main subject. Read the signs in the background. Notice the room, the street, the people you once saw every day. Those details often hold more feeling than the picture you carefully posed in front of a landmark.
This is what makes Elliott’s story worth reading before your next trip. Analog travel may sound like a trend involving film cameras and folded maps, but it raises a question that matters long after the vacation ends: Will the pictures you take today still bring you back years from now? Take as many pictures as you want. Just remember to look at the place with your own eyes while you are there, then return to the pictures after you come home. Your next great travel memory may already be waiting in a photograph you have not seen in decades.
Read Christopher Elliott’s Seattle Times story, “Analog travel: Why film cameras and paper maps are back.”
[Revised September 21, 2026]
FAQs
What does analog travel mean? Analog travel means choosing physical tools or offline experiences for part of a trip. That can include using a film camera, carrying a paper map, or writing notes by hand.
Can I try analog travel and still carry my phone? Yes. Analog travel does not require leaving your phone at home. You can keep it available for practical needs while choosing not to photograph or plan every moment through it.
How should I preserve film photos after a trip? Have the film developed, record the place and date, then create digital copies and backups. Keep the original prints or negatives in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
