Gelatin in Film Photography: Why It Still Matters
How a traditional ingredient continues to support one of today’s most nostalgic creative revivals.
Film photography is having a very modern revival
In a world saturated with digital images, filters and AI-generated visuals, film photography is enjoying a remarkable return. For many photographers, artists and younger hobbyists, the attraction is not simply nostalgia. It is the experience of slowing down, loading a roll of film, choosing each frame carefully and waiting to see the results.
The resurgence is now visible across the photography market. Kodak has introduced Kodacolor 100 and Kodacolor 200 in response to renewed demand for accessible colour film, while new reloadable 35mm cameras such as the PURE35 are being launched to make analogue photography easier for beginners.
Behind this renewed interest in analogue photography sits a material that has been central to photographic film for more than a century: gelatin.
Why is film photography becoming popular again?
Film photography offers something digital photography often does not: a physical, deliberate and unpredictable creative process.
With a roll of film, every frame matters. Instead of taking dozens of images and deleting the ones that do not work, photographers are limited to 12, 24 or 36 exposures. This encourages more intentional composition, closer attention to light and a stronger connection to the moment being captured.
There is also a tactile appeal. The act of loading film, advancing frames, hearing the mechanical click of a camera shutter and receiving developed negatives or prints provides a tangible experience that many people find increasingly valuable in a digital-first world.
This is sometimes compared to the “vinyl effect”: younger generations who grew up with digital convenience are rediscovering analogue formats because they feel more physical, authentic and emotionally engaging.
Is gelatin still used in photographic film?
Yes. Gelatin remains an essential ingredient in mainstream analogue photographic film and photographic paper.
In traditional photographic film, light-sensitive silver halide crystals are suspended in a gelatin emulsion and coated onto a film base. This gelatin layer holds the crystals evenly in place while still allowing the processing chemicals used in developing and fixing to move through the emulsion.
Major analogue photography manufacturers continue to confirm the role of gelatin. ILFORD states that it uses animal gelatin in all of its film and paper products, describing gelatin as a membrane matrix for silver crystals and noting that substitutes have not performed to the same standard. ADOX similarly states that its films, like other colour and black-and-white films, contain gelatin, and that gelatin-free films or papers have not existed in coated photographic products.
What does gelatin do in film?
Gelatin performs several technical functions that make it particularly well suited to photographic film.
First, it acts as a binder. The silver halide crystals that respond to light must be held in a stable, even layer across the film. Gelatin provides that structure without interfering with the light-sensitive chemistry.
Second, gelatin is permeable when wet. During development, the emulsion must allow chemical solutions to enter, react with the exposed silver halide crystals and then wash out cleanly. Gelatin swells evenly when moistened, allowing these chemical processes to take place while maintaining the integrity of the film layer.
Third, gelatin provides strength and stability. When dry, it forms a transparent, elastic and durable layer. This helps photographic film and paper survive handling, storage and processing while supporting consistent image quality.
Why has gelatin not been replaced?
The photographic industry has explored alternatives to gelatin for decades, including synthetic and plant-based substitutes. However, the challenge is not simply finding another material that can form a coating. The substitute must also suspend silver halide crystals evenly, interact correctly during crystal formation, swell and process predictably, remain durable when dry and maintain image quality over time.
ILFORD notes that vegetable substitutes and PVOH have been attempted, but have not matched gelatin’s performance. ADOX also states that extensive research into alternatives did not produce a replacement suitable for quality photographic products.
This is why gelatin remains so important. It is not an incidental ingredient. It is part of the functional architecture of the photographic image.
Gelatin’s role in photographic paper and printmaking
Gelatin is also used in traditional photographic papers. In silver gelatin printing, the light-sensitive emulsion is coated onto a paper base, allowing images to be developed in the darkroom.
For photographers and artists who value the depth, texture and archival character of traditional prints, gelatin remains part of what gives analogue photography its distinctive material quality.
A traditional ingredient in a modern creative movement
The return of film photography shows that older technologies can retain value in a highly digital world.
For many photographers, film is not about rejecting modern tools. It is about choosing a different process – one that is slower, more tactile and more intentional.
Gelatin continues to play a quiet but essential role in that process. From 35mm film to medium format, large format and photographic papers, it helps make analogue photography possible by supporting the chemistry, stability and image quality that photographers continue to seek.
As film photography finds a new generation of users, gelatin remains part of the story: a natural, functional material still enabling one of the most enduring image-making processes in the world.
