How a Love for Film Photography Led Me to Build Frames

Photography has always been a deeply personal journey for me — not something I picked up casually, but something that was passed down. My first exposure (pun intended) to film photography came through my father. I remember the smell of camera leather cases, the distinct feel of winding film, and the quiet discipline that came with composing a shot when each frame actually counted. Those early moments sparked something in me that has stayed all these years.

While the world has moved quickly toward digital, I’ve always found solace and joy in analog. I shoot primarily with a Leica MP — a camera that to me feels like an extension of thought, stripped of distractions and bloat. There’s no LCD, no autofocus, no endless burst mode. It’s just light, lens, film, and intent. I’ve always felt that analog photography isn’t about nostalgia — it’s about focus. It’s about making every frame matter.

But with all that beauty comes a challenge. Film doesn’t store metadata. There’s no EXIF trail, no digital memory of what shutter speed, aperture, or lens you used. And for those of us who care about context — the why behind a shot — that missing data can feel frustrating. I wanted a better way to log those settings as I shoot, without interrupting the experience.

From Paper Notes to Datafilm

In the beginning, I did what many analog photographers do: I scribbled notes. Small Moleskine notebooks, sticky notes tucked into camera bags, or the occasional smartphone note app. But I found the process clunky and the results hard to organize.

That’s when I created Datafilm. It was a small iOS app I quietly built and shared with a few friends and Leica shooters online. It was basic — a structured way to log settings, camera body, lens, and film stock as you shot. Surprisingly, the feedback was warm and useful. People started reaching out with suggestions, ideas, and encouragement. I quickly realized there was a community — from Leica purists to new film hobbyists — who wanted the same thing I did: a simple, beautiful way to track their frames.

Evolving Into Frames

Four years later, the project has evolved. What began as Datafilm is now Frames — a modern note-taking app built specifically for analog photographers. Available on both iOS and macOS, Frames helps film shooters log each exposure’s settings, location, gear, and personal notes. And now, with the desktop companion app, it goes one step further: it lets you embed that data into your digitized JPEG scans as metadata.

That might sound like a small feature, but it’s transformative. It bridges the analog and digital worlds. For photographers who scan their film — whether at home or through a lab — this means your notes don’t live separately in a journal or spreadsheet. They travel with your images.

Frames includes smart autofill features (like remembering your last-used camera or lens), geolocation logging, reference image attachment, and more. It’s designed to be fast, minimal, and deeply integrated into your shooting flow — not a distraction from it.

A Tool by a Photographer, for Photographers

I built Frames as an indie developer and designer, based in Bangkok, working solo. There’s no funding, no team. Just me, code, and film. Every design choice is shaped by my own experience as a shooter. I obsess over UI details not just because I love design, but because I know how precious your attention is when you’re out shooting film.

Frames doesn’t collect user data. There’s no cloud sync, no signup wall. Everything is stored locally, and you can export or share via AirDrop, email, or file — the old-fashioned way.

And while the iOS version of Frames is completely free, the macOS version is available via a subscription — a small way to help support development, especially for the metadata reintegration feature.

Looking Ahead

I never expected this small idea to evolve into something used by hundreds of photographers around the world. But I’m grateful for the feedback, the support, and the chance to build something for a niche I truly care about.

If you're curious, or if you're someone who still loads rolls, checks the light, and hears the satisfying click of a shutter, I invite you to try Frames. It’s not just an app — it’s a companion for your analog journey.

• Frames: Analog Notes for iOS

• Frames: Analog Metadata for macOS

• Frames: Note App for Analog Photographers

Thanks for reading — and for helping keep film alive.