Photography as Reclamation: Bill Manning’s Focus on Film
Friendly mules greeting visitors at a farm in Ball Ground, Georgia.
After hearing feedback from PPA’s film photography community that they felt underrepresented in Professional Photographer magazine, I wanted to find a way to highlight their craft and perspective. I pitched and wrote a feature on Bill Manning, an Atlanta-based film photographer and past Imaging USA instructor whose work documents the disappearing landmarks of his hometown. The story aimed to celebrate film as both an art form and a means of preservation—giving visibility to a segment of the photographic community that often goes unseen.
I conducted a one-on-one interview with Bill, researched his work and local impact, and crafted the story “Photography as Reclamation” for Professional Photographer magazine. The piece honored Manning’s creative process, celebrated the art of film, and underscored photography’s role in preserving memory and place.
The story resonated with readers and was shared widely on social media, reinforcing PPA’s commitment to inclusivity and creative diversity while strengthening engagement among film photographers within the community.
At the northern edge of metro Atlanta, in the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains, sits Ball Ground—a rustic town of just over 3,000 residents. Each March, it draws photographers from across the region to its Daffodil Festival, when millions of flowers bloom. When Bill Manning and his wife, Jessica moved into their home in Ball Ground, he began familiarizing himself with his surroundings in the way he knew best, carrying around his 35mm camera and taking pictures.
Manning began noticing a trend in his work. Shortly after photographing an old building or structure in Ball Ground, he’d come back to find the building leveled and a new housing development underway. His body of work started to become a living record of the final moments before these historical monuments disappeared. This town that captivated Manning with its “locked-in-time” charm was changing at a pace that was becoming too fast to capture on film.
Manning grew up east of Atlanta in Stone Mountain and studied information security at Kennesaw State University. Manning briefly enrolled in seminary to pursue the priesthood, but those plans were dashed when he met his future wife. Currently, he works full time as a technology analyst at an insurance agency, and on the weeknights and weekends he’s a dedicated film photographer, videographer, and entrepreneur.
Manning was first introduced to film photography after inheriting a vintage camera. "It was a constant learning process," he recalls. As he learned to shoot film, Manning developed a network of photographers through the community he found at Dunwoody Photo. At the time, Dunwoody Photo was the only family-owned shop that developed film in the Atlanta area. Going on photo walks with other photographers, taking risks, and making mistakes helped him grow. Failure, to Manning, is a rite of passage that all photographers must pass through. And there will always be risks.
As Manning built up his client base, he pivoted toward shooting entirely on celluloid. He still carried his digital camera for backup, but realized film was delivering the exact look and feel he had been working so hard to replicate through post-processing of his digital images. With film, the results were immediate.
Of course, there was the upfront cost of paying for film, processing, and scanning, but now Manning was spending less time on post-processing and delivering images to clients much faster. “You’re trading money for time,” Manning says. “How much value do you place on your time?”
Lately, Manning has been working on a personal project he lovingly calls, “Home.” Frame by frame, he’s documenting the changing landscape and paying homage to the historical sights of Ball Ground before they’re surreptitiously torn down. He keeps track of the developers’ movements and makes sure he’s there to pay his final respects to another historical site before it’s gone.
Manning makes his work affordable and accessible to his community, offering 8-by-10 prints for [GU1] $35, a price that draws criticism from other photographers online. For Manning it has less to do with money and more to do with the shared associations and nostalgia that these images have the power to make people feel. “If I’m happy with my work and can bring happiness to others with my work, that’s success.”
There’s an image Manning took of two friendly mules looking inquisitive, standing behind a wire fence that ended up resonating with a bunch of locals at an event where he was exhibiting his photography. People came up to tell Manning stories of how they fed the mules carrots and stopped by to pet them often. Soon after Manning had taken that picture, the farmland where the mules grazed was purchased and turned into single family homes that were then sold to a rental company.
During the pandemic, Manning partnered with Dunwoody Photo and Kodak Film Lab Atlanta to launch the Atlanta Film Company. At his company, Manning focuses on helping indie filmmakers gain experience exposing motion-picture film through stills photography. With this kind of support, filmmakers gain the confidence they need to shoot motion projects on film, knowing what characteristics to expect from the film.
Clyde Butcher, who is frequently referred to as the Ansel Adams of the Everglades, is one of Manning’s top influences. For 40 years, Butcher dedicated his life to the preservation and restoration of the Florida Everglades. He’s known for encouraging photographers to find their passion and let it speak through their images.
Manning has been able to preserve the wholesomeness of film for himself, while telling the stories he’s most passionate about. He’s taking risks, embracing the discomfort, and helping his community stay grounded in the present by sharing images of its past.
• Professional Photographer magazine, December 2025•