Photography had been one of the primary industrial uses of silver until the recent rise of digital media. Traditional film photography relies on the light sensitivity of silver halide crystals present in film. When the film is exposed to light, the silver halide crystals change to record a latent image that can be developed into a photograph. The accuracy of this process makes it useful for non-digital consumer photography, film, and X-rays.

The silver used in film photography should not be confused with the “silver screen” of cinema. This phrase refers not to the silver in the film itself, but to the silver lenticular screen onto which early films were projected.