film

When I first picked up my dad's 35mm Nikon camera 32 years ago, I had no idea how to use it.  My only instructions were, "Be careful.  You can only take 24 images so make sure you really want the photo."  I remember the excitement and anticipation, waiting for the film to be developed to see if I had got the shot.  Quickly shuffling the 4x6 prints, one after another, mentally sorting the keepers from the average images as my parents looked at the images over my shoulder.  Every once in a while, jackpot!  "Oh man! That is so cool!" I would exclaim, holding my image with pride.  The subjects would vary from sunsets to action shots.  It didn't matter.  For the first time in my life, I had something I was proud of.  

That dance, that rush would play out over and over again throughout the years and would even take me into a darkroom for many afternoons of my life: rolling, developing, and printing my own film throughout high school and college.  Always chasing that decisive moment when the shutter stops time and captures the authentic essence of the subject.

                ~

When I started the business in 2008, digital cameras had finally overtaken, in both quality and popularity, analog cameras.  Starting a business, it made perfect sense to jump on the digital train: no film costs, immediate feedback, more editing control.  It was incredible.  However, with all new things, envelops get pushed, lines get blurred, and sometimes even souls get lost.  

Today, "good" photography is judged more on likes and followers than emotions.  "Good" photography is more about editing and manipulation than connection.  Wedding photography has become a competition of conspicuous consumption where photographers are shooting for publication rather than documenting love.  Photography, in short, has lost its soul.
                         
               ~

Earlier this year; however, a bride called and asked if I was available on her wedding date.  As we began discussing the details, we clicked on so many levels.  What's important on the wedding day, the experience they would like to create for themselves and their guests, how they would like to remember their wedding.  It was all there.  Then she asked me Do you shoot film?  

I paused. 

I haven't been asked that question in a long time.  It stirred something inside me.  I liked the idea of it.  A challenge, an old friend.  More importantly, authenticity.  Slowing down.  Connection.  

Without hesitation, I said "Yes.  It has been a while, but I could shoot film for your wedding."  Deal.   

Two weeks later, a package arrived from Japan.  I was the proud owner of a mint-condition medium format film camera.  These were the cameras I dreamt about when I first thumbed through American Photo and Popular Photography magazines that my mom was kind enough to buy for me, despite not even owning my own camera.  It was literally holding my childhood ambitions.  With what felt like an obscenely large strip of film loaded into the camera, I pressed the shutter for the first time.  Gear rattled while the shutter opened and slapped closed.  the camera hummed as the film mechanically and loudly advanced.  Then, silence.  

That feeling, that lost feeling of waiting in anticipation, awoke. 

Hello old friend.  Where shall we go this time?

why film?

Timeless Aesthetic: Film photography often provides a timeless, classic look that can imbue wedding photos with a sense of nostalgia and romance. The colors, tones, and grain characteristic of film can create a soft, dreamy atmosphere that some couples prefer over the crispness of digital images.

Unique Character: Film photography can introduce unique characteristics and imperfections that add charm and personality to wedding photos. Light leaks, grain, and other quirks inherent to film can give images a distinctive, artistic quality that sets them apart from digital photos.

Intentional Shooting: Shooting with film typically requires a more deliberate and thoughtful approach. We take their our composing shots and carefully considering each frame, resulting in a collection of images that feels curated and meaningful.

Limited Shots: With film, we have a limited number of exposures per roll, which forces us to be more selective and intentional with our shots. This can lead to a more focused and cohesive narrative of the wedding day, with fewer extraneous or redundant images.

Tangible Prints: Film photography produces physical negatives that should be be printed as tangible photographs. Couples appreciate the tactile experience of holding and displaying printed images, turning them into cherished mementos of their wedding day.

Emotional Connection: Some couples feel that the process of shooting with film, with its slower pace and emphasis on craftsmanship, fosters a deeper emotional connection between the photographer and the subjects, creating images that feel more authentic and heartfelt.

Warmer tones. Grainier images. Nostalgic feels.  

- Brian

samples

digital vs film