Let’s face it, film is spectacular. It’s the colours, the grain, the nostalgia. Film creates a feeling that is, quite frankly, unmatched. As a film wedding photographer, you can tell that I’m absolutely in love with it. It’s timeless. Although film is backed by a long history of use and its end result speaks for itself, there are still questions and misconceptions floating around about it. Let me bust these myths about film wedding photography for you.
WILL WE GET LESS PHOTOS?
ARE FILM CAMERAS RELIABLE?
I do take less photos on film than on digital - but this is because film is an intentional art form. Images are limited on a roll of film pales compared to digital images stored on a memory card.
So while there may be less quantity, the intentionality of film means there will be many more images that deserve to be framed. Short answer? Yes, less images. Long answer? It’s much better that way.
Yes. Film Cameras are built to last. My cameras were built in the 70's, 80's and 90's. Some of them are fully mechanical and have withstood a beating in a previous life. Negatives last forever, you can tell because your grandparents probably have folders of them at home. As a film wedding photographer, I have full trust in this equipment.
DO YOU EDIT YOUR FILM?
WILL SOMETHING GO WRONG?
Film looks amazing on its own. It is timeless - that's why your parents film wedding photos still look so good. Different types of film highlight different things, so my choice of which I use is about as far into dictating the end result I go. Sometimes I will also re-crop the image or bump up or down the exposure, but most of the heavy lifting is done at the lab when images are developed. Essentially, film photographs create their own magic.
No matter what you’re dealing with in life or photography, there is always the potential for something to go wrong. But film photography means more focus from the photographer because intentionality is key. While the endless capturing of digital photography can lend itself to inattentive shooting, film photography is about making sure each moment that is worth capturing, is captured. I’ve also never had an issue from the film lab with my film wedding photography - the development and scanning are world class.
FILM WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY ESSENTIALS
Cameras - Nikon F5, Bronica ETRSi
FIlm Stocks - Ilford HP5, Portra 400, Kodak Gold
