You shoot FILM??? Isn’t that so…outdated?
When people think of film, they usually picture the photos stuffed inside their parent’s photo albums: underexposed, grainy, and discolored with age. Today’s iphones produce images that are of far superior quality than that! Surely today’s digital cameras are better than film.
The answer to that is yes…and no. Digital cameras produce very sharp images and are better able to handle low-light situations. They are more convenient and cost effective, and allow for a fast turnaround time. But modern medium format film is of far superior quality than the 35mm family photos of the past. The film I shoot with produces beautiful and very accurate colors, especially skin tones, an important consideration when photographing portraits. Film also carries a unique, nostalgic dreaminess that is difficult to create with digital.
Better Process = Better Photos
Shooting film is a process I really enjoy and has turned me into a better photographer. Because film and processing is expensive, every shot I take is deliberate and planned out. I find myself slowing down, taking in the light around me and the details of the subject, and perfecting my shot before I click the shutter. Because I am not constantly peeking at the images on the back of my camera, I am able to instead connect with my clients and focus on preserving those amazing moments between them.
My Film Journey
My journey as a photographer began with film. I was a poor college student working in a camera store, where I was able to experiment and learn with all the latest and greatest film cameras of the day (even if I could not afford to buy them myself!). After college, I purchased the best digital camera I could afford and had a lot of fun with it until the tragic day I accidentally left it on the trunk of my car and drove away (oops). It was many years later that I trusted myself to replace that digital camera with another one, and thus began my career as a professional photographer. I had been shooting digital for clients for over 10 years when film re-entered my life. I found myself more and more drawn to the stunning images of film photographers and eventually decided that this was the direction for me. Creating timeless images that are meant to be treasured has always been my goal as an artist, so incorporating the classic look of film into my work was a natural progression.
Film + Digital Photography: The Best of Both Worlds
So now that I have fallen back in love with film, does that mean I have abandoned digital? Absolutely not. As I said before, digital performs much better in low light and is perfectly suited for dark chapels and wedding receptions. And for every film image I photograph, I will also capture a digital image as a backup copy. Shooting hybrid, with both film and digital, gives me all of the tools I need to provide clients with the best of both worlds.
