This year I (Chad) made it a goal to shoot more film for my personal work- and I’ve fallen in love with it. Everything about 35mm and medium format film is different than what I’m used to: The slower process and limited frames forces me to be more patient and really make sure I get a great shot. The colors of film are something that are so hard to emulate in digital photography. In the past, I’ve edited to make my digital photos emulate film in some ways, but I’ve never been really happy with the results. Film reacts differently to light than digital. Even from frame to frame, there can be slight variations. The unpredictable nature of film can give you some wild results. Sometimes they don’t work, but sometimes takes your breath away. For one, film is naturally softer and less crisp than digital. That slight haziness makes it seem less like a picture and more like a memory- which is why I feel like it’s so perfect for wedding photography!
Film really is a fascinating medium, and I’m excited to finally get to share my work in it! Not only is it a different skillset and result, but there’s just something special about knowing that I have the negatives in my closet. It’s discouraging, as an artist, to see the ways that AI is being used in the photography and art world. It won’t be long until there will be no realistic way to know whether a photo is real or generated, and I don’t like that prospect. I love that I always have a real physical film negative to prove to myself that a moment really happened, and I captured it authentically. It’s proof of our art, and that feels really important.
I started off just bringing a small film camera with me on some of our weddings, to test the waters. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to focus fast enough or get my settings right, but after a few rolls, I was able to put those concerns to rest. One wedding, I just decided to go for it, and I was just thrilled with the results! Erin and Dave had a wonderful little wedding at Nantahala Weddings in western North Carolina. The colors and flowers they chose were just perfect for film, and when I got the scans back from the lab, Emilie and I were both shocked at how just how incredible the results were. Enjoy and let us know if you’re interested in having your wedding documented on film!
