We adore film
We hope you do too!
Modern camera technology has come so far since the initial introduction of digital cameras a few decades ago. Where older film cameras have to be focused manually with inexact results, modern cameras now acquire perfect focus in just milliseconds. The number of frames a modern camera can shoot is only limited by the storage card in the camera, while the longest roll of 35mm film is typically only 36 frames. Thats to say nothing of the blinding rate at which a professional digital camera can shoot those unlimited frames. Is your exposure off on a digital capture? Just bump it in an editing program, throw on a preset, and… voila! Modern lens coatings, instant feedback, no developing time, etc… etc… etc. So why the hell would we go back to film?
Color
Its so hard to match the colors of film. We’ve always tried to emulate film with our digital photography, but its almost impossible to ever truly match the way film renders color. Film reacts differently to light than a digital sensor. Colors can change drastically based on how well the film is exposed. We love the soft colors and skin tones of good quality film.
Black & White
Black and white film gives us all the feels! There’s no substitute for real film grain and the wonderful contrast and tones of black and white film. Its just such a timeless look.
The Clicks
If you’ve never wound the advance lever on a film camera, pressed the shutter release, and heard that unmistakeable shink shink sound of the shutter opening and closing, you haven’t truly experienced making a photograph. From loading the first roll to winding it up and taking it to the lab, its a slow methodical process. Its a much more satisfying experience for those of us that enjoy mechanical things.
The film cameras I use (Chad) focus manually, and I only get 36 shots per roll. That slows me down and forces me to make sure I am taking a great shot. I’ve found in my decade of working in photography that I make better pictures when I enjoy the gear I’m working with. And I LOVE mechanical film cameras!
Character
At the end of the day film really is about character. Film is imperfect. It has grain. Its harder to get exact focus. Its limited in how sensitive it is to light. Its rarely clinically sharp. But its our opinion that these imperfections give film its wonderful character. It makes the photo more about the moment and the emotions portrayed than technical perfection. We love to convey emotion, so its the perfect medium for what we do.
Film vs Digital
The debate has been raging ever since the introduction of digital cameras. We’re not here to say one is better than the other. Each has advantages. Being able to get perfect focus on someones eye in milliseconds is pretty useful at a wedding! At the end of the day though, they’re tools to get you to a final product you love. We don’t want to sacrifice anything by taking one of those tools out of the toolbox. If you too love film, and want to talk more with us about the process, let us know!