The Why Behind Film Wedding Photography is Dope
Film wedding photography is such a dope addition to your wedding coverage. The photos are artistic and emotional on a level that digital just can’t achieve. In this post, I share what you should know about adding film to your wedding photography package and what to look for in a film wedding photographer.
Film Wedding Photography: Nostalgic Artistry
Film is for marriers who want to blur the lines between modern life and vintage nostalgia at their wedding. It’s for people who value the artistry wedding photography can reveal in our lives. There’s something cozy and breathtaking about wedding photos on film, especially when you print them out and hold them in your hands. If you want to learn more about documentary weddings, photographer films, film photographers, and film wedding photographers, you’ll want to keep reading.
As a film wedding photographer, I love the multidisciplinary act of working with a modern $5,000 camera and a vintage camera for $500 from the early 1990’s. I’m able to capture so much of the feeling of a wedding day with these different tools. It gives that mix of emotions and images that show life like you remember it.
I also have to be really intentional about using each photo on the roll. Limiting frames to 36 per roll rather than infinite clicks of a digital camera encourages me to prioritize what matters to my clients.
What You Should Know for Your Wedding
There are some less obvious differences between digital and film wedding photography that affect your experience. Here’s what you should know about having film coverage for your wedding:
1. It’s an art.
Yes, digital photography can be artistic, but film photography really gets back to the roots of this art form. It’s less about precision and more about raw emotion.
2. You don’t get instant gratification (unless it’s Polaroid).
Digital wedding photographers can just upload their files to their computers and jump into editing. With film wedding photography, your photographer has to mail in the film and wait for the digital scans to come in. (I love The Find Lab and Photovision for developing film.)
3. There’s less editing to slow down the delivery timeline.
Even though you have to wait for film scans to come in, the lack of editing means your overall timeline for delivery could be shorter.
4. Film wedding photography is unique and can’t be duplicated.
Film lends itself to documenting candid moments. Sometimes “imperfections” like light leaks and solar flares create the coolest images that no one could have planned. It’s a whole vibe.
Finding Your Film Wedding Photographer
When you choose a wedding photographer to document your day on film, make sure they have experience. You deserve someone who understands film wedding photography as well as they do digital. That requires a more technical understanding of their equipment (because you can’t edit out mistakes in post).
I’m a multidisciplinary photographer who understands how to use any camera I touch. That expertise means my clients get slices of life on film, not just posed portraits. Would you like me to photograph your wedding? Inquire with me here!