Considering a Film Photographer for Your Wedding? Here’s What You Need to Know
Finding a photographer for your wedding can be really overwhelming. There’s so much jargon and lots of buzzwords - documentary, editorial, filmy, hybrid, cinematic, etc., etc. Plus, you’re choosing someone not just for their photographs, but also their presence. It’s a lot of variables. As a wedding photographer that specializes in film, I’m here to breakdown what it means to hire a film photographer. First a definition:
Hybrid photographer: Someone who is using both digital and film cameras during the same wedding day. This could be anything from a little bit of film (comprising just a few photos in the final gallery), to more than half of the day on film.
You may be torn between digital and film photography; so hiring a hybrid photographer can be a good fit for you. There are pros and cons to having a mix of digital and film (i.e., hybrid) or just all film. Either way, it’s helpful to know what it really means to have film photography at your wedding.
1. Nostalgia & aesthetics
One of the main reasons couples mention wanting film photography is because of the aesthetics. It’s timeless & nostalgic & dripping with sentimentality. This is also one of the many reasons I’m drawn to film. Film has a certain warmth, depth, and texture that makes it unique from digital. Film has unique color rendering and handles contrast and bright light better than digital. There’s grain due to its tangibility, and sometimes its imperfections only add to its magic.
Those photographs from our childhoods - those were film. So inherently, when we see photographs taken on film there’s that same nostalgia and sentimentality to them.
2. Film is great at documenting a feeling
Film has its limitations. And digital technology does have its perks, allowing photographers to photograph in realllyyy low light without losing detail. It can be great. But the truth is, I also love film for its limitations. It’s the blur, the creativity, and intentionality that needs to happen to use film that creates photographs with a little extra feeling. I often say - digital is great at taking photographs of what it looked like, film is great at taking photographs of what it felt like. If you value a more organic, imperfect, messy, less posed style of photography, film might be the right fit for you.
For example, the top photograph was taken on film, and the bottom on digital. Both serve a purpose, albeit a different one.
3. Imperfections & surprise & magic
If my family scrapbooks are anything like yours, you may see photographs that are a little imperfect. A hand on the edge of a photo coming into view, someones eyes closed, a little bit of motion. I still remember the feeling of getting back my film photographs from the drugstore as a kid, and always being surprised by these imperfections. Because within imperfection, magic can happen! A cool light leak, or double exposure.
Sometimes, when there’s only one photograph of a candid moment there’s sometime more special about it. Rather than taking 15 photographs of the same scene with a digital camera, we may only get 1 or 2 on film. It’s not perfect, rather it’s candid. Perhaps an authentic representation of you and your people.
4. Cost differences
It’s true - film is expensive $$. The film itself and the process of developing and scanning the photographs are all part of the price. For me, film costs average at least $1,700 per wedding! Hybrid photographers may be more affordable than film only photographers - but this is something you will have to weigh as realities in budgets ultimately do exist.
5. Quality over quantity
Unlike digital photographers, who can take thousands of images during a wedding, film photographers have a finite number of frames to work with. Each photograph is a little more intentional, in part because of the cost, but also because film is a bit of a slower medium. I personally like this slowing down. With each photograph having more intention behind it, the film photos often end up being my favorites.
Something else to think about. How many photographs do you really want (or need) from your day? I often think about how our parents received only about 100-200 photographs of their whole wedding day. Our grandparents: maybe 20, if they were lucky enough to even have a photographer. Having been married, and now looking back on my prints and album - I really value a small number of quality photographs that I look at often. If you feel similarly, film photography may be the way to go for your wedding.
6. Previews
Every photographer is different - some offer quick sneak previews of the wedding a few days later, others a few weeks later, others no previews at all. With an all film wedding, those fast turnarounds for previews are just not as feasible or common. The couples that tend to hire me are not fussed with quick turnarounds or looking at photographs right away. There can be beauty in the delayed gratification in the waiting. A time to actually reflect on the wedding without the imposition of photographs that tell a certain story of the day.
7. Location & lights
Film thrives in natural light. Yes - I love a good candlelit dinner, some moody grainy film in low light, or even some film and flash. Film can truly work in any situation. But, there are advantages to having digital photography as a tool for those settings as well. Talk to your photographer about your venue to see if hybrid photography or full film may be better suited.
8. Any technology can be unpredictable
Sometimes a couple will mention to me during a call that they want both digital and film, because digital can be a backup in case an error happens with the film. There is a fear among some that because film is an older technology, and you cannot see the photo right away (sorry, instant gratification lovers), it is possible the photographs don’t “turn out.” I can understand this. There’s an inherent trust that needs to happen with film because we can’t see those photographs instantly. And trust in the film development and scanning process. Errors can occur along the way - between old cameras and sending the film out to a lab. But I’m also here to tell you that just as many issues can happen with digital photographs and the technology those photographs are stored on. Talk to your photographer about they the reduce the risk of potential photo loss - whether that’s film or digital. For me, this involves using multiple film cameras alongside digital to document parts of the day in several ways to ensure backups for the backups!
Questions to ask your photographer
Choosing a film photographer for your wedding is a decision that comes down to personal preference, values, and priorities. If you’re drawn to the more imperfect, authentic feel, value nostalgia and the tangibility of film as a medium, and are craving quality over quantity, it could be the perfect fit for your day.
Here are a few clarifying questions you can ask your photographer as you make your decision:
How much film do you typically use for a wedding? And what percentage of the final gallery is usually film?
How do you edit your film scans, if at all? How will the film photographs look compared to the digital photographs?
What do you do to reduce potential photo loss?
Could my wedding be a good fit for all film based on our values, priorities, and venue?
Could I see a full gallery? (regardless of the medium or style of photography, seeing a full gallery is so so important for viewing what a real wedding day looks like from the pov of your potential photographer)
If you are a couple interested in film for your wedding, I’d love to hear from you!