What To Expect From Your Analog Wedding Photographer
When people find out I’m still a wedding photographer that shoots film, typically a lot of questions follow.
“What is film? You mean like video? Wait like old school photos? They still make that stuff? Where do you even get it processed? What’s the value of that? How can you make sure it turns out properly and you don’t miss big moments?! Will it distract you from digital? How do you know how to do that??” (you get my point).
Well friends, I’m here to tell you: analog photography is still alive and well.
first of all - what is analog photography?
Let me start by saying that “analog” is a catch-all term for film photography. Film photography, as we know it today, has been around since the early 1930’s after Kodak started selling it’s signature Kodachrome film (which was still insanely expensive and not widely used at the time).
Since then, there have been a lot of developments in different film mediums, camera types, and developing processes — which I won’t even try to dive into because nobody has time for that.
The most common analog photography today is either the 35mm film format, 120mm film format, or Polaroid film. Each refers to the size/type of film you’re using.
If you were born in the late-80s/early-90s, do you remember the cameras our parents used to lug around for a family vacation? And the film they used to load into those? That was 35mm film. It’s the most common and affordable way to shoot film, and it’s even what they use in the good, old-fashioned disposable cameras.
120mm film is similar but slightly larger, thus producing bigger and more artful imagery. It’s used more commonly among art photographers and is a bit more expensive.
Polaroid film is the fun one that has been making a big resurgence lately (it’s one of my personal favorites) — it’s the famous instant photo! You just point, shoot, and the photo pops out. Instant gratification, baby.
how is film used for wedding photography?
Now that I’ve given you a history lesson you didn’t ask for let’s talk about analog wedding photography.
Shooting film photography at weddings used to be the norm because, well, that’s all there was. Now that digital imaging has changed the way we photograph weddings, we’re able to capture unlimited moments quickly, and at a much lower (overall) cost.
Film photography can be challenging. There are more technical considerations, and it can be costly to waste shots or mess up framing/lighting/focus/any combination of things that can go wrong. Since digital has become the norm, there is often some hesitation behind having your photos taken with film — as though the shot will be missed or the moment might not be captured — and so moving ahead with digital is naturally the “safer” bet.
Especially if it’s your wedding, it’s scary to take a “risk” but what you should truly expect from your analog wedding photographer; knowledge.
you expect your digital photographer to know what they’re doing — expect your analog photographer to do the same.
No matter who you hire to photograph your wedding, it should be someone you trust to do their job and do it knowledgeably. Digital photographers know how to use their gear, and so should your analog photographer. A good analog wedding photographer will have a near-picture-perfect idea of what the photo will look like just before pressing the shutter.
In 2017, I graduated from college with a degree in Photography; more specifically, the craft of photography. At its roots, photography is an art form and something that takes skills and work to master. Like woodworkers, metalsmiths, and painters, photographers are craftsmen.
I spent years and years shooting film, handling negatives, printing photos in the darkroom, learning to master my craft. Now, when I’m presenting film as an option for my wedding clients, they can choose to add that to their package comfortably because I’ve been refining the craft for years. Having the experience and knowledge to serve my clients is imperative.
expect your analog photographer to know where it’s at.
You should expect your analog photographer to not only know about their gear but know what to do with the film once they’ve shot it.
Since film photography is making its comeback, there are a lot of random places you can send your film to have it processed. There are tons of places online that will offer film development, and lot’s of information about what the heck to do with the negatives. Expect your analog wedding photographer to cover those bases for you.
Personally, I’ve chosen a little lab in Portland, OR called Blue Moon Camera & Machine where I send all my film. They develop it for me, scan it when I need them to, and they mail the negatives back to me for safekeeping. When I’m in town, I stop in and load up on film, chat with the people working and browse their selection of camera gear. Everyone there is phenomenal. The employees are so knowledgeable, kind and helpful. I’ve been to many film labs in my lifetime, and no one shares the passion like they do.
Expect your analog photographer to know where they’re developing their film, why they’re developing their film there, and the post-shooting process top to bottom (and be able to explain it to you in detail).
expect that your moments will be perfectly captured.
A big fear a lot of people have is that something will be missed if your analog photographer is shooting film instead of digital.
First, you should trust your photographer! We are here to serve you, so rest easy knowing that we’re gonna deliver kick-ass images. The same goes for your analog photographer! Having analog at your wedding is a beautiful, nostalgic addition to your photo package and we will make sure the photos are ones that you can cherish forever, not something that takes away from your photo experience. My job is to be in the right place at the right time so I promise, nothing will be missed.
Second, analog photography is its own special art form. Having a photographer capture your big day on film is just as special as capturing it digitally. Not only that, but shooting film is so much more intentional. Unlike digital, you can’t just endlessly shoot film and hope for the best. Each shot is it’s own special moment or keepsake and can’t be replicated!
Third, more often than not your photographer will shoot with a film camera and a digital camera so that we have both options for you to cherish. Of course, I wouldn’t expect you to forgo all your digital wedding photos for the sake of art and film, but it does make a killer add-on to your photo package. If you’re curious for some reasons to have film shot at your wedding, check out this blog post.
expect to invest a little more.
Before you panic and totally ditch the idea of adding film to your photo package - hear me out.
You’re already investing in wedding photography because you want your big day documented in a way that feels true to you. AND you’re interested in film because you’ve already read this far! Why not add something to your photo package that would make your images feel even more timeless and unique?!
Analog photography is a tangible art form - it takes a lot more material to make than just a memory card and some computer software, which is why it’s so beautiful, but also why it’s more costly. If you’re adding film to your wedding package, expect to invest a few hundred dollars more to cover the cost of the film itself and the lab fees for processing.
Your photographer will know the best type of film to purchase for your big day, and as I said before, they likely have a preferred photo lab that they trust to process your images safely and beautifully. Of course, it costs a little more to handle those things, but in the grand scheme, it’s a small price to pay for priceless memories and timeless images! I talk more about this on my film resource page here.
Checkout this all film elopement at Trillium Lake!
lastly, expect happy accidents.
Bob Ross said it best: “there are no mistakes, only happy accidents”.
Sometimes with vintage cameras, we get light leaks, blurry motion, or slightly under/overexposed images. Every image is unique and different in its perfect way. Sometimes grainy, sometimes crisp. Often richly colorful and unlike anything digital can replicate. Film photography is about transforming a moment into a tangible photograph, and like real life, film photography is perfectly imperfect and always unique.
No matter what, your analog wedding photos will be yours forever, beautiful in their own way. My most recent film camera endeavor was buying a vintage polaroid and bringing it to the coast. Testing it out proved to have some seriously inconsistent results, but sometimes that’s the beauty of it: every photo is its own adventure.
with digital photography being the norm in the wedding industry now,
we understand analog photography seems like more of a risk.
While it’s tempting to put them in the same category, I encourage you to see them as different art forms altogether. Oil vs acrylic paint. Pine vs oak cabinetry. Backstreet Boys vs N*Sync.
Same same, but different.
The most important factor to choosing your analog wedding photographer is trusting them with capturing moments in a totally unique and beautiful way. Like I said before: you’re hiring someone who should be a master of their craft. You wouldn’t hire some rookie cabinet guy for your oak cabinets so hiring your analog wedding photographer should be the same way. Your photographer is an artist; trust them to create some art!
If you’re curious or want more information, send me a message, and I’d be happy to walk you through it.