Film vs. Digital: Why do I Still Use Film?

Film vs. Digital: Why Do I Still Use Film?

If you've looked through my work, you've probably noticed something:

I shoot both digital and film.

And if you're wondering why a photographer with a perfectly wonderful digital camera would willingly spend money on little rolls of film that have to be developed, scanned, and carefully rationed...

Well, because I love it.

But there's a little more to the story than that.

Before I was a professional photographer, there was film.

My first few years of experimenting with photography weren't spent with a fancy digital camera or a perfectly curated portfolio.

They were spent wandering around San Francisco with friends, photographing the kids I cared for while working as a nanny, taking pictures on little adventures, and generally bringing a camera with me everywhere.

And those cameras?

They were film cameras my grandmother gave me.

For the first five years or so of my relationship with photography, film was just what I knew.

I didn't have unlimited frames.

I couldn't look at the back of the camera to see if I got the shot.

I couldn't take 47 versions of the same photo and decide which one I liked later.

I had to pay attention.

And sometimes I'd get a roll developed and realize that the photograph I was so sure was going to be amazing was blurry, horribly exposed, or just...not it.

But every once in a while?

Magic.

And I was hooked.

Film taught me to pay attention.

When you only have 24 or 36 shots on a roll, you can't just fire away and figure it out later.

You have to actually look at what's happening.

I think that's something I've carried with me, even though I shoot primarily digital now. I'm always looking around and watching what's happening instead of only photographing the things I'm supposed to be photographing.

Someone's laughing in the corner.

A grandparent is watching the dance floor.

Your best friend is fixing your dress.

Someone is crying and pretending they're absolutely not crying.

Those are usually the photographs I end up loving the most.

Not because they're perfect.

Because they're yours.

Then came digital.

Obviously, digital changed everything.

And I love it.

Digital gives me the speed and flexibility I need to photograph a wedding day well. I can photograph a packed dance floor, a fast-moving ceremony, a giant family group, or your flower girl sprinting down the aisle without worrying that I've just used the last frame on my roll.

And yes, I'm very grateful for that.

Your wedding day moves fast.

I want the freedom to document all of it.

The big moments.

The tiny moments.

The beautiful moments.

And the completely chaotic ones.

Digital lets me do that.

So why did I come back to film?

Because even after years of shooting digital, I never stopped loving the way film looks and feels.

Film has a softness and depth that I really love. The colors can feel organic. The highlights can roll off beautifully. There's grain. There's texture. There's a little unpredictability.

But more than anything, I think film has soul.

There's a feeling in those photographs that I have a hard time explaining. They don't always look as technically perfect as a digital image, but there's something about them that feels deeper. A little more tactile. A little more lived-in.

And I don't mind the imperfections.

Actually, I kind of love them.

I don't want every photograph to feel clinically perfect. I want there to be some texture, some personality, some feeling in the image.

I want your photographs to feel alive.

I want you to look at them years from now and feel something when you see them, not just remember what everything looked like.

That's a big part of why film still has a place in my work.

Film + digital = the best of both worlds.

For me, it's not really about one being better than the other. They each have their place.

Digital is for movement. Film is for slowing down.

When your friends are losing their minds on the dance floor, I'm reaching for my digital camera. When we're moving through family portraits, catching the ceremony as it unfolds, or trying to keep up with all the little things happening throughout the day, digital gives me the flexibility to move quickly and not miss anything.

Film is different.

Film comes out when things slow down a little.

Maybe we're taking a few intentional portraits together. Maybe the light is beautiful and you've got a few quiet minutes alone. Maybe you're getting ready and everything has finally gone quiet for a second. Maybe I'm photographing the two of you wandering off somewhere during cocktail hour.

Those slower moments give me a chance to be a little more intentional with the film camera.

I can take my time.

You can take your time.

And we can make something a little more thoughtful.

That's where I really love having film.

And no, your entire wedding won't be photographed on film.

As much as I love film, I don't think it makes sense to photograph an entire wedding that way.

Weddings move quickly, and there is a LOT happening. People are running around, your timeline is moving, your flower girl has decided she has somewhere more important to be, your friends are tearing up the dance floor, and someone is inevitably giving a speech that goes much longer than expected.

I want the freedom of digital to move with all of that and make sure I'm documenting everything I can.

Then, when things slow down and I see a moment or a pocket of beautiful light that feels right for film, I'll pull out the film camera.

It's really about having both tools available and knowing when to use each one.

I don't want perfect. I want honest.

That's really the heart of why I photograph weddings the way I do.

I'm not trying to manufacture a collection of flawless images where everyone looks like they've been professionally posed for a magazine.

I want the real stuff.

The messy stuff.

The beautiful stuff.

The people you love being completely themselves.

Film fits into that philosophy really naturally.

And maybe that's why I still love it so much.

Because long before I was photographing weddings, before I had a business, before I knew exactly what I was doing, I was just a girl in San Francisco with a film camera from her grandmother, documenting the people and places she loved.

I think a little bit of that girl is still behind the camera today.

So yes, you'll see digital photographs in your gallery.

You'll see film photographs, too.

And hopefully, when you look through the whole thing, you won't be thinking about which camera took which photo.

You'll just be thinking:

"Oh my god. I remember this."

And that's exactly where I want you.