Why Film?
One of the most common questions I’m asked is how much film vs. digital I include in a wedding gallery. Part of that stems from a misconception that all film is grainy and imperfect while digital is crisp and clean. If you are drawn to my photos, you are drawn to film. Everything I share online is about 99% analog.
After I started photographing my own family with film, I realized how thrilling creative restraint can be. I love that each frame is truly precious, in part because it’s a physical object. There’s an actual chemical reaction when light hits crystals of silver. (Isn’t that incredible?) Film conveys feeling in a way that digital can’t replicate. It is dynamic, emotive, and the absolute antithesis of AI.
In your wedding gallery, you can expect a chronological blend of film and digital with no exact ratio. But to be as direct as possible, I’d say it’s somewhere around 70% film and 30% digital. Sometimes more, sometimes less. I let film lead the way and fill in with digital where it adds something either unique or supportive to the story of your wedding day. I typically bring at least six film cameras to each wedding, each with its own personality.
Currently, the main characters include: a buttery 35mm Canon AE1, a perfectionist (resembling digital, but better) medium format Pentax 645N, a 2000s era Canon eos3, and a 1950s Yashica with a waist-level viewfinder. (I once dabbled in point and shoots but they left me disappointed.) An added bonus is that seeing these relics from the past is enough for even the most photo-averse family members to let their guard down. Film is nostalgic and comforting. And aesthetically, it stands the test of time more than any digital photo ever could. Film will look effortless and classic forever.
Our Collaboration
Like most artists, I create my best work when I know the people I’m serving trust me. And after photographing hundreds of weddings, I want you to know you can. I am an active participant in your day, in that I can anticipate moments before they happen, while at the same time remaining open to the unexpected. I’m not an art director, I’m a witness. During portraits, I prefer to pull you aside for five minutes here and there- never enough for you to feel like you’re missing the party. You’ll experience me direct your families as they gather for photos (remove phones from pockets, forgotten hair ties from wrists) but I’ll also step back and catch the unfolding that happens once a photo has been taken. The embraces, the laughter, the release.
The Details
So what can you expect when all is said and done? (Aside from the most meaningful gift you’ll ever give to your families.)
a carefully curated and expertly edited online gallery of photos with print rights
an archival collection of your negatives
a 12x12” leather-bound album with your favorite 100+ photographs (yes, this is included)
“My husband and I are both artists and had such specific wants for our photos and she 1000% delivered.”
—Hope and Dylan