Film Wedding Photography: Capturing Timeless Elegance
In an era dominated by digital immediacy, film wedding photography emerges as a breath of nostalgic air, offering a timeless elegance that digital mediums struggle to replicate.
This article delves into the allure of film photography in weddings, exploring its unique aesthetic, and what I think the reasons are behind its enduring charm.
The Unmistakable Aesthetic of Film
Film photography is synonymous with a certain…timeless grace.
The grain, colour rendition, and dynamic range of film contribute to images that feel alive and emotionally resonant. Unlike the precision of digital, film embraces imperfections—each frame tells a story, not just of the moment captured but of the physical photographic process itself. This has power. Digital technology has done a marvellous job of destabilising us as a collective.
Living in a world that doesn’t really exist I believe is doing terrible things to our mental health and is stopping us from having a deep and meaningful relationship with the natural world.
This might seem a little extreme to bring up in the context of film photography at weddings, but it’s a chapter in the same story. Physical processes – the act of making – slows us down, grounds us, and make us appreciate subtlety, nuance and what it is to own something of genuine quality.
If you have to explain why film is superior, you’ve kind of already lost. Film is something I think you either ‘get’ or you don’t.
A photograph is never supposed to be an exact replica – when this happens your camera falls into the same category as a photocopier. Taking an exact likeness of a person or a moment is to undermine the philosophy of photography, and I genuinely think that’s why we see so much wedding photography that looks exactly the same.
Don’t get me wrong, a lot of it is good, but it misses the point.
Photographs are supposed to evoke a feeling, in the exact same way art does.
Film photography can be divisive for this very reason, but when was good art ever not?
Understanding the Medium: Film photographers must have a deep understanding of the medium, it’s simply not enough to know how a camera works. Film reacts differently depending on how you use it.
Digital wedding photographers have a steep learning curve as you no longer have the ability to quickly change ISO. This often means you have to lean into a lot more motion blur, but that’s where I think film sings. Film never seems to be static, each picture has a life to it. The magic of the picture is in the imperfection.
The Emotional Depth of Film
Couples are increasingly drawn to film for its ability to capture the essence of their day in a way that feels both timeless and deeply personal.
It’s a nostalgic medium for sure, it takes the moment that is occurring in the present and transports it immediately to another timeline.
The Tangible Nature of Film
Film has an enduring quality, and that is largely underpinned by the use of, and production, of a physical product. The film, and the print.
Digital files are incredibly detailed, they work wonders when you’re taking pictures of products, or textures or architecture. But weddings are none of these things. Weddings are life, love and chaos. The idea of recreating that in a clinical medium doesn’t really make sense.
Every client who enquires rightly asks the question ‘how many pictures will we get?’. But no photographer asks them in turn, how many are you going to print?
Film necessitates that you print the picture, well, how else are you going to see them. A physical, tangible print is the outcome, you can’t cheat it, put it on a screen, or flick through it on your mobile. You have to print it, and that is the real trick of film – it forces you to slow down and appreciate every single picture.
With this you begin to see so much more, it’s not just the ‘punch you in the face’ wow of a couple portrait in a stunning location, you begin to see the subtlety in a frame, the nuance, all the small details that make up a scene, and tell the story of someone’s life.
The Cost of Film Wedding Photography
Ok, so let’s not kid ourselves, film photography’s beauty comes at a price, reflecting the cost of film rolls, development, and the skill required to shoot without the immediate feedback that digital offers, anyone offering 35mm, medium format or other film wedding photography is going to be charging a premium for their service. To put this into perspective, at the time of writing, to buy, shoot and develop a roll of 35mm will cost about £12. That’s £12 for every 36 pictures.
Looking to the Future: Film in Modern Weddings
People love film. I love film. We all love film. Agreed? Great.
But what next for our beloved medium? The processes aren’t getting any cheaper…
I think we have to look for alternatives.
Film is magical, but it requires resources. If we are going to live in harmony with the world, mass producing the chemicals needed to take pictures at scale and do it cost effectively is close to impossible.
What’s the solution? Better digital photography?…almost like, all of the pictures in this post?
Yes, there we go, the annoying bit at the end where I reveal it was all a ruse. All the pictures on this page are digital…but could you tell? Be honest.
I love film more than anything, and I want my pictures to have a timeless quality to them. If you weren’t able to spot what was film and what wasn’t, then the transformation is complete. You can have both effortless elegance, magic and speed and efficiency. My aim is to capture the magic of a wedding day and do it as authentically as possible. Hopefully after looking through my work, you’ll agree that I’m pretty good at it :)