why film is so much fun
Film! So many photographers have gone back and embraced it! For some it’s a jump back to much earlier times and for others it’s a journey a little closer to present day. I’ll be the first to say my knowledge of film cameras’ back catalog is limited — there are just so many to choose from — but it’s a Christmas morning feeling receiving work back no matter what I used.
When we were on vacation last summer, I bought a $25.00 point-and-shoot from Dodd Camera called the Fujifilm Discovery. It started acting up on me about halfway through the trip, so this past wedding season, I found a $50.00 point-and-shoot called the Pentax IQ Zoom. Even with such simple cameras, it has been a learning curve picking what film lab to send the canisters to for my favorite look. I’ve been doing so much reflecting this winter and spring and thought it be super cute to pair digital shots with film ones to give a literal picture of why film is the greatest.
These photos are from Emily and Tony’s wedding at a place called BOK in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I traveled with one of my best friends and favorite wedding photographers, Anna, the whole six-ish hours for this one; it was our second time being there and I felt ✨ so city ✨ shooting somewhere so artistic and lively. We grabbed dinner at this colorful restaurant, La Chinesca, where our other wedding had been, watched a bunch Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders: Making the Team and had some longwinded couch talks.
Emily and Tony’s day itself was like if you took the best parts of Pinterest and brought them to life. I say that because it was so fashion-forward, with the reception held in an old gym and several guests wearing neon. She had these gorgeous shoes I will never forget; I probably photographed them 10 separate times that day. My favorite part about these photos is how perfectly they show the film / digital divide, the digital one being super crisp and contrasted and the film one being a bit more out-of-focus and faded.
The above portraits come from Brynn and Matt’s wedding which was at the Ariel Pearl Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Anna was actually also with me on this day, which was a stunning September one where we hopped to a bunch of different locations. For the bridal party photos, we got to use this cool space in the back of the Cleveland History Center, and for their bride-and-groom portraits, we went over to the Italian Cultural Garden. Brynn’s whole look kind of fit that European-inspired aura the history center and garden give off.
I think these photos might show the starkest contrast between digital and film since they have such different colorization - and I LOVE IT. The first image to me feels super dreamy, glossy and breezy, and the second one shows a bolder light surrounding them plus those popping greens that only film can get just right. These are also the only example I have in here taken in fully natural light, which I think is where film can really shine: especially a little point-and-shoot.
These images are both from the morning of Maddie and Travis’ wedding day in Peninsula, Ohio. They got ready in the most beautiful historic home called the Designer’s Barn and had their ceremony and reception at the Hines Hill Conference Center in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. I think it might be one of my favorite venues of all time! It’s fully outdoors and feels so peaceful anywhere you look, which was the perfect relaxed fit for Travis and Maddie, high school sweethearts so comfortable with each other.
For Maddie’s detail shots, I wanted to incorporate some of the antiques around the house, so I took her perfume and wedding purse and put it alongside this Cuyahoga Valley and Erie Canal booklet. I love the way this looks on both media! In this one, the film goes back to being a bit more desaturated and the digital is the one shining a bit sharper. It goes to show the power of having both in your pocket and seeing what sticks.
Lastly: if you follow me on Instagram I know you have seen at least a few rounds of photos from this wedding. Mason and Hannah live in Texas, but Hannah grew up in this area - their wedding took place at Westfall Event Center in Cleveland, Ohio, and what a venue it is. It is full of a bunch of wooden pavilions as far as the eye can see, and that makes the whole thing super customizable. It might be at the top of my list too - the rounded, outdoor bar is super retro and they have a whole pavilion dedicated to this very crane machine.
I felt most myself on this August day because they trusted me and asked me to have fun with their western theme. It shows in the photos! What I find so fascinating about these ones specifically is how the red of the crane almost looks orange in the film scan but is perfect for what the mood of that picture needed to be. Thank you for coming along on this very-beginner journey with me - buckle up 2024 couples while I try out a Holga camera Anna got me and maybe another little pocket point-and-shoot!
