Shooting Film in a Digitally Driven Industry.

Film photography is and always will be, in my opinion, the truest form of photography. In the social media obsessed, instantly gratifying, need-it-now world we live in, there is something to be said about the beauty of the process. I am not saying, by any means, that those who don't shoot film are lesser photographers or artist, I am only stating that I still feel compelled to create art via film as my preferred medium. I have loved photography and the arts for as long as I can remember and have always tried to keep an open mind about the trends in the photography industry as well as most everything in life. As Bob Dylan said "The times they are a-changin," and thats ok, it's inevitable.

There are many reasons a photographer might choose to shoot film, these are my top three:

1- Shooting film forces me to slow down. I know what you're thinking; how is slowing down, especially for a wedding photographer, a good thing? Anyone who has ever shot a wedding knows the chaotic, fast paced, and spontaneous nature of the beast. By slowing down, being in the moment, and limiting my shutter count, I am able to focus more on my client and the details of the shot.

2- It is familiar, I fell in love with photography at a young age. By the time I was in high school, I pretty much knew it was what I wanted to do. I spent countless hours in the darkroom and the small studio in my high school's photography room. I had wonderful teachers who were also photographers that I will forever be indebted to. Their respect and love for the art has helped mold me into the artist I am today. Every time I load a roll of film, I think of them and those times, and it makes me happy.

3- The Look. This will relate to medium format 120mm film more than anything. There is a certain something about a wide open (fast aperture) image shot in a 4x6 or 6x6 format. The depth of field is dream-like; it is as if the subject is popping off the page, and the background is melting away into a Monet painting.

Camera:Fuji GX645AF (aka Hasselblad H1) Film: Fuji 400H 120mm Lens: Hasselblad HC 80mm 2.8 Aperture: 2.8

The flip side, film is expensive and so is the processing. As a working professional I can tell you I make very little extra money shooting film. By time I get done paying for film, processing, shipping, and camera maintenance its pretty much a wash. This is mainly because I don't charge enough for shooting it. This might seem like a bad business plan to most and in honesty I second guess it at times as well. Each time I have one of those "why am I doing this" moments I remind myself to think like an artist first and a businessmen second. I have dedicated myself to produce the highest quality images possible for my clients and that is and always will be my number one concern.

If you love photography and the art of creating images I highly suggest you give it a shot. Start small, 35mm film cameras and film are super affordable. You can get a whole setup for a couple hundred bucks on eBay. A light meter is another essential tool to consider picking up. I use mine constantly with both my digital and film photography. Trying new or in this case old things can really get your creative juices flowing and help you see things from a different perspective. Now get out there pretend its 1975 and shoot some film!!