Orange Portrait Photography

Some of you may wonder what is film? “Can you still buy it?” “Do photographers use it?”“Do wedding photographers still use it?”

Do your own research in google an you will be surprised. In fact, there are still many photographers who prefer to stick to their medium format Mamiya and Fujifilm rolls.

“But Kodak is gone and those brands that are left will soon be gone, too, right? ”

Not so fast. So far there were two glorious examples of saving film icons that failed by small companies that still manufacture their products. Take Ilford for example.

“OK, I am a bride and I don’t care what you shoot with so long as your shots are as good as those you just showed me!”

 Fair enough. Please stop reading, enjoy our galleries instead. If you are still intrigued by this film thing, please keep reading. The look and feel should only be one of many factors contributing to good wedding photography. After all we want to see emotions of that day captured vividly and gently, regardless of lightning conditions, location, weather, etc. In our studio we use a variety of different digital cameras. From Canon to Leica, from pocket to medium format. We pack our gear according to the needs of a particular wedding based on variety of factors but in the end we develop these captured digital negatives in software that not only lets us correct the image but also work on it to achieve the look we want, or the look the client wants. I have gone through my first Nikon D100 to Phase One in the last 10 years and I still shoot film. Today’s telephones have more resolution that professional cameras from 2002. Today’s digital medium format cameras have three times the resolution of an average DSLR.

Undoubtedly photography ha become so much better and faster and so much at our hands, ready to use at any time. So why bother with film? For the same reason you reach for a 1997 Pinot Noir, or drive old Benz. For the same reason you collect vinyls and your amp has funny looking lamps that take forever to warm up. Most of us don’t really care and that’s totally fine because cameras don’t take photographs. Humans do. I personally like film for it’s work flow. It took me a while to start shooting digital the way I used to shoot film - 100 frames instead of a 1000. Two shots instead of filling the entire card. I like film for it’s look and feel, that’s why I apply film curves and grain to my images in post production. Talk to anyone who has been to our studio or at our booth on bridal shows. If you know how to develop your images, they will shine when printed big. We sure know how to do it.

Once again it is not the camera, not the sensor, even not the lens, which is the most important part of the system, but a good photographer that makes an image that will last in your memory. Ansel Adams used to say that you don’t take pictures, you make them. There must be a process involved.

Finally if you are on those connoisseurs who enjoy sophisticated drinks, would drive 50 miles to their favorite restaurant, prefers analog to digital when it comes to music, you might be interested in our studio photographing your wedding on film. Thanks to Steve’s Camera in Culver City we maintain in excellent condition a 6x6 square format 1977 Hasselblad system with late 80s and early 90 optics and backs, two additional 6x7 bodies with lenses and 6x4,5 Mamiya. Thanks to Fujifilm and Kodak improving their films over years, these negatives scan fabulously and your digital negatives are far superior to any digital files out there. An absolute must for film lovers is or Polaroid portrait on a 4x5 view camera.