What is film photography and why do we use it to photograph weddings?
Choosing your photographer is a difficult process of finding out what you like the look of. Then who you like, and who you think you could spend your wedding day with. Couples usually start by choosing a photography style that resonates with them. It’s a good place to start. Usually, couples have been following a few photographers on Instagram before they even get engaged. So when the day comes, they often have a good selection of people to start from. One element that is often overlooked is how a photographer achieves your favourite look. The power of digital photography allows for any modern camera to have taken an image. And any other modern camera could just about replicate that photograph. Meaning that a lot of the colours and aesthetics of what you see in a portfolio are often decided when the photograph is edited. So, why do you even need to consider film or digital photography if digital photography can just recreate that look? Well, put short, it can’t.
Film photograph from The Story of Eros Editorial
what is film photography?
Simply put, film photography is a unique style of photography that offers a timeless aesthetic to photographs that digital just cannot replicate. That is from one point of view of course. The technicalities are far different and a little more magical. Film is a transparent plastic strip coated in light-sensitive silver halide crystals, which has been made into a gelatinous emulsion. The film is rolled up into a roll, which is then loaded into a camera. The film is pulled out and attached to the opposite side of the camera back. It is wound up to make sure that it has been loaded correctly, then the back is closed and the film is ready for use.
A section of the film sits directly behind the lens, this section of the film is exposed to photons of light when you click the shutter. The photons from the light react with the silver halide on the film strip to form metallic silver grains. The more light that hits a section of the film, the more metallic silver is created, this is how negatives are created. The sky for example will look dark on an exposed piece of film, whereas a shadow will look light. The exposed film is sent to a lab to get processed. The lab will scan this film by shining a light through it and onto photo-sensitive paper. Or, a scanner, such as a Kodak Noritsu or Fujifilm Frontier scanner. Light passes through the exposed film. Areas that were light (like the sky) will receive less light because of the dark patches and now stay closer to white. The dark areas (like shadows) will receive more light. If you have ever played around with a phone or web camera, you can often create a negative portrait effect. A negative displays all the opposite colours to what was actually in the scene. The processing of the film reverses this to create the scene you remember photographing. Photographers can control the amount of light that the film is exposed to by altering the shutter speed (literally the amount of time the shutter is open for), the aperture (the blades within a lens which allow it to focus on more or less of a scene), and ISO (the higher the number, the more sensitive the film is to light). The aperture triangle is something that should be explained in another blog, however.
Right, so that’s film photography. So what is digital?
Digital photography in principle is very similar. The difference is, instead of registering light on film, digital uses light-sensitive sensors. And that is it. Digital uses all the same processes. It uses the same exposure triangle, but because you do not need to reload the film every 16 or 36 shots, it can be a lot quicker. There is also no cost to take an image. A roll of film has a price, and so does sending it off to a lab to get it processed. Digital photography cameras can take photographs until your memory cards are full. Then you can offload them and edit them yourself and reuse the memory card. Film has a running cost, digital doesn’t. This is why it costs more to hire the services of a photographer that shoots with film.
Harry loading a new roll of film into our Contax 645
What are the different types of film photography?
There are two main types of film photography (not including Polaroids of course!): 35mm film and 120mm film. the difference being the size of the film. 35mm film is the most common type of film. If you think of a typical film camera from the last 50 years, it will likely use 35mm film. Modern, full-frame cameras are based on these and it has been the standard of the professional events photography industry since digital photography took over from film. 120mm film is much larger than 35mm, and so are the cameras. The really old, box-like cameras from the 1950’s and before were commonly 120 medium format cameras. Due to the film’s size, it can capture far greater detail than 35mm. Because of this, these cameras were often used in the fashion and advertising industries. Their modern equivalents have continued this legacy. However, until recently the price of a medium format digital camera was ten to twenty times the price of a typical digital full-frame camera. So they have only been available for those who can afford them. Medium format cameras also create a unique look that sets them apart from full-frame cameras. The larger sensor (in digital) and the larger film size means that a lens of 80mm offers the same field of view as what you would expect a 63mm lens to display on a full-frame camera. Whilst giving a wider field of view it retains the depth of field that that lens would offer, creating a soft and dreamy effect.
So, if 120mm film cameras are better in quality, why have 35mm film cameras been the standard for years? Well, the 35mm film is smaller, much faster to load, and cheaper to produce. You can fit 36 frames onto one roll of 35mm film, whereas you can only fit 16 frames onto one roll of 120mm film. 35mm cameras are far smaller than medium format cameras because of the film size. They are also cheaper and lighter, making them far more accessible and better suited to general use and for events.
120mm film is a lot larger, it takes longer to load between each shot because of this. Reloading film rolls takes longer too and you have to do it more frequently as there are only 16 frames in each roll. The film itself is more expensive, and it often costs more to get it developed.
Harry holding old Synchro Box camera from the 1950's
What film camera do we use to photograph weddings?
We use a Contax 645 to shoot our weddings. This camera is a medium format camera, which takes 120mm film. It was first released in 1999 and discontinued in 2005. The camera has been used for fashion projects and portraiture since its release. The camera is relatively hard to purchase as there are very few in circulation. Especially coupled with its signature 80mm Carl Zeiss lens. We were looking for this camera for a couple of months before we finally managed to purchase one from an eBay seller from Israel. At the time of writing this, the duo is currently available on eBay for around £7000.
With that in mind, there are a few other significant mentions that are worth researching if you are looking for a similar camera. These are the Pentax 645 and the Mamiya 645. They are generally far cheaper, the Mamiya is currently on eBay for around £600.
So what warrants such a price? Well, it’s a few things. The Contax is considered the better of the three cameras, that is for its general ergonomics and for its picture quality. The 80mm Carl Zeiss Lens is only available on the Contax 645, and it is considered one of the best lenses of its era. Although these points are important, the reality is that there are only a finite amount of these cameras and lenses left. There are no parts, as they have to be harvested from other Contaxes. And there are very few people who will fix them. Coupled with the unique look this camera and lens combination creates, the camera has become quite the investment. Put short, this camera has a one-of-a-kind aesthetic and once it is gone, it will be gone forever.
So why do we use it? Well for that very reason, the photographs created by our camera are one-of-a-kind. No one can replicate them. Wedding photographs taken on this camera will truly become timeless heirlooms. Especially when there are no more left.
We are so invested in this, that we chose our photographer for our wedding because she shoots with a Contax 645 (and because we love her and her work too of course!).
Annie holding our Contax 645 medium format film camera
What is the difference between film and digital photography?
The big question! What is the difference between digital and film photography? Everything that I have written above hopefully explains the technicalities of film and how it works. Digital on the other hand captures photographs with a light-sensitive sensor. The camera processes what the sensor has captured into raw files that it will store on a memory card. The raw file it creates can then be manipulated quite heavily in editing software like Lightroom.
Digital photography is fast and flexible, we can alter our images to a great extent to try and replicate the style and aesthetic our film camera creates. But we cannot recreate it exactly. This is because in the last 15 - 20 years cameras and lenses have been made so well. They are almost perfect, they’re razor-sharp and super responsive to automatic settings. Adding to that, each lens and camera is the same as each other product made with that batch number. Now, this is a good thing as it has allowed the quality of photography to improve no end and as a manufacturer you want all of your products to be the same. But for every step towards clinical perfection, you take one step away from the character of a camera or lens. If every lens and camera takes exactly the same image. Then apart from you, what makes the tool that you use to create your artwork different from everyone else's?
Well, this is where film photography and vintage cameras really win for us. Each camera and lens is different. They were all built differently and often they were assembled by hand. Each has its own unique quirk and quality gifted to it by its creator that you can use to your advantage. It feels very human to embrace those quirks and imperfections to develop character within photography.
There is something very real and satisfying about looking through the camera’s viewfinder. Clicking the shutter, and physically capturing the photons you can see. Binding them to silver crystals upon a strip of film. You have to be confident to capture with film too. You will not see what you have captured for a couple of weeks until it is back from the lab. The exposure has to be right and you have to nail the focus. That is a bit nerve-wracking in today’s world where you can take 14 photos per second and alter the settings later when you’re editing if you messed up.
Film photography makes you slow down and really think about what you want to capture. I believe that as photographers we are not there to simply document every aspect of an event. We are there as artists to capture moments through our eyes, with our vision. This is entirely possible with digital photography too, it is the same ethos we apply to our digital and film photography. I believe however that film invites you to think slowly and precisely about what you want to capture. Whereas digital photography invites you to document everything that happens.
Film photography vs digital photography is very much like comparing an acoustic guitar to an electric guitar, or a classic car to a modern car. Each has its use, but depending on the circumstance you would prefer an acoustic instrument over an electric one. They can both live in a world together and function. When we shoot weddings using film, we still use digital cameras as well to compliment the overall gallery of images. There are instances where it is more beneficial to rely on our digital camera than our film camera. When used together our clients receive a gallery with a mixture of photographs taken using both types of cameras.
Okay, so that is the technical and emotional differences between digital and film. But how do they actually look?
Below are a few examples of film and digital photographs taken of the same or similar subjects. We have put these together so that you can compare the aesthetical differences in the images.
It is worth noting that the above photographs have been selected purely based on there being a similarity to a similar photograph in its opposing format for comparison. This is not a collection of images showcasing only film or digital photography. The photographs throughout this blog have all been film photographs.
Harry shooting with our medium format Contax 645 film camera and Annie is shooting with our Fujifilm GFX 100s medium format camera.
In conclusion, what are the real differences?
The real differences to notice are in how the film processes light, details, and skin tones. Light areas and skin tones are often very soft, creating a very flattering look, whilst details remain sharp.
The appeal to film goes far beyond the aesthetic it offers. Film physically captures light to produce a photograph. Digital on the other hand is made up of 1’s and 0’s. And although the style of different types of film can be replicated with editing, it will never be quite the same.
When we photograph weddings for clients who would like film photography, we always use both film and digital. Film has a beautiful aesthetic and film cameras are so satisfying to use. Digital on the other hand is reliable and fast, and we can almost replicate our film’s look. Within a portfolio of wedding photographs, they both compliment each other to tell a true and complete story of a wedding day in a timeless and authentic fashion.
Helen & Max, Grangefields Wedding Venue
Would you like your wedding photographed on film?
If you would like your wedding photographed on film or if you have any other questions about film photography, please head over to our contact page. Thank you so much for reading this blog post about film photography. We really hope that you have learnt something and that it has opened up a whole new world of photography for you.