Film Photography Can Take Your Wedding Photography to the Next Level, Here’s How:
Some couples come to me excitedly asking if I offer film, others may ask me, “what is so special about film and why do you use it?”
Admittedly, there is a long laundry list of reasons why I love film, but I will try to keep this concise!
My favorite analogy is that it’s akin to cooking, digital photography can be the main dish, but film is the garnish, the seasoning that really makes everything pop. It’s slightly different flavor that brings something new and maybe even unexpected to the table is it’s unique and beautiful power.
Below I have elaborated on the “why” of what makes film photography such a beautiful edition to documenting your wedding day.
What Makes Film Different?
How Film Won My Heart
Hi, my name is Lillian and I am a New England wedding photographer who specializes in candid moments with a cinematic spin.
I have been photographing weddings on digital cameras for almost a decade. Until recently, I reserved film photography for my personal life– one of my film cameras is what I pack for vacation or to a family gathering. I have to ask the TSA to hand inspect each roll, and I do it happily, because I love it.
Digital photography is where I started my journey, it is a medium that I have a deep connection to. While digital photography remains the backbone of much of my work, my love affair with film, the experimentation, nostalgia and practice of delayed gratification– true collaboration with the film and the camera, cannot be satiated!
Film as an Intentional Practice
Film is an intentional practice. It doesn’t rush. It breathes. In a world that moves so quickly—where tens of images are snapped in seconds—film asks us to pause. Shooting film at a wedding means that every click and roll of film is thoughtfully utilized.
And that slowness? It creates something you can feel.
Timeless Color and Effortless Beauty
Film has a richness that digital simply can’t quite replicate. The tones are timeless, the highlights glow, the shadows are deep and romantic. Skin looks luminous, the way it does in candlelight. Colors have a painterly quality—dreamy and organic, never overly sharp or sterile. There’s a nostalgia built into every frame, a warmth that feels like a memory, will age with grace, even when it’s brand new.
Film is the perfect compliment to digital photography, it is a little extra flavor, the pinch of salt that takes something from tasty to delicious.
Wild and Magical Results
Film involves, skill, intention, experience AND a little magic 😉 Film is a very creative medium, there are so many fun techniques and film stocks that can bring an image to life in an entirely unique way!
Film Curious?
In all of my wedding photography packages, I provide an option to add film photography. You don’t have to go all in, if you just want to dip your toes in, we can add a couple rolls onto your wedding package or we can experiment with film during your engagement session.
If you are ready to hit the ground running with film– I am so ready. When a couple expresses that they want me to focus on film and really delve into the creative freedom it provides, I will always answer with an enthusiastic “YES!”
Why Film is Perfect for Your Wedding Day
There’s a magic in knowing that every frame was physically imprinted in that very moment onto a strip of film. There’s no instant playback, no checking to see if it’s perfect. It just is—organic and beautifully imperfect.
If you’re dreaming of a wedding that feels deeply, soulfully you—of images that will feel as timeless in fifty years as they do today—consider choosing a wedding photographer who leans into film. When you flip through your wedding album, the images won’t just remind you of how everything looked—they’ll remind you of how everything felt.
xoxo,
Lillian
About the Artist:
Read more about Lillian’s Work:
