I shoot both film and digital at the weddings I cover. The aim is to add to add something extra to to your coverage and give you the best of both worlds.
If you see me at a wedding I will always have two cameras with me. A film camera on one shoulder and a digital on the other. My preferred choice of film cameras are a square format Rolleiflex plus a 4×5 large format camera for some of the set up shots. I choose medium and large format cameras because they give a different look from a full frame digital camera. This gives me me extra creative choices and I believe it improves the end product I deliver to you, my couples.
What does a film wedding photographer add to your wedding?
Film, particularly in its larger formats just looks different from digital, and can’t really be copied. Grain is an inherent part of film, but it also has rich tonality and soft highlights. I love the way film makes people look, It’s flattering and feels ‘real’,
The actual customer experience changes very little. If there is any extra set up involved, I do that before calling my subjects over. The film cameras I choose are very quiet and unobtrusive so there are no noisy motorwinds or clacking shutters to interrupt the moment.
Aren’t you worried about old film cameras breaking down?
I always shoot film and digital together and I always have back ups close to hand. Even though my film cameras work perfectly and are checked regularly, they are still between 25 and 50 years old. I favour cameras that are all manual and non battery dependent, mainly because there is less to go wrong. The truth is that no camera is 100% reliable. The most expensive repair I ever paid for was on a Canon DSLR that was a couple of years old. The main board inside the camera died, a very expensive repair on a nearly new camera. Just because it new doesn’t mean it won’t go wrong.
Over the years I have had multiple cameras fail. But no client has ever noticed because I am meticulous about always having a back up camera immediately to hand. Every set up I shoot with a film camera I would also shoot with my digital camera. I carry a back up camera for each of the main film and digital cameras I use as well as multiple lenses and flash guns. A LOT would have to go wrong for me to not be able to have a working film or digital camera.
Will I receive fewer images from a Film Wedding Photographer?
Absolutely not. I shoot digital alongside my film cameras. So not only should you receive more images than if I shot digital only, but also get more variety in those images.
I scan the film and deliver the images as jpegs alongside your digital images. Although it would be possible to make analogue prints if you particularly wanted it.
How do you know so much about film photography?
I started my photographic career in the 1990’s when digital had only just started and you had to pay £10,000 for a 1mp camera. So film was the only game in town for the vast majority of photographers. I studied photojournalism at Cardiff University, and learned to to shoot develop and print my own film. I have shot every format from 35mm to 4×5″, and travelled the world with a film camera.
Happy? Why not look at my Packages and Prices to see if there is a package that works for you.
I have a film only instagram page which shows all the different work I have shot on film.
Tobias Key is a wedding photographer based in Chichester working in West Sussex, Hampshire and the whole of the South East. If you want to make an enquiry or check availability, I am happy to answer any questions you may have.
