iPhone snap
Black & white film
WHY ALL THE HYPE OVER AN OLD ART FORM ?
I'M NOT A HYBRID PHOTOGRAPHER. WHEN I SHOW UP TO YOUR PHOTOSHOOT, YOU'LL SEE ME CARRYING AROUND OLD, BEAUTIFUL FILM CAMERAS AND A LARGE BAG OF FILM. I BELIEVE IN THE POWER AND RAW BEAUTY OF MY CRAFT, AND WORK TIRELESSLY TO CAPTURE YOUR MOMENTS AS THEY NATURALLY ARE--NO FILTERS, NO HEAVY EDITS, AND NO EXCESS OF PHOTOS FOR EACH MOMENT.
I WILLFULLY CHOOSE TO DENY MYSELF THE CRUTCH OF BEING ABLE TO SHOOT THOUSANDS OF EXTRA PHOTOS FOR EACH MOMENT. WITH FILM, I ONLY HAVE THAT MOMENT, THAT ROLL OF FILM, AND THAT SET NUMBER OF SHOTS LEFT. YOU HAVE TO BE QUICK AND SKILLED ENOUGH TO READ THE LIGHT ACCURATELY.
DEVELOPING AND SCANNING FILM IS EXPENSIVE AND TAKES TIME. THERE IS NO INSTANT GRATIFICATION OF SEEING THAT IMAGE DIGITALLY RECREATED ON THE BACK OF A DSLR. YOU AND I WAIT TOGETHER TO RECEIVE THE LOVELIEST OF SCANS FROM THE DEVELOPER, BUT OH, IS IT WORTH IT. IT'S COUNTER-INTUITIVE IN TODAY'S WORLD TO WILLFULLY WAIT FOR THINGS, BUT I'M SURE YOU'D AGREE THAT QUALITY TAKES TIME. WE WAIT FOR THE THINGS THAT MATTER THE MOST IN OUR LIFE, AND NEVER QUESTION THAT DECISION. WHY SHOULD THE ART WE MAKE BE ANY DIFFERENT?
FILM ITSELF IS COUNTER-INTUITIVE. IT GOES AGAINST THE GRAIN OF OUR FAST-PACED MODERN LIFE.
IT TAKES PATIENCE, SKILL, & DEDICATION TO BE A FILM PHOTOGRAPHER.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, FILM IS REAL--IT'S TRUE TO LIFE, GRAINY, AND OBJECTIVELY BEAUTIFUL. IT CONTAINS A HIGHER RESOLUTION THAN DIGITAL, AND CAN NEVER BE RECREATED, NO MATTER WHAT DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHERS CAN DO IN PHOTOSHOP.
I'M HONORED TO BE ABLE TO HOLD MY CLIENTS' MOST IMPORTANT DAYS OF THEIR LIFE IN THE PALM OF MY HANDS--TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THOSE MOMENTS IN THE DARKROOM MYSELF, TURNING THOSE MEMORIES INTO SOMETHING PHYSICAL AND TIMELESS.
Film faq's
How expensive is film?
A 5-pack of film (yielding 45-60 photos) costs about $75 these days. Then to develop that pack costs around $120. So, for every portrait session I do, I'd say I spend $350 or so to shoot, mail off, and develop your work! Multiply that by 5 for a wedding, and suddenly I've spent over $1K just on cost of materials alone.
what's the benefit to shooting film?
I use a lab called Photovisions to develop my work, & they do a stellar job color correcting & cleaning my film of dust & other eccentricities! When I get my rolls back they require zero editing, minus any cropping or changes I wish to make based on my needs for that photoshoot. It makes my life SO much easier, and the film images come to me looking gorgeous.
How do you go from film to jpeg?
My images get scanned and sent to me as JPEGs from Photovision, so no worries! If I need to edit anything, LIKE photoshop a random hand or purse out of a frame, fix a flyaway, etc., I've got you covered.
Does film really look better than digital? It's older.
Digital goes through 2 conversion processes when the image gets taken--once as a digital file in your camera, and a second time saving it as a JPEG. Film however, gets physically imprinted on film via chemicals and light, so in the camera it's actually a REAL tangible object you can hold in your hands. From there I can imprint that image onto silver paper in the darkroom and turn it into a real print (no digital conversions at all) or I can turn it into a JPEG, thus preserving more of the image's integrity. That's why film is actually higher quality and contains a higher resolution than digital. Don't let grain deceive you!
Do you teach film photography?
Yes! I'm very passionate about teaching & am willing to mentor 1:1 from start to finish, meaning shooting a roll, and then developing it in a darkroom in SLC! DM me on Instagram or on here if you're interested.
can I spread out my payments?
Yes! After we sign contracts, I can set up auto-payments in any increment and time frame you need, to make things work. The earlier you book, the better, so you can spread it out in smaller payments. Ideally you should book your wedding photographer a year in advance so we can plan an engagement shoot. For all other shoots, a few months in advance is just fine!
Do you collab with artists?
I do, and it's my favorite type of photoshoots! All of the bridal looks you see on here are styled by me, from start to finish. Every detail is my own creation, my find, my vision. I'm always looking for more like-minded brands, designers, and artists to work with.
can you shoot weddings at night on film?
Yes I can! I have multiple flash units for my cameras. I got you. :)