Portrait of a Georgia Minister / Kodak Portra 160

We were driving back from Florida when we turned off of I-95 into the little town of Horse Stamp, Georgia. We met this pastor there. He asked if he could bless our car before we continued on our way. I said sure, if I can make your portrait. -M

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The fine art approach isn’t a model that needs to be mimicked. It’s a framework, a mind-set. – Jose Villa

Film Blog

A lot of people seem to be talking about “film” in the photography world at the moment, and it seems almost as if serious photographers have collectively, almost subconsciously, started to drift back towards a medium once passed off as being as outdated as vinyl records.

After a few months “fiddling” with it… we begin to understand why…

Now, first things first..
We are not “film photographers…”
We are not “digital photographers…”
We are photographers…

We photograph people. We photograph weddings.

Cameras are our tools, the means to an end. They are (expensive) pieces of equipment put in our hands, and left alone they are completely void of creativity.

As a tool, digital cameras offer almost limitless possibilities to photographers. With our DSLRs and “fast” lenses, we can photograph scenes in next to no light even without the aid of off camera flash (though it helps!). With a few 16GB cards, we shoot several thousand photos easily before popping one card out and putting another in.

But that said…

There is just something about film… maybe about the experience of film… that we just fell in love with.

Hours spent searching for inspiration in 2012 eventually led us to purchasing Elizabeth Messina’s “The Luminous Portrait.”

Her book is now what we call our photography Bible.

It approaches photography from not so much a technical point of view, but a person’s point of view.

She spends multiple chapters, beautifully adorned by her work, reinforcing how it’s less about the camera, the technical stuff, the settings, the complications, and more about 2 things – connecting with your subject and connecting with the good light.

It’s a fantastic read whether you’re into digital photography or film… but there was one aspect of her personal workflow that appealed to us. By shooting only film, and properly exposing the film, she has more time to connect with subjects whether than constantly changing settings, or worrying about how to edit something out later.

We simply had to give it a try.

Shooting our first rolls of film was exciting and expensive.

No, film is neither fast nor cheap.
But we love working with it. The patience it demands, the understanding, the pause you have to take before you release the shutter.

Just looking through the viewfinder of our Contax, you can create a picture so beautiful it makes gives you butterflies in your stomach. The viewfinder is massive and you can see the depth of field change in real time. With fingers on the focus ring of the gorgeous 80mm Zeiss glass, we watch subjects melt in and out of focus.

With our first wedding of the “season” coming up next month (May 2013), we can hardly wait to incorporate this newfound love into our workflow.

If you’re interested in trying out film, consider these completely from-our-experience, non-scientific tips. Again, based only on our first impressions.

 Exposure: You seem to be able to capture a wider spectrum of color when shooting film. The chance of getting blown out highlights and shadows without any detail is lower than when shooting digital, and if you know anything about your exposure, it’s actually almost impossible. This is especially helpful, as when you put a roll of film in, you have to commit to the film speed of that roll.

Metering: Don’t rely on the metering system in your camera. Use a lightmeter, or even a light reading app, and expose for the darkest area of your subject. Don’t worry about highlights in the sky as you would with digital. You can push the film a bit further than digital cameras – there is more room for over- and under-exposure. This is probably the most important difference between the two. After a while, you memorize what exposures work best in which light situations.

 Time: Yes, film makes you wait for the results. The tension grows and the patience (also of the subject) is tested. But film has a major time advantage for photographers: next to no time spent on editing. If you know your techniques and settings your pictures will return to you the way you would try to make them look after hours spent photoshopping or in lightroom. We always feel like it is Christmas morning when we find our lab’s “Scans are ready” message in our inbox. By the way, if you shoot film you should check out Indie Film Lab – they are amazing.

 Feel: There’s something rustic and artistic about shooting film. You feel like you’re part of something important, like you’re creating history. There’s a nostalgic quality to it that helps create a greater emotional investment in what you are creating. Okay, maybe that’s a bit exaggerated but that’s just us.
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Money: Shooting film will cost you. From purchase to scan we pay about $22 per roll. One roll has about 16 pictures (on 120mm film). Unlike with digital, ever time we release the shutter, we are spending money. Imagine shooting weddings at this rate. If you shoot film you professionally will need to consider adjusting your pricing to make sure you’re not making loss. And since there are no “re-runs” and no “chimping” with film it really makes you think twice about the image you’re about to take. Is it perfect? Is it worth it? Is the focus right? Are my settings spot on?

We are so excited to be blessed with the opportunity to create unforgettable images with so many amazing couples using a combination of new & old techniques. We are looking forward to capturing memories and fleeting moments on professional DSLRs throughout the wedding day until deep into the night, but we are also very eager to bring this “film” approach to our wedding photography and wedding portrait process.

Hope you enjoyed this little update into our “film journey…” Maybe we can inspire someone else to try it out themselves…

 

Jasmine & Damian /fujipro 400

Morgan & Mark / Kodak Portra 400

Early morning in Horse Stamp, Georgia / Kodak Portra 160

Portrait of a Georgia Minister II / Kodak Portra 160

Carina & Aicha / Fujipro 400

Jasmine & Damian / Portra 160


Jasmine & Damian/ Portra 400

Aicha / Fujipro 400

Nic & Aicha / Fujipro 400

Nic & Aicha / Fujipro 400

Nic & Aicha / Fujipro 400

Curious little squirrel / Fujipro400

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If you’d like to contact us with an inquiry for your wedding or couple session, send us a message at info@michaelandcarina.com, or call 757-401-2551. 

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