Why we shoot film

A not-so-brief analysis of our steamy relationship to all things analog.

Let’s start with “What”

Film is the magical celluloid strip of joy that predates digital cameras. If you’re lucky enough to have achieved a certain age, you may remember disposable cameras and the childhood tomfoolery they often captured. Maybe your parents (or grandparents) had a film camera.

Or perhaps you’re new to the idea of film and wondering/hoping that it’s “still a thing.”

One thing is certain:

The look of analog film photography is something ingrained into our collective consciousness even if we never think about it. It’s the first and - in our opinion - best method humankind came up with to capture what it feels like to be alive.

If you’re getting married and want to lean into that chemical legacy, we’re your people.

Generally speaking…

Film tends to encompass some common formats like 35mm, 120/medium format, instant (e.g. Polaroid), large format, and a small handful of others we occasionally play with.

It’s truly a playground and we’re rompin’ in it.

we shoot film because it gets out of the way

The inconsistencies of film mirror the unpredictability of life: all the joy, quiet, chaos, and love.

A subtle light leak, a touch of motion blur, or soft focus on a tender moment – film champions and celebrates these subtle nuances. In doing so, it poetically echoes the spontaneity of being alive, and we think everyone subconsciously feels this.

Analog formats somehow translate that visceral and fleeting feeling of living in the moment, which is something everyone seems to feel that we’re losing as a culture (cue old man yelling at clouds).

Most notably, we believe the inherent beauty of film goes beyond what we've captured with digital over the past 12 years, and - while this isn’t an anti-digital take - we simply can’t get enough of it.

Film images, once developed and scanned, are beautiful straight out of camera. It doesn’t really require presets and hyper-technical camera settings to make it intriguing… in fact, many digital presets out there aim to emulate film itself.

Film naturally pops out 〰️ avant-garde 〰️ on its own without the added steps. So when we scan our negatives, we’re always a bit surprised with what we get back and joyfully pumped to begin taking it a step further in the editing room.

Our approach to editing is contextual - we view it as a process of enhancing what's already present, to embellish and elevate the preexisting drama of the image. Sometimes we barely touch it, and sometimes we edit the crap out of it to take a feeling and balloon it.

Some people are “editing purists” when it comes to film (we think that’s fine). We’re not (we think that’s also fine).

That said, 90% of the magic happens when we press the shutter. We don’t want our gear to pull us away from the present moment, because we value the experience and process of both the moment and image-taking. We think film does just that, and creates a holistic experience, for both us and our subject. Fewer digi-doodads means fewer digi-problems.

In short, film encourages us to relinquish any expectations we may be holding on to. It prompts us to set aside notions of how a photo should look and to embrace the spontaneity of it, much like life.

In order to do that well, we have to shift our mindset to celebrate the unexpected imperfections of film, because like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get.

And to wrap it all up, film cameras are just more fun for us. No other way to say it. The 80+ years leading up to the digital era were filled with fascinating developments – from standard 35mm formats to weird ones, wacky contraptions, and playful toy cameras. This rich history of off-the-wall cameras offers a spectrum of creative possibilities, making the process of creating our work into delightful play rather than “just another job.”

Carrying on a Legacy

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Lasting Significance

Film has an ability to preserve the raw emotions that people yearn to relive in a consistently unique way. It’s a beast that can’t be tamed, and remains a timeless medium against the ever-shifting landscape of photography trends.

We have nothing against digital photography, but we feel like it doesn’t preserve that visceral feeling of a moment in the same way. Film offers something else, and it’s a thing that can’t be duplicated.

We just don’t want our photos to succumb to the transient nature of trends that ultimately fade into oblivion, and we wager you don’t want that either.

That’s precisely why we think people are returning back to film.

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