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Danielle Canady of Danielle Canady Photography incorporates film photography into her wedding-day packages. (Photo courtesy Danielle Canady)
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Photo courtesy Danielle Canady
In today’s age of weddings, couples can opt for photographs that nod to the nostalgic appeal of film or speak to the modern world of digital — or they can have the best of both worlds, merging old and new styles when capturing memories of their special day.
Photographers have been using film since the invention of the medium in the late 1800s. While it has taken a backseat to digital photography in recent years, many professionals have begun to incorporate film photography into their wedding offerings once again.
“A lot of photographers have been using film, but it’s becoming more mainstream,” says Danielle Canady of Danielle Canady Photography, adding that using film requires a broader thought process. “You have to take more into consideration when you do each shot.”
With every wave of “new photographers that enter the market, a resurgence of film also happens as they discover the medium for the first time,” says photographer Nikki Santerre.
Film and digital photography are distinctly different. Film has a soft, authentic look that’s hard to replicate through other mediums, while its contemporary counterpart produces sharp, clean photos immediately.
“In my opinion, film savors a moment in a different way than digital can,” Canady says.
Santerre agrees, adding that film renders color and skin tones true to life in a way that is effortless with minimal editing or manipulation. “It also has a nostalgic and evocative quality. It captures portraits in a truly artful way,” she says. “If the light is beautiful and a moment is emotionally charged, I’m likely reaching for my film camera over my digital. As a medium, it’s temperamental but authentic.”
Em White’s tintype photography produces heirloom-quality images reminiscent of vintage pictures. (Photo courtesy Em White)
Santerre fell in love with film photography after buying a medium-format film camera. “To my shock and delight, that first roll was magical,” she says. “I became addicted to that ‘Christmas morning feeling’ when film scans would come through to my inbox. Ever since, I have been advocating for film with both my clients and other vendors.”
Photographer and visual artist Em White believes film immediately reframes the pictorial experience as one with a foundation in feeling, aesthetic and the experience itself, rather than a precise, perfect record. She has found a specialty in tintype photography, a handmade analog process that dates back to the 1850s and looks very different from both film and digital.
“It creates a unique, one-of-a-kind photograph instantaneously,” she says. “The photographs are physical objects, black and white. They are archival, so unlike other prints they will not fade or degrade over time — they can become heirlooms or be passed down.”
White has a brick-and-mortar studio and a mobile darkroom. For weddings, she typically does on-site portraiture of the wedding for the party, couple portraits and occasionally a photo booth at the reception.
“The images themselves are really unique and stunning. They have a romantic, dreamy aesthetic, and I think that appeals to folks, especially when thinking about documenting a significant love or relationship,” she says. “You want the image to represent not just how things looked, but how they felt.”
