Digital vs. Film
April 22, 2011 No CommentsThe question most asked of me is; ‘Why do you still shoot film?’ I’ll try to answer the question with a few visual examples. To be honest with you I have both digital and film cameras. They both have their purpose, but I use film when photographing clients as well as my own children.
The first reason I give people for shooting film is because I like the color and contrast it produces. The second reason is the archival quality. I am going to address the color issue here and will save the archival conversation for a later post.
When I did a recent photo shoot of my children I decided to take both film and digital photos. The cameras I have deal with light a little differently so I adjusted for it and shot with both to be able to do this comparison.
Now, you can adjust for what color you want by choosing different film. For example the film I use for portraits is a natural color film. The reason I choose this is because I believe the skin tone of a person comes out so natural and oftentimes more flawless than it looks in ‘real life’. I have also noticed that the digital camera can make a person’s face look a bit washed out compared to the film, as in the examples below (all photos shown have not been modified):
I want to talk a little about the different film options. The first decision to make is color and black & white. Once you have chosen one over the other, you still have options to choose between. I’ll start with color because that is what I have samples of here.
When choosing color film you have a ton of options and it really depends on what you are shooting. There are natural color films that make a person’s skin tone look most natural. You can choose a vivid color film if you are shooting a landscape where you really want the green grass to pop out. Different manufacturers give you different color. One example of this is Fuji; using this film will really make the sky blue and the grass green.
Now, on to black & white film. Just as with color, you have many options. You can play with contrast, choose a grainy film to make it look really old-school, or choose an even-gray tone that will give you great detail. So many options to play with!
I love to take a ‘classic’ photo. Many of my children’s photos have them dressed in classic clothing. When you lose the rich texture of the clothing in a photo they can look cut-rate. This is yet another reason to use film to gain a look of rich texture. Yes, I could take your photos digitally and Photoshop them to get close to the color and texture you desire, but you are hiring me because I have the training and experience to capture beautiful film photographs the very first time. Sometimes the differences are subtle, but to my eye the quality difference lies in the use of film for long-term satisfaction.
In closing, I believe that the artistry in taking photos is just that, taking the photo. I love shooting a roll of film, turning it in to the lab, and getting it back to see how each shot turned out. I hope that you have the same satisfaction when I hand over the finished product!
Babies, Children, Photo shoot ideas, Portfolio
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