What is Film Photography?

In our fast-moving world of instant gratification, there’s something magical about returning to film photography. The type of photography our parents and grandparents used to document life’s biggest moments. When you click the shutter and have to wait days – or weeks – to get the images back and relive the moments all over again. Today I’m sharing more about why I love film photography as a Northern Virginia family photographer and choose to offer it to my clients.

Quick note- when I say “film,” I don’t mean video — this is sometimes the first thing we think of when we hear the word film. Instead, I mean film photography rolls sent off to a lab to be developed in a darkroom.

My film journey

Seven years ago, I picked up a 35mm film camera for a trip to New York City. I had been in business for a few years at that point, but I felt like something was missing as an artist.

Little did I know, film would breathe magic back into my work. It made me feel like an artist painting a brush with each click of the shutter. Waiting to get the film scans was a breath of fresh air instead of constantly checking the back of my camera to make sure I “got the shot.” And getting the film scans back felt like Christmas morning!

I knew others may want this type of photography style, so I had to offer it to my clients.

Film photography basics

First, film photography means shooting on old school film rolls that you manually insert into a film camera. Film photography IS NOT recording video – this is a common question I get, so I like to clarify!

After your session, the film rolls are mailed to a lab where each roll is developed in a darkroom and turned into digital scans. Here are the two common film types used.

Why I love film photography — and so do my clients

Film is often referred to as having a soft, dreamy look. The colors are richer. The grain adds texture and depth. It renders gorgeous, natural skin tones that require minimal editing and are softer compared to the sharpness of digital photography. Skin imperfections and blemishes often times don’t even show up on film.

Film also evokes nostalgia, taking us back in time to when life felt slower and moments were captured more deliberately. There’s something extra meaningful about having life’s biggest memories captured on film — just like your parents and grandparents did.

Outside of that, you also get a more curated set of moments. Each click of the shutter counts, and by default, your photographer will be incredibly careful about each and every one. 

Taking the time to get the light, angles, and technical settings just right results in breathtaking, unique images. Each one tells its own story. It’s often why the film ones are the favorites in the gallery, the ones that allow you to feel the moment.

By extension, learning how to shoot film makes you a better photographer over time. With film, you have to get it right in camera. After shooting film for the past 7 years, my digital work has improved significantly since I apply the same techniques.

Travel film photography

In fact, I love film photography so much it’s the only camera I bring with me when I travel. If I’m going on a trip I want to include in the print shop, I usually bring my Pentax and shoot medium format. For shorter, more casual trips, I bring my 35mm. I love the freedom of only taking a handful of the very best shots, and then getting those back in a few weeks. By then I’ve forgotten what I took, and it’s the best way to relive those memories! I also don’t have to cull through thousands of images and try to pick the best ones. I already did that before I took the shot, and it makes the process much more enjoyable.

Comparing film vs digital photography

Here’s a quick comparison between film and digital photography. Both have their benefits and drawbacks, which is why I offer both mediums for my clients.

Why film photography is expensive

Between the cost of the film rolls themselves (purchased before your session), shipping to labs, and $23 to develop each individual roll at the lab, it all adds up. 

In simple terms, each click of the shutter costs nearly $3 these days. And the costs seem to be going up every year. This is why photographers are so intentional with every shot!

That price also doesn’t account for having additional film cameras — I have two so that one’s a backup in case something happens to my main one. Film cameras are older and can sometimes need expensive care and maintenance because parts are discontinued and fewer camera repair shops will work on film cameras. 

However, it’s worth it to me because offering film photography sessions breathes life into my work. Even when I only use digital, I’m applying everything I’ve learned from film photography into my work. And for me, that means everything.

Why I also use my digital camera

When you add film photography to your session, I also bring my digital camera. As much as I love film and would love to shoot it exclusively, there are certain scenarios where digital makes the most sense (fast-moving toddlers, low-light scenarios). For the “looking at the camera, smiling” shot I like to use digital because I want you to get a few options for those. If anyone blinks on film, I can’t fix it.

Depending on the moment, light, and background, I alternate between my film and digital cameras to give you the best of both worlds.

Is film photography for you?

If you love the idea of film photography — either the look of film or the idea of each photo being a unique one-of-a-kind piece of art — you may want to add it to your session. Many of my film clients have worked with a film photographer in the past, or are film photographers themselves! For example, I love getting our own photos taken on film as a personal preference. I simply love the art form and prefer to have our moments captured that way when possible.

However, my work is very consistent even when I use digital. In fact, you may not be able to tell the difference! I’ve spent many years perfecting the art of editing my digital photos to look like film. And my eye will be the same for both types of sessions.

So it truly comes down to personal preference and your budget! The one benefit is when I shoot with film, I know exactly how to match my digital scans since I have them as a reference point. When I shoot digital, I’m editing in a way that I believe the film would have rendered. You can see a couple examples below.

If you prefer not to invest in adding film to your session, choosing digital will still result in beautiful photos that match my overall photography style.

What to expect when you add film photography

After your film photography session, I’ll prepare the film rolls and mail them out to my film lab. I adore PhotoVision and have been using them for many years. They’ll develop and scan the rolls, then email the film scans back to me when they’re ready.

It usually takes about 3 weeks to get them back, which is one of the reasons my turnaround time is 4 weeks. I need time to mail them out, get them developed, and then edit the digital images to match your film scans. Until I have the film scans, I can’t start editing.

However, once I get the scans it doesn’t take too long to edit! The film scans often don’t require much editing (they are often perfect as they are). I always shoot in color for film, but I will convert some of them to black and white.

Final thoughts

I hope that helps you understand film photography and what it means for your photos! If you have more questions, or if you’re unsure whether adding film photography to your session is right for you, I would love to connect. Send me a note here or email me at info@emilyalyssa.com.

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