Why I Shoot 35mm Film at Weddings (and Probably Always Will)

I love digital photography, obviously. It’s fast, it’s beautiful and it means I can shoot a wedding exactly as it unfolds without worrying that I’ve only got 36 shots left in the camera.

But film?

Film has something else……

A bit of magic. A bit of nostalgia, a bit of well let’s see how this turns out.

And I bloody love it. 35mm Film Wedding Photography rocks

There’s something about 35mm film

I shoot 35mm film alongside digital at weddings because the two just work brilliantly together.

Digital gives me the freedom to capture everything, the big moments, the tiny moments, the chaos, the tears, the dance floor carnage and all the brilliant stuff happening in between.

Film makes me slow down.

With only 36 frames on a roll, I’m not firing off ten photographs of the same thing. I’m waiting. Watching. Looking for that one little moment that deserves a frame.

And somehow, that makes those photographs feel even more special.

Perfectly imperfect.

This is probably my favourite thing about film.

It isn’t clinically perfect.

There’s grain. There are unexpected colours. Sometimes there’s a bit of blur. Light does funny things. Every now and then you get something you absolutely weren’t expecting.

And THAT is the great stuff.

Because weddings aren’t perfect either.

They’re messy and emotional and hilarious and occasionally completely bonkers.

Your veil gets caught in a tree. Someone cries before they were supposed to. Your dad can’t tie his tie. Your mates get overexcited on the dance floor.

That’s your wedding.

And 35mm film has this wonderful way of making those moments feel like memories rather than just photographs.

It feels nostalgic before it’s even old

The colours. The grain. The softness. It has a timeless quality that I absolutely love. I want you to look at your wedding photographs in 20 or 30 years and remember how everything felt, not just what everything looked like.

Film does that ridiculously well.

Wedding Photography shouldn’t feel too polished

If you want every photograph perfectly posed, pristine and meticulously controlled, I’m probably not for you

I like movement. I like laughter. I like wind-blown hair and crumpled dresses and people doing things they probably shouldn’t after three glasses of champagne.

I want photographs with personality.

And that’s exactly why 35mm film has found such a permanent place in my camera bag.

It’s beautiful without trying too hard. A little unpredictable. A little imperfect. And full of character.

Basically, my kind of photography.

So do I photograph your whole wedding on film?

Nope!

I’m still primarily a digital wedding photographer, with 35mm film woven through your day. You get all the security, flexibility and story-telling of digital photography alongside a collection of gorgeous little analogue delights.

I’ll reach for the film camera when something feels right for it, beautiful light, a quiet portrait, your mates messing about or a moment that nobody else has noticed. It’s about weaving the two formats together to create a richer, more cinematic story of your day.

Film brings intention. Digital brings pace. Put the two together and your gallery becomes alive and layered.