Well now that we’ve gone through Parts 1-4 of the kickoff to the new series, Film Friday, let’s take a look at the score!

During Part 1 of this series I talked about the difference in colors between film and digital photos. In the end I came to the conclusion that I much prefer the color palate that I can achieve with film. My favorite film stock is Fuji Pro 400H and I love the beautiful pastel palate that I can achieve when overexposing this stock. I summed it up by saying that every digital camera and every film stock is like having different boxes of crayons to choose from. My favorite boxes of crayons just happen to be film! Film = 1 point. However, similar results can be achieved with digital photos, but this requires time in post processing. So due to the fact that I can get results similar to film, but also taking into consideration the time that must be spent in post processing to get these results, I will give digital a 0.5 point.

COLOR | Film – 1 | Digital – 0.5

Part 2 of this series discussed the topic of dynamic range. Again, film offers a better dynamic range than digital, especially when discussing the highlights in photos (which is a big deal for me). I recently wanted to capture a shot of a horse field at a wedding. There were some clouds in the sky and the tree line I wanted to photograph was backlit. I knew that shooting this scene on digital (and exposing for the shadows in the trees) would render the sky a solid white, but I also knew that if I shot this on film, I would be able to see the clouds in the sky AND see the details in the shadows. But again, digital photos can be manipulated in post processing to achieve a similar exposure, but this takes time. I prefer not spend hours behind a computer to get a result that I know I can get SOOC with film. Digital cameras are getting better and better, but I feel film still has the upper hand here, especially when we compare photos that are SOOC.

DYNAMIC RANGE | Film – 1 | Digital – 0.5

I talked about the overall aesthetic of the photos in Part 3. I think everyone can agree that film looks different than digital, and while this is definitely subjective, my preference is the overall aesthetic of film. I think that film has a more nostalgic look to it. It also has a softer look, which is perfect for romantic weddings and beautiful brides. It’s hard to describe but somewhere in between the grain of the film and the softer focus I find my inspiration. When you write your own series you can award points however you want to! ;) But for this photographer it is…

OVERALL AESTHETIC | Film – 1 | Digital – 0

In the last segment, Part 4, I talked about the practicality of the workflow and cost of film compared to digital. In the end film photographers can make just as much money as digital photographers despite the high cost of shooting film (i.e. film photographers can rack up a $1000-$1500 bill from a wedding in the blink of an eye). While shooting film requires a photographer to invest their hard earned money, digital photographers are required to invest their precious time in post processing. I know I love being a photographer because I LOVE to create beautiful images in camera and I love working with my clients. I also do not love sitting at my computer and processing digital images for hours on end. So here is the breakdown on this:

WORKFLOW | Film – 1 | Digital – 0

COST | Film – 0 | Digital – 1

I already know what my favorite medium is. And again, this comparison is largely subjective but I just wanted to walk through some of the reasons why I think film is AWESOME! I know I prefer the workflow and end result that I get when shooting film. And yes, those bills from the lab hurt, but it’s not enough to upset the benefits that I get from shooting film. So I will continue to work towards shooting more and more film until I reach my end goal of shooting weddings and photo sessions entirely on film!