Film Wedding Photographer: Why I Photograph Weddings on Film
Hey, I’m Steph, the girl with the weird hair behind the vintage cameras. I’m a film wedding photographer based in Colorado, servicing destinations across the US and Europe, who want their wedding day captured in a way that is actually honest, with the alternative edge I’m known for.
For me, wedding photography goes far beyond what the day looks like. In a sea of trends, and expectations, and produced “photo ops”, I’ve cultivated an intentional wedding photography experience for folks that want to look back on a day of true memories: No forced smiles, no rules, no faking it.
My Approach as a Documentary Wedding Photographer
My approach to your wedding day is ultimately to immerse myself as a guest: this is the best way that I can blend in, experience the day, and articulate that through your visual story. I genuinely am there first and foremost, celebrate and support you, and I spend time getting to know the friends and family that are important to you (how else would I know to take a photo of Sally you haven’t seen in 10 years, if she hadn’t told me?). Ensuring that you and your guests are comfortable with me, allows me to document things naturally as they unfold, while anticipating moments before they happen (and this is the heart of a documentary approach). Your wedding day would still happen whether or not you hired a photographer, and the day as it would truly happen, without my orchestration “for my portfolio”, is where the good stuff lives, so I won’t make you fake a single minute of it. Promise.
Instead, I want you to live it fully. And in the meantime, I won’t miss a thing.
Why I Shoot Film
I’ve been a film photographer longer than I’ve been a wedding photographer, and beyond showing my age a little bit, I’m forever grateful for this. Film goes beyond just a photographic medium; it’s the truest format in which I can photograph your day, because it’s genuinely the true capture of light. Time capsuled, in all the grit and grain and emotion, for a true reflection of the day.
For this reason, I primarily shoot film on a wedding day, weaving it through limited digital captures, for an analog film forward approach to your gallery. There’s no set amount of film rolls, and much of this is determined by the mood and pacing of your day, but it’s never an add on to your gallery.
A few of my favorite wedding photos on 35mm film and medium format, in their analog splendor:
Who I Work With
The couples I collaborate best with are planning non-traditional weddings with a deeply emotional, intentional approach, running towards the unexpected and planning wedding days that reflect their personalities, interests and values. They’re introverts, artists, creative and offbeat thinkers, and want their wedding experience to feel genuine and honest, and their images to reflect the same.
Chaos over perfection, you in?
