Film VS Digital Wedding Photography

 Does Film Make Your Wedding Photos Better?

There’s a romantic myth floating around that film is inherently better than digital. As someone who studied under masters like Ansel Adams and shot professionally on film for over 20 years, I get it. Film has a soul. A tangible elegance. But in 2025, it’s time to rethink that narrative with care, context, and honesty.

My Roots in Film: The Silver Era

My love for photography began in my grandmother’s darkroom with a Kodak Brownie. Later, I trained at Brooks Institute and deepened my craft in workshops with legends—most importantly, Ansel Adams. Black-and-white silver gelatin—handmade in the darkroom—produced prints with depth, subtlety, and permanence that felt almost sacred.

What Changed

Today, color film and darkroom silver printing are rare, expensive, and slow:

• Color film prints fade significantly over decades—often vanishing within 50 years or less.

• Quality silver-gelatin prints demand masterful technique and access to specialized labs—resources that are now rare. While today’s archival digital printing on fine art cotton rag or velvet-textured papers offers exceptional beauty and permanence, even at its very best, digital printing still cannot match the depth, luminosity, and tactile presence of a true silver-gelatin print. Silver gelatin carries a dimensional richness—the inky blacks, delicate highlights, and subtle tonal gradations—that remain unparalleled. For all its flexibility and convenience, digital is still chasing the timeless magic that silver gelatin achieved long ago.

• Digital files can also be edited, backed up multiple ways, and printed in various archival formats that last 80–100+ years. 

Cost, Speed & Flexibility

Every roll of film costs money—and there's no instant review. You might miss key moments as film advance mechanisms cannot compete with high speed shutters on digital cameras. Digital errors can be corrected instantly; low light is handled with modern sensors; and editing gives you both breadth and precision.

Archival fine art color digital prints not only rival but actually surpass traditional color film prints in longevity. Machine-made color prints inevitably fade—sometimes within just a few decades—while digital giclée prints on archival fine art papers remain vibrant for generations. That’s why, if you’re considering adding film to your wedding coverage, I always recommend black-and-white film over color.

For the reasons stated below, I do not offer film-only weddings. While I deeply value the timeless beauty of black-and-white silver gelatin film, relying on film alone leaves too much room for missed opportunities—especially on fast-moving wedding days. My style is rooted in a documentary approach, and one of the reasons so many couples choose me is because I capture those fleeting, unscripted moments as they unfold. Film simply can’t provide the speed, flexibility, or reliability needed to tell your full wedding story in this way.

That’s why I recommend hybrid coverage instead—pairing the luminous, soulful depth of black-and-white film with the breadth and reliability of digital. Together, they create a body of work that is both artful and complete: the nostalgic elegance of film alongside the expansive storytelling of digital.

Why Digital Wins (Especially for Weddings)

• Instant feedback and more coverage means no lost moments.

• Post-production control is infinitely greater—color, tone, contrast, exposure.

• Archival quality with pig­ment prints or digital C-Type prints rivals film in terms of fidelity and longevity

• It’s smoother and more reliable for fast-paced wedding days.

Final Thoughts

At the heart of it all, my goal is simple: to preserve your wedding day in a way that feels both authentic and timeless. Digital ensures that not a single fleeting moment is missed, while black-and-white film adds a soulful depth that elevates the story with a sense of permanence and artistry. Together, they create a complete tapestry—every laugh, every tear, every embrace captured with honesty and beauty. Hybrid coverage offers the best of both worlds, and I truly believe it’s the most meaningful way to honor such an unforgettable day.