Wedding day film photography is steeped in timeless allure, as the artistry of capturing weddings on film transcends the digital age, resulting in art.

Let’s delve into the artistry of seven distinguished wedding photographers, each bringing their flair and creativity to the world of film. Wedding photographers in Italy Stefano Santucci, Nicoletta Subitoni, Maria Bryzhko, Francesca Angrisano, and the talented Bernadeta Kupiec from Scotland, along with the visionary duo BrancoPrata and the artistic eye of Louise Golding from Portugal, will guide us through the intricacies of capturing the essence of love on film.

We will discuss the practical aspects of analogue wedding photography. We will weigh the pros and cons, contemplating the intentional pace of shooting on film against the immediacy of digital alternatives. While unravelling the financial considerations that come with this artistic pursuit, we will also dive into the emotive and nostalgic aspects that make film photography a cherished choice for capturing weddings. From the soft hues that only film can render to the unmistakable grain that lends each image a timeless character, we explore how analogue photography adds an extra layer of artistry to the couple's most significant day.

Film camera wedding vs digital wedding photography

Comparing analogue and digital photography goes beyond technical specifications. Analogue photography, with its use of film, introduces a tactile quality and unique aesthetic characterized by grain, warmth, and an inherently nostalgic atmosphere. On the other hand, digital photography boasts precision, clarity, and the ability to capture moments with instantaneous fidelity. The differences extend beyond the technical into the realm of emotions and aesthetics. Each has its own merits, and the choice often goes down to personal preference and the narrative one aims to convey. Moreover, each of our interviewed wedding photographers has their own experiences and approaches to film photography.

Stefano Santucci shares an illustrative example of the current situation with analogue wedding photography. A couple he had a video call with asked why he still uses analogue because they thought no one used it anymore. For him, the question was beautiful. Stefano admits that his best response came as an afterthought after the conversation. As he sees it, among the many reasons that push him to use analogue is the importance he gives to the error, to the mistake. He is very fond of his mistakes, they are the most intimate thing to entrust to a saint. Even more than wishes.

He believes that in error, we reveal our true nature. The mistake unmasks the facade. He admits that he never pretended to be a technical or perfect photographer. But he always hoped to find the beauty in the search, in the process towards an end. The mistake is the best testimony of this path. Analogue photography, for him, means a slow approach, a slow life, and a way to think better about what he’s doing. Giving more value to every frame and shot rather than having a burst of shots without thinking and hoping to get one or two good photos by pure chance.

Nicoletta Subitoni has her view on analogue photography – she considers that it is for those who love to wait for the moment. This type of photography needs time, and it’s meant for those who are in no rush. Analogue photography is one of burst shots that doesn't leave you much chance of making mistakes. Comparing it with digital photography, in Nicoletta’s eyes, these are two different worlds.

Speaking of what analogue photography means to her, she has been taking film photographs for 20 years, from when she was 6. She believes that the film will make you fall in love again. For her, it is important to give the couple some souvenirs on film even when they don't ask for them. When Nicoletta shoots on film, she can select the moment and choose these souvenirs.

When it comes to making comparisons, Maria Bryzhko states that the choice of film can be likened to the post-production process in digital photography. Emotionally, analogue photography represents what she considers the “photography of memories”. For example, when she reflects on her childhood photos, the ones she holds dearest are inevitably shot on film. They might be a bit blurry, too dark, or slightly (or a lot!) out of focus, but they evoke vivid memories, allowing her to recollect specific moments in intricate detail.

As she sees it, this personal experience significantly contributes to her visual education. Whether Maria captures images on film or using a digital camera, her approach to photography is profoundly influenced by this sentiment. For her, one compelling reason to work with film is that it imposes boundaries on you. You must carefully select the moment and contemplate your actions. The outcome is fewer photos but of higher quality, resulting in cinematic wedding shots. Maria’s Bryzhko love for analogue photography is expressed in the fact that all of her family life photos are on film.

For Francesca Angrisano, there’s also a big difference between digital and analogue, which lies in the naturalness of the film. She explains that a picture taken in analogue is pure, inartificial, unedited, unadulterated, just as turns out to the eye, with all the beauty of the imperfections and errors involved. It is light impressed on film. For her, who started her life as a photographer shooting only analogue during her three years of photography school, learning how to develop and print her photos is something that cannot be compared with digital.

She shares that returning to shooting in analogue after so many years was a unique, priceless thrill. As we can see from her story, analogue is something more than a tool for creating retro wedding photos. In the hands of experienced wedding photographers, a film camera becomes a new way of expression, and the photos acquire a whole new level of meaning.

Six reasons to have your wedding photographed on film

1. Stefano Santucci mentions a very important aspect to take into consideration – there will always be physical support (the negative) of your photographs. He emphasizes the physical. Not a digital raw/dng/jpeg file stored into a hard drive that may not be usable in 20 years. With a negative, it will always be possible to retrieve an image and print it again. Thus, analogue becomes a timeless wedding photography – literally.
2. Nicoletta Subitoni highlights the unique atmosphere, which gives the photographs great value. She elaborates that they gain this value because there are no other ten similar ones like the digital ones. They are unique, maybe not so many, but more significant.
3. For Maria Bryzhko, film photography has a distinct aesthetic, often described as having its soul. The resulting photos look and feel special, like genuine frames of life.
4. Francesca Angrisano shares that many couples she photographed this year where she shot both digital and analogue liked the film photos so much that sometimes they preferred them to digital. She thinks it's mostly because of that sense of nostalgia, for times gone by that we always need some way to relive.
5. Bernadeta Kupiec explains that digital photography is simpler, cheaper, and faster, and it is much easier to photograph a moment and set the necessary settings (aperture, shutter, ISO, focus point). Analogue photography needs a moment. It also depends on what camera you use. If you have an older analogue camera model, you need more time to set the focus, aperture, shutter and light. Newer models are more automated and easier to use.
6. Taking into account the cost of developing the film, buying the film and the fact that you can take 12/24/36 photos on a roll, you need to take photos more carefully. For her, this aspect, the necessity to take more thoughtful photos is the main reason why it's important to work on film. Additionally, there is some kind of magic in the photos captured on 35mm film, the feelings and nostalgia. The way they look like - the colours, blur, grain.

The risks of wedding day film photography

Just as with other things in wedding photography, analogue is becoming a trend. Stefano Santucci notes that because of that, many photographers now are putting themselves into film photography because it is a trend to follow. He advises to avoid people who do not show a clear identity and put yourself into people with a long experience.

Nicoletta Subitoni admits that, with film photography, there are important technical risks because nothing can be done again. With digital, you have 2 slots to shoot, you always use two cards, if something happens to one, you have a copy. In analogue photography, to ensure that everything will be captured, it is necessary to have a lot of experience and shoot the same moments with multiple cameras, even 3 times.

Maria Bryzhko adds that film photography needs good light, it often comes with a higher cost and entails potential challenges in handling and managing film rolls. Another aspect that is rarely talked about is that film photography is far from being sustainable. Bernadeta Kupiec says that digital photography is instant, analogue photography takes a little more time, and, due to costs, she does not take photos of everything. She knows she can't capture every moment, thus, she’s pickier about what she captures. She also knows that for technical reasons (time needed to adjust the settings) she may not catch important moments. Thus, she prefers shooting both, digital and 35mm film at this moment.

Francesca Angrisano has a stress-free attitude against the risks. As she explains, by shooting both ways (analogue and digital), she sees no risk because she always has a similar version of the shot in digital anyway. But for her, the beauty of the film lies precisely in its unpredictability. She shares that at her first wedding in 2001, she did it just in analogue. She was 22 years old and completely inexperienced, especially when it came to weddings. Looking back at it, it was a big risk, but it went well, and to this day, there remain some beautiful photos that she would like to take now.

Expenses of analogue wedding photography

It’s no surprise that, due to technical reasons, film photography is more expensive (especially after COVID, when Kodak production had many difficulties and since then, prices have increased by 3 times), but Stefano Santucci says that it’s still doable.

Nicoletta Subitoni adds that not only the films, the development, and the negatives, but in particular, the responsibility that a photographer takes to do this work sums up the costs of analogue wedding photography. Maria Bryzhko reminds us that one should not forget about the requisite skill of the photographer, which is reflected in their paycheck. Photographers must make informed choices, selecting the appropriate film and camera for specific situations.

Bernadeta Kupiec shares the expenses of analogue photography in Scotland. For example, you can buy analogue cameras for around £50, or you can buy them for £3000 (Leica, Contax, etc.). The film is purchased in packages of 5 films in one package. Thus, she has to pay £80-£150 for the entire package (depending on the film, company, store bought from, and delivery time). And you have to add the scanning costs to this. While film roll wedding memories may be more meaningful due to their uniqueness, not all photos will be usable. To illustrate, Bernadeta has 3-5 rolls in the wedding package, but she knows she will use about 7-10 rolls during the wedding.

Francesca Angrisano agrees that it is undoubtedly expensive, but she believes it is worth it, as the result always leaves you satisfied. And not having to edit the photos afterwards saves a lot of time in post-production. Thus, classic film wedding has some pros against digital photography.

As all the photographers mentioned, developing films adds up to the costs. The development process is different for each of them, some like to experiment and do that themselves, while some leave development in the hands of experienced professionals.

Stefano Santucci has been a film photographer since 2014, and he works, develops and prints by himself in the darkroom. He took many courses and felt the urgency to learn these procedures and be a more complete photographer than before. Speaking of analogue photo delivery time, he explains that the optimal limit would be 2 months.

But Nicoletta Subitoni and Maria Bryzhko sent their negatives to a laboratory that handles the development and scanning process. Maria explains that the time frame for this process isn't fixed, it varies based on the number of rolls she submits and their existing queue. As she sees it, this is one of the unique aspects of film photography—it encourages us to appreciate an artisanal workflow and teaches us the value of patience. In a world that often demands instant results and immediate gratification, the act of waiting can be a welcome and meaningful experience.

Francesca Angrisano admits that developing herself would require a studio space, additional time and experience. Bernadeta Kupiec also uses the advantages of a photo lab. She always asks the lab to send her tiff and jpg formats, thus, she knows she can fix them if necessary (straighten, remove some rubbish).

Analogue love story – full of surprises

Speaking of her experiences working with film, Nicoletta Subitoni recalls a wedding she did in July of which a good part of the photos was analogue. She saw it a thousand times, it was wonderful, the colours so real, so touchable, the grain of the black and white. She has a true passion for analogue wedding photography. She always shoots in analogue, even for those who don't ask for it to leave a memory on film. But she has never done an entire wedding only with film.

Shooting in digital and analogue (for some moments) is not easy, you have to be ready to capture the right moment, even on film, without neglecting the rest. It takes energy, concentration and experience. Luckily, she has never had any particular accidents, she believes it is necessary to use reliable technologies and not to use expired film except for tests or to have certain effects but only as something extra. As she’s observed, in Italy, when wedding guests see her with the analogue camera, they are surprised, few ask for film shots, whereas foreigners ask for them more often.

Regarding analogue photography, Maria Bryzhko has observed a charming concept at some weddings – when the couple provides disposable film cameras to their guests. It’s a way to create a retro film wedding gallery and adds an element of enjoyment.

Speaking of accidents that sometimes happen when working with analogue photography, Bernadeta Kupiec recalls her 15th wedding anniversary trip to Rome, where she was using a Canon AE-1 and forgot how to change the film. She has several cameras: Leica M6, Canon 300v, Canon AE-1, Pentax 645n, Fujifilm 945, and in each of them, the film and batteries are changed differently.

She was changing the film for the Canon AE-1 for the second time, and she had to Google how to do it while sitting on a park bench. The rest has been only good experiences. Bernadeta uses Canon 300v, where changing the film and focusing is also quick, she can use Canon lenses, of which she has plenty. She explains that she likes this moment when she has to stop and think about the photo she wants to take.

Romantic film wedding day – an extra to consider

Couples choose to capture their wedding day on film for various reasons – some because of their love of analogue photography, the aesthetics it features, nostalgia or exclusivity. Our photographers share how often the couples request them to include analogue photography in their packages.

Stefano Santucci says that 90% of his couples want him to shoot on film. That means classic film wedding shots are still very much in trend. The couples value the aesthetic, the slow approach, the relaxing and elegant way to work on it, and the fact that those images will last forever and have physical support on prints.

In Nicoletta’s Subitoni experience, Italian couples don't often choose a package that contains analogue photos, while foreigners often do. These are people who have experienced the film in their homes with their fathers, for example, those who love art and know how to appreciate something not always so clear and glossy, and those who have used film and know about it. Nicoletta appreciates these requests as she believes and sees beauty in timeless analogue weddings. Maria Bryzhko has a similar experience – couples request to include film photos in their wedding photography. Most often, these couples have artistic or creative professions and backgrounds, and some may even be photographers themselves.

Bernadeta Kupiec has a slightly different approach – she likes shooting on film when there is a second photographer with her. Thus, she doesn’t have to stress that she will miss some important moments, and she can capture, for example, the first kiss on the film, while the second photographer does the same on a digital camera. She has never photographed the whole wedding day in a film, but she would love to – it might be a very interesting experience.

But Francesca Angrisano takes film photographs at every wedding because it’s an integral part of her style. She even started editing her digital with a colour that resembles film precisely so that they would fit perfectly in the same gallery, while the film photos have a black border around them so that they can be recognized and keep their own identity. Unfortunately, no one has asked her to have a wedding solely in film, but she admits that it would be a nice experience, risky, but she would love it!

The ones mentioned before definitely are not the only ones doing film photography. If you ask your wedding photographer, there’s a fair chance they are doing it at some level. For example, Andre Texeira from BrancoPrata is a film photographer at heart since that is the method he used while studying photography because, back then, there were no digital cameras, only film. Also, that is how he started to shoot weddings. He’s been shooting weddings for more than 25 years, so in the beginning, film was all that existed, digital came way later. And he’s happy to say that he still does it today.

Louise Golding is also committed to the art of analogue wedding photography. Louise's work is distinguished by a touch of editorial glamour. Drawing on her unique perspective, she effortlessly transforms love stories into visual poetry, capturing the essence of contemporary romantics with an artful finesse. In an era dominated by digital precision, Louise embraces the deliberate pace and nostalgic charm of film, adding an extra layer of authenticity and timelessness to the visual tales she tells.

The many nuances of film photography

Analogue photography is a topic that can be discussed technically, compared to digital photography, but it can also be looked at philosophically as it inspires discussion. To illustrate this, Stefano Santucci provides another point of view: AI intelligence. He has thought of this aspect many times. In a few years, people will not be able to recognize an image made by a photographer or from an artificial intelligence. As Stefano sees it, shooting on film is and will be maybe the only way to show that this is your work, you did it, with your hands, and that’s not a product of a program. That’s because you have the negative, and it is physical support. Not a file.

The element of surprise in analogue photography

To conclude, let’s quote Francesca Angrisano: “I can say that film is magic, you don't know what will come out until you develop it, and every time I get an email with scans from my developer, I feel like a little girl getting Christmas presents and can't wait to unwrap the packages!”

Author: Renāte Berga

Wedding photographers: Stefano Santucci, Nicoletta Subitoni, Maria Bryzhko, Francesca Angrisano, Bernadeta Kupiec, BrancoPrata, Louise Golding