Open Mike Night #28 - The Coming Change
Friday, June 26, 2009 at 4:35PM Hello Everyone,
I have been photographing weddings for 11 years and love what I do for a living. When I first began, I used film. Aside from a few people who had incredibly fat pockets that was about the only choice at the time! In 2005 I transitioned to a digital workflow, albeit kicking and screaming. The protest wasn't out of "longing for the good old days" or any other sentimental value, but simply because I was hesitant to trust digital media as much as film.
In my experience, the digital images were not as rich as the film images. Sure, they were sharper and in some cases more vibrant, but they didn't fully match what I had hoped they would be. Still, I made the switch because of the immediacy of the medium and felt my clients would benefit from that.
Fast forward another few years to today and now another change is coming. It's not in the direction that many photographers are going by adding the latest and greatest DSLR and capturing video at the same time. It's not by adding all kinds of impressive new products and astonishing gadgets to my bag. It is a return to simplicity.
As I referenced last week, several months ago I began to feel that my vision had been clouded by several things. One of them was equipment, and the other was being focused on too many things other than the moment itself. So I decided to do something about it. Use film.
Ah yes, that old stuff. The medium our parents and grandparents used. Their cameras didn't have 1080p and ISO 25,000, yet we treasure those images; there is just something special about holding childhood prints in your hands. They are timeless.
I used a Minolta X-300 and a Yashica 635 and captured some images that sparked my curiosity. After investing an incredible amount of time testing film, researching film, and praying about film...I am choosing to take my imagery to a film based product. Why? I could give you a bunch of reasons and talk with you for an hour over the phone, but the main reason is that it fits the vision of what I want for my art. In no way am I condemning digital, nor am I saying that it will be completely out of my bag. However, it will not be the primary focus of what I will offer in the months to come.
I'll close by sharing a few film images from some recent sessions. They don't look anywhere near as amazing as they do in person, and oh how I wish you could see these prints and hold them in your hands. The prints have depth, amazing color, and such warmth. They are truly - straight out of the camera - beautiful. After looking through several hundred film images with me, Leah said it best with this sentence..."they are real life".
This post would not be complete without thanking a few people who have mentored me along the way with lots of helpful insights and discussions.
Jonathan Canlas
Leah McCormick
Richard Israel
Another special thanks to Richard Photo Lab for absolutely rocking my world. Your quality and customer service is second to none! I am so excited about what the days ahead hold in store for our relationship.
Best Wishes,
Michael
P.S.
The wedding images were taken while working with my buddy Doug Miranda - more to come from that wedding soon!
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Reader Comments (18)
Woohoo! Awesome stuff! Every time I see film images I get more excited about the medium. :)
My hat goes off to you for following something you believe in. In a digital world, it's scary to think about 'going back' to film. Your images are beautiful and I love the colours of the peacock feathers and purple flowers - gorgeous. As always, beautiful images :)
Awesome! Those are lovely images, film definitely has a certain charm to it! If film is the medium that helps inspire you and create your art then film is totally what you should be doing!
Impressive.
Michael, these are gorgeous! Full pockets are not necessary, only full hearts! You are clearly taking your photos with a sublime love for the art of photography and character of your clients. Welcome back to film photography : )
Hi Lindsay - thank you so much! I am excited too and looking forward to seeing more of your work.
Best Wishes,
Michael
Bri - your encouragement is always so welcome! Thanks for your kind comments - it's always great to hear from you.
Best Wishes,
Michael
Hi Tiffany - thanks for your comments as well! It definitely has a certain look and feel that I totally love.
Take care,
Michael
Thanks Nate! I certainly find many things about film impressive and am thrilled to be going back.
Best Wishes,
Michael
Hi Leah,
Thank you a million times over! You have been such an inspiration to me and I look forward to learning more from you in the days ahead.
It's great to be back! :-)
Take care,
Michael
Um...These pictures are amazing. I love the textures that film brings. Way to grab hold of your roots! :) xoxo
Hi Anna - thanks for your encouragement! I really am so excited about what the days ahead will bring with my return to film. Thanks for stopping by!
Best Wishes,
Michael
Simply breathtaking! No kidding here those images are amazing.....I only wish I could see the prints! Thanks for the inspiration from another photographer moving back to film.
Hi Sean,
Thanks for your kind comments and great feedback! I am excited to hear that you are returning to film as well - email me if you need anything!
Best Wishes,
Michael
Looking at these again. Wow!
Thank you Lydia! Isn't film beautiful?
Take care,
Michael
I cannot believe this is true!
Hello Pia,
Thanks for your comment! It can be hard to believe that film can make an impression in our very digital world, but believe me, it's amazing! Grab some 400H and send it to Richard - you'll love them!
Best Wishes,
Michael