NathanHamler Offline Upload & Sell: Off
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i'm NOT trying to start a war here, and i HONESTLY just want help understanding this....
Over on Fstoppers, i just saw the post about velvia 100f being disco'd, and no longer being produced, etc...millers is no longer offering film services as of the end of the year....i mean, it really is becoming extinct...so it got me thinking...again....why even shoot film anymore??
i've shot film, and yes i understand the "benefits" (in certain situations), and yes i understand the "look" that you get from film...but i just dont see any of that being a valid argument as to WHY you would still shoot film anymore....
I was just talking with a colleague today about him shooting film....he shoots weddings, starts at $5k, some would consider it "high end" others not...i'm not sure what i consider that anymore...but anyway.....he doesn't shoot ALL film, just some...i'd say mostly digital... i know he's not doing it b/c the clients WANT film...at least the MAJORITY of his clients aren't coming to him saying "my wedding HAS to be shot on film.....they just want the LOOK....his photos do have a "look" to them....his digital stuff all has the film look as well...but he shoots film too......and i guarantee they cant tell the look of ACTUAL film, vs the digital file he ran through an action in PS...they just want that look.....TO ME, him saying he "shoots film" is just a way to gain "cred" with other photogs, and up the price a little (which when you think of the added costs, and time, i'm not sure it evens out)....and all he's doing is making his life harder...having to worry about labs getting it right, worrying about what companies are x-raying packages now, then having scans done, etc...
That opens up another argument......As a wedding photographer, we think of ourselves as artists. Some clients see us that way as well, others want us to simply deliver a service. Either way, you better freaking deliver if you're charging someone ANYTHING, price aside. Anything less is just being a bad person. So what happens if something goes wrong with the film...there's a lot that can go wrong with digital as well...i just think the odds are less with digital capture now days, especially when you consider dual card slots, back up drives, recovery software, etc....i mean, fogged film is fogged film. it's done. How do you take someone's money, assure them of your ability to deliver, and then outsource a massive step in the "process", by letting someone else develop your film??
like i said, he's not shooting 100% film....valid point....he's just throwing some shots in there...BUT, there are photographers who DO shoot exclusively film.....those are really mainly the people i'm pondering these questions to...
So to those people....are the MAJORITY of your clients saying they MUST have FILM, or are they saying they MUST have YOU...and your look. That's my question. Because if it's the LOOK they're after....why are you still shooting film to get it, when they prob cant tell the difference.
TRReichman has said on his podcast before that (to sum up) a lot of wedding photographers shoot to impress other wedding photographers....which to me, shooting film is one of those ways of impressing....
(again, i'm SO sorry if this offended anyone, or came across as douchy, just trying to understand)
Edited on Jul 20, 2012 at 12:04 AM · View previous versions
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