Hello gang.

When my wife and I got married, we chose a photographer who shot exclusively black & white film in a photo-journalistic fashion. If I were getting married today, I would still make that choice.

I've always wanted to shoot a wedding purely on B&W film, and my good friend Sam Hassas was able to provide me an opportunity to do so, out in California this past weekend. The wedding was all in one (lovely) location, so it was the perfect opportunity to second shoot a wedding without having it look like a "second shooter set."

These scans are mediocre, but I don't really have time to create better scans right now. In the next day or so once I've settled on my selections, I will be sending these negatives to Robert Cavalli for him to work his darkroom magic and create a series of fiber prints for a new sample album. This whole enterprise has been and will continue to be astronomically expensive, but I plan on offering this option as my premium package for next season.

I was going to wait and post scans of the prints, but a number of people have expressed an interest in seeing these, and to be honest your reactions/critiques may help sway me on finalizing my album selections.

For the most part:
The indoor pre-ceremony shots were on Ilford Delta 400 @ 1600.
The outdoor shots are a mix of Delta 400 and HP5+, both @ 400
The ceremony shots are Delta 3200, either @ 1600 or 3200

I shot 24 Rolls of film for 738 exposures.

Many thanks to Sam for making such a gorgeous couple and venue available for my experimentation, and to PeterFriday for his assistance. I never would have been able to keep track of my film (and what I'd pushed or pulled!) without him.

1.

These are going to be quite wonderful in the finished product. Love to see them first hand up close and personal. Clearly they are suffering from the scanning and losing a lot. That said you can read between the lines a bit and forecast how amazing the final product will be, well done.

Dave

*shakes your hand* seriously man. that whole set was wonderful.

seriously!!!!
best I have ever seen from you ever

* I will edit my post to insert my new thoughts.

IMO here is why your film work will be different (and I think better) than your digital work.

Authenticity
This does matter, the way you explained it on the phone makes perfect sense. A Baines BW is never truly a Baines BW until it is shot on film. Your intentions are always to make the BW looks like film so unless it is shot on film, something will always feel like it is missing.

Look
Film looks different plain and simple. The untrained eye may never know or care about the difference but for those that will have you shoot film will be able to instantly tell the difference.

Skillz
Their is no playback button on the 1v. So it is either right or it is not right. This takes mad skills and a strong stomach. 95% of wedding photographers would never give up their digital cams because it just makes it sooo much easier. Film may be harder to keep track of, more expensive and more stressful but these images prove film will never die.

Client Experience
Even though negatives can be scanned I would venture to say that you would meet with clients to go through printed proofs of the wedding. Yes some of us meet with clients afterwords and do a big projected slide show but actually seeing the proofs and negatives is so old fashion and romantic, a completely different experience.

You have inspired me to get out my film stuff and go to work. I have not shot film in so long that it will be interesting to see what I can come up with.

Simply Wow
doug

Wow. Lots of wonderful shots. Quite a few really stand out. Love the style, the B+W is awesome and even though the finished product will be awesome. Some those shots look REALLY good as is with the grain and scanning remnants.
The venue looked great too.

Wonderful job.

*swoon* you already know my (numerous) gasping images.

My left side is impressed, and my right side is beyond jealous.

I have tried very hard to get someone to go for a completely black & white session... I'm even willing to have it be something other than a wedding... so far no bites

Everything about this set is atrociously awesome... venue is great, bride is like Hot Cubed then multiplied by 37 ... emotions are fantastic, and you obviously used a very good camera because it took great photos!

yep... it would be interesting to see the final product.

Really cool Evan. I have a wedding this weekend and i think i am going to pull out an EOS 7 and load some B&W film.
thanks for the inspiration.

Love the blacks and rendering of transitions from mid tones into shadows - especially on the skin.

I have to go find some film - looks like a road trip to the camera store.

My favorite - there are a lot.
The pre-wedding shots have a lot of presence.
Wedding shots are very nice - love the black rendering in the suits.
Post wedding: really sweet... poses plus how film renders the couple.
Reception ... my favorites are of the couple dancing.

On a first pass - not many throw aways if any. Nope - i like them all.

I was also thinking about conversations that come up here about processing and the test of time. This work here will clearly stand the test of time and yet has a modern look in some shots.

For me re-enforces the importance of composition and capturing the moment over all the gear talk and pp.

Later,
_Mark

I'm a b&w freak so I'm totally awestruck with these. If you don't mind me asking.... what is your camera of choice?

you've now conquered wedding photography.

maybe pick a new career just to be challenged again...

wow....

i'm too in shock (and awe) to come up with anything better at the moment...

Tony Hoffer wrote:
you've now conquered wedding photography.

maybe pick a new career just to be challenged again...

...watch it, Hoffer!

I'm insanely biased, but I can't stop looking at 'em.

78 and 79...wow. Excellent shooting sir. Love the look and feel. The grain is so delicious.

I can't quite put my finger on it yet but there just seems to be this leeway with film that you don't get with digital. If I shoot with my film camera I could care less if it was tack sharp. As long as the subject is in focus I then look at the composition and the overall 'feel' of the photograph. With digital, I'm wanting to pixel peep to make sure every strand of hair is crisp. It's ridiculous. I feel like I've traded away some of the artistic freedoms I had with film.

Well done Evan! Talk about making every shot count. When I first started shooting weddings for a big company here in TO, we were given 30 rolls of film max. for an 8 hour wedding and were taken to task for 'wasted' shots. It's a lesson I've carried with me to digital.

This is why I visit this forum! This one wedding collection is better than most photographer's entire portfolio that I've seen.

Gui.

If I had to pick one out there's no doubt for me that it would be nr 2. I immediatly liked this photo. It gives me the feeling that I'm standing in the hallway as an invisible observer ..wondering what she's looking at or what she's thinking. Unfortunately we can also see your pictures on the screen because on print it would be wonderful.

since few are posting faves, i'll share mine

4. 13. 14. 22. 26. 36. 45.

40!!

78!!!!!!



48!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If this doesn't prove that good people photography is about light and emotion and not the adobe company and current trends,nothing will.

jf

these are awesome, film or not, just great photography

Holy hotness, man. Those are absolutely incredible. I'm just in awe. Too much greatness to come away with a hot list!