My Heart is With Film
The vast majority of professional wedding photographers today use digital cameras. Wedding photojournalist Lisa Berry is one of the remaining artists who has not converted (surrendered) to digital photography. Lisa carries over seven years of experience with traditional photography. She remains an avid supporter of film and shoots weddings using a variety of traditional film equipments and techniques. In this interview, Lisa shares her thoughts and philosophy on digital technology, film, the future of photo education, and trends in the medium.
Question: Why do you stay with traditional photography? Do you ever plan to switch to digital photography?
Lisa Berry: Using traditional photography in a digital era means placing a value on all of the physical elements that create a photograph. A film photographer puts his own craftsmanship before efficiency. Digital photography is a wonderful medium, but I am more than satisfied with the results that I obtain from film. I am confident and comfortable using film because I know that I can deliver consistent results. A highly trained digital photographer will feel the same way about his medium. Each film carries its own particular strength out on the field. Here are a few of the tools I like to keep in my camera bag:
Medium format Natural Color film is excellent for portraits. Skin tones come out beautifully and consistently without needing any corrections. Faces feel solid and three dimensional instead of feeling flat. It's like you could touch someone's cheek.
3200 speed B&W film is a godsend for low light ceremonies. Its grainy texture gives a smoky, timeless look and allows a photographer to capture sacred moments in the ceremony without the interruption of a flash.
Kodak's Professional Black and White CN film is very creamy and produces a great range of grey tones all the way through the highlights and shadows.
The more traditional tri-x black and white film has long been a favorite for its versatility. It produces a gorgeous film grain that is not possible to duplicate digitally. I can quickly switch from an outdoor to an indoor situation, and know that the film will adapt.
Question: What are some of the common assumptions of traditional photography your clients have when they approach you? What results did they expect?
Lisa Berry: I end up photographing a lot of weddings for artists, photographers, designers, and other aesthetic professionals. It's a very satisfying aspect of the work for me to provide a beautiful finished product for clients with high standards. These couples seem to understand that film and digital capture will both perform well, and they see both in their industries. The main priority rests in the photographs themselves. Most couples don't come expecting something specific out of film, it's more that they respond to the work and the fine quality of the prints that they see.
Challenge: In a recent WPD Article: "Digital vs. Film, Does it Really Matter?"
by Texas Photojournalist David Hill, he expressed the most important choice is choosing your photographer based on his or her images and style, not whether the format is digital or film. He also provides a very valid observation:
"When a photographer raves excessively about the superiority of a particular format, then you ought to consider whether he's become defensive due to a weakness, as opposed to just a healthy dose of industry-standard artistic eccentricity."
Do you agree with him? What are some of the creative advantages you enjoy when working with traditional film? Are you ever tempted by the advantages of the digital format?
Lisa Berry: I don't agree with David's article entirely, but I do agree with him on this issue. When clients ask me if there is an advantage of film over digital, my response has always been that both formats are great for weddings in the right hands. There are poor quality film photographers and poor quality digital photographers. Likewise, there are some master film photographers, and some who have mastered a natural quality with digital photography.
If I were just beginning to learn the craft, there would be a great attraction in the ability to check your work that a digital camera provides. If you're uncertain whether or not you've properly exposed a shot, you can look at the screen and take it again. But with experience, a light meter, and great film, a traditional photographer can get it right the first time without having their eyes glued to the camera screen.
Next: (Page 2) Lisa's View On Wedding Photojournalism and Trend
More About Film Wedding Photojournalist - Lisa Berry, IN, Indiana
Graduated from Rhode Island School of Design with Mastery of Photographic Technique, much of Lisa's best training comes from the hours she has spent pouring over the works of William Eggleston, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Andreas Gursky, Robert Frank, and other masters of the real movement. Along with her favorite painters, they have all helped to shape her photographic sensibilities. Lisa's wedding photography has been featured in the likes of: Elegant Wedding Magazine, and Grace Ormond Marriage Magazine. You may directly access Lisa's Wedding Photo Portfolio, Photographer Bio, and the Indiana (IN) Wedding Photojournalists Index.
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