Why I Photograph Weddings with Film & Digital (And What That Means for Your Memories)

There’s something beautiful about the way film invites you to pause.

In a world where everything moves fast, and even faster in weddings, film reminds me to breathe. It reminds me to see, not just shoot. It invites me to feel the moment I’m capturing. And that’s one of the many reasons I’ve chosen to incorporate medium format film, 35mm, and digital photography into the way I document love stories.

This might seem like a technical choice, but to me, it’s deeply personal—and one that benefits you, the couple, in a way that’s emotional, meaningful, and long-lasting.

A Frame-Worthy Blend of Formats

When I photograph your wedding, I don’t rely on just one camera or tool. I bring a mix of mediums into the experience—each chosen for the kind of moment we’re capturing.

On any given wedding day, you’ll find me with my digital Nikon mirrorless camera, which allows me to keep up with the pace of real-time moments—the glances, the laughter, the quick tears. But alongside that, I also carry film cameras that have become an extension of how I see the world. My Pentax 645 and Pentax 67 are both medium format film cameras that I use for portraits, quiet moments, and anything I want to feel soft and luminous and artful. And my Nikon F100 shoots 35mm film, which I love using for the in-between moments—the ones that feel like memories the second they happen.

Each camera has its place in your story. They don’t compete—they collaborate—to create a wedding gallery that’s rich, dimensional, and alive.

The Magic of Medium Format

There’s a richness to medium format film that’s hard to explain until you’ve experienced it. The depth, the softness, the way light and shadow gently wrap around your subject—it’s cinematic, yet honest. Romantic, but never overdone.

To me, film has dimension. It has soul.

When I shoot with my Pentax 645 or 67, it feels like the image is reaching out to you. There’s a softness where you want it, a precision where it matters, and a kind of layering that digital can’t quite replicate. Sometimes I tell people, it feels like my eyeballs can touch a film image. There’s something so tactile and real about it—like your love story has weight, texture, and depth.

Why Not Just Shoot Digital?

I love my Nikon Z6II. It’s fast, flexible, and incredibly reliable—especially in fleeting, fast-paced wedding day moments. But what digital sometimes lacks is that slowness. That pause. That reverence.

Film invites me to shoot with intention. It doesn’t let me fire off 50 images of the same scene. It says, “Slow down. This matters.” And as a result, the images I deliver feel more intentional, more elevated, and more emotive.

Digital gives me efficiency. Film gives me soul.

You deserve both.

For You. For Them. For the Future.

There’s a reason I hold onto film so dearly. It’s not just for the look or the nostalgia. It’s for the legacy.

Film is a medium from the past, used in the present, so that people who haven’t even been born yet can hold these memories in the future. It’s transcendent—an act of preservation as much as it is creation.

Imagine your grandchildren one day flipping through your wedding album. Holding a print made from a film negative that traveled through time to meet them. That’s why I do this. That’s why it matters.

What This Means for Your Wedding

When you hire me, you’re not just getting digital images on a screen. You’re getting an artist who knows when to slow down. A storyteller who curates each moment. Someone who understands that the tools we use to preserve memories shape the way they are remembered.

• Your portraits will look like fine art.
• Your candid moments will feel nostalgic and honest.
• Your wedding gallery will have range, depth, and dimension—just like your love story.

Because at the end of the day, these aren’t just photographs. They’re heirlooms. And my job is to make sure they’re not only beautiful, but also built to last.

Let’s make art with your memories.

With a heart full of legacy and light,
Crystal