A Push for the Candid
James and Mary had everything set for their wedding date: catering, the DJ, the venue booked, floral details, the works. All of it was perfectly aligned to bring about their most memorable celebration to fruition. Photography arrangements had also been decided on, but there was one remaining interest of the groom's that deserved the satisfaction of being brought to life- a look into their wedding day through the historic eyes of black and white film.
This is where I came in.
The request was to take a completely candid documentary approach to all the events transpiring throughout the course of the wedding, and to lean into the strengths of the medium's characteristics with it's unique tonal range, increased grain, and the honesty found in a physical recording of time. My approach to wedding photography roots itself in being a blessing to the couple and those in attendance, but on this occasion I feel like I was the one secretly blessed by this chance to work completely within the medium I personally love and use for the entirety of my personal work.
I joined the James and Mary at the elegant French Farmhouse Venue, noting the wonderfully modern twist on the classically rustic aesthetic, and set to work setting moments and memories quietly in the grain of 35mm film. The nature of my film photography kit, notably the unobtrusive quality of the Leica M4P, provided a means to slip gently from scene to scene allowing those in front of the lens to remain undisturbed. In working this way, James and Mary received unique additions to their wedding photos that have an atmosphere of their own. Perhaps instead of wedding photography, these became photographs made at a wedding, and they speak in their own way.
Camera: Leica M4P
Lens: Voigtlander VM Nokton 35mm 1.4 II
Film Stock: Ilford HP5 Plus 400 (Pushed +1)
Why 35mm Film?
There are a thousand videos and posts littering the corners of the internet tossing the question of film vs digital photography back and forth, and I don't intend to write about those differences in detail. After all each is just a tool in the hands of the photographer, unique in their own pros and cons, meant to serve the vision of the one creating the image. However, I will contend that something special exists in the physicality of the film negative (and eventual printed photographs) in a time when authenticity and the truth of a moment are fleeting qualities among the influx of AI, much less heavy Photoshop work. To have physical proof holds weight now, and may hold more weight in days to come.
From a photographer's standpoint, the separation of technology from the photographic process when using film creates a stronger relationship to what is happening in front of the lens. There are no unnecessary buttons to fiddle with, no noses buried in camera screens checking images, just engagement with the moment and the possibilities at hand. Photography, even on wedding days that follow a more formulaic flow, hinges on a constant openness to what unfolds before you and responding to subconscious (and sometimes conscious) impulses via the camera. I've also heard it said that the best photographers are those with the best ideas, the persons who have thought deeply beyond simple documentation and found a question to ask, or a quality to highlight, or a message to convey. Choosing a photographic medium like film that puts the eye and mind of the photographer first, in my opinion, can provide greater opportunity for serving the moments of a wedding day in a deeper manner. We wouldn't want to see a photographer's eyes glued to the back of their camera any more than we'd want them browsing Instagram during the wedding ceremony. We want them engaged and attuned, searching for what you may not see in the tenderness of a first look or the lingering minutes of the last dance. This is possible and encouraged with digital as well, but film holds a knack for nudging photographers in this direction.
