What To Expect From Our Analog Film Process

We are Chellise & Mike, New York City & Hudson Valley-based documentary-style film and digital wedding photographers. If you have any questions about our processes not covered in this FAQ, feel free to reach out.

A woman with long hair smiling and holding a drink in a dark setting. She is wearing a patterned dress with thin straps.
Black and white photo of a wedding couple walking outdoors with friends and family, with trees in the background.
A three-tier wedding cake with decorative icing, flowers, and ribbons, placed on a table in front of a large window with a city and water view, with champagne glasses and tableware arranged around it.

Why Do You Shoot On Film?

A woman wearing a strapless black and red dress with floral patterns, accessorized with a pearl necklace and earrings, walking through a dimly lit red curtain area.
A woman wearing a strapless black and red dress with floral patterns, accessorized with a pearl necklace and earrings, walking through a dimly lit red curtain area.

Film holds time differently. The light is softer, the grain gives texture, the skin tones are delicious; it's tactile, luscious, lucid, and it feels like a dream. It’s always giving us more than we could have hoped for. It's undeniably perfect and has a way of making an image taken just yesterday feel nostalgic.

Mike and I have shoeboxes stacked to the brim in our cedar closet filled with prints and polaroids. Every photograph from childhood up until our 30s was shot on film and printed. Holding those photographs in my hands carries so much more weight to me than a digital photo on a screen ever could. And while we no longer print every roll of film (because we dont have to anymore), still having the digital film scan is a pretty beautiful second.

A pyramid of stacked red cocktail glasses with a colorful patterned backdrop.

How Long Have You Been Shooting On Film?

Black and white photo of a formal gathering with people standing around and sitting, in a room with large windows and a city view. A fire is burning on the floor, emitting bright light.

All of our lives, because that's what we were raised on. My first camera was a Polaroid, and Mike's was an Olympus point-and-shoot.

In 2012, we started shooting weddings with a few rolls of film in our bag, just for our own satisfaction. Most of our couples didn't seem excited about it, or even knew what it was, so the pressure was off, which allowed us to get really creative and experiment with expired film stocks and all kinds of cameras. All those years allowed us to get comfortable and weird on film - it was so exciting for us, and our clients loved it too. We have been hooked ever since.

In 2022, when the rising demand for analog film at weddings picked up, we were ready with open arms and have gone full throttle ever since. Documenting weddings on analog film for this new generation of couples who genuinely appreciate it as much as we do has breathed new life and immense excitement into our process. And since analog limits us to a small, finite number of frames per roll, it has sharpened our intuition as photographers. Film has forced us to slow down, and as a result, our work has become so much more personal and intentional.

Do You Have A Defined Film Style?

Black and white photo of four people at a wedding, two women in white dresses and two men in tuxedos, smiling and looking at each other, with a draped fabric background.

We want to create something artful and extraordinary while still capturing the moments you’d expect from a professional. We’re not the ones going for high-def, polished images - instead, we're going for something softer, nostalgic, grainy, gritty, raw, and tactile, so our film camera choices and processes reflect that. To us, weddings are a big, beautiful, emotional, fun, collective experience, and it’s our obligation to honor it as it naturally unfolds, with some unconventional lucid-dream pics dropped in for the art wall.

Analog gives us this, and luckily for us, we attract like-minded couples who also want their photos to have soul, grain, and texture.

How Much Film vs. Digital Do You Shoot At Weddings?

A person dancing on stage wearing a revealing, shiny, silver outfit with fringes and lights, under colorful stage lights.

Um. A lot.

Mike shoots exclusively with film cameras; he usually has 5-7 cameras hanging from his body, a mix of ever-evolving 35mm and medium-format cameras.

I, Chellise, blend digital and film, and while I can't give specific percentages of how much of each I shoot, I will say it’s as much analog film as I can possibly shoot. Film is Queen, and I only lean on digital when it makes sense in the moment.

What’s The Biggest Misconception About Shooting Weddings On Analog Film?

Person wearing a red jacket and pants with black prints, sitting with hands clenched together. The image focuses on the clothing and hands.
Person wearing a red jacket and pants with black prints, sitting with hands clenched together. The image focuses on the clothing and hands.
Two women standing on a stage in front of red theater curtains. One woman is wearing a pink dress and holding flowers, the other is dressed in white with a veil, also holding flowers, suggesting a wedding or similar event.
Two women standing on a stage in front of red theater curtains. One woman is wearing a pink dress and holding flowers, the other is dressed in white with a veil, also holding flowers, suggesting a wedding or similar event.
A floral centerpiece featuring red roses surrounded by black and gold candle holders on a pink tablecloth, with a blurred background of chairs and a table.
A floral centerpiece featuring red roses surrounded by black and gold candle holders on a pink tablecloth, with a blurred background of chairs and a table.

The most misleading phrase we keep hearing is that “film has its place,” implying that digital is needed for backup and for dark spaces. We think this is false and misleading, since every wedding documented before digital took over in 2007 was shot on film. You only need to look at your parents' and grandparents' wedding albums for proof.

So, let’s lay this myth to rest. It depends on the photographer's expertise and comfort shooting on film, and on their use of flash in dark, cavernous venues like those in NYC. Mike is exceptionally skilled in this arena. Everything in his portfolio is 100% film.

Do You Edit Your Film?

Two women sitting at a dimly lit table with glasses of drinks and a small container, in a social setting. One woman has short brown hair, glasses, and tattoos on her arm, while the other has curly black hair, sunglasses, and is wearing a red dress.
Two women sitting at a dimly lit table with glasses of drinks and a small container, in a social setting. One woman has short brown hair, glasses, and tattoos on her arm, while the other has curly black hair, sunglasses, and is wearing a red dress.

To a very limited degree, yes.

Each film stock has its own beautiful color profile, which we honor; however, if we feel it’s needed, we adjust color, blacks, contrast, and exposure to our liking.

A bride and groom in wedding attire standing together indoors against a red curtain backdrop. The bride is wearing a white lace wedding dress and veil, and the groom is dressed in a black suit with a white shirt and black bow tie. They are holding hands and looking at the camera. In the foreground, there is a dark round table with a floral arrangement of white hydrangeas, grapes, and greenery, with small candles around the arrangement. Brown velvet chairs are visible in the background.
A bride and groom in wedding attire standing together indoors against a red curtain backdrop. The bride is wearing a white lace wedding dress and veil, and the groom is dressed in a black suit with a white shirt and black bow tie. They are holding hands and looking at the camera. In the foreground, there is a dark round table with a floral arrangement of white hydrangeas, grapes, and greenery, with small candles around the arrangement. Brown velvet chairs are visible in the background.
A bride in a wedding dress with a veil standing indoors near a window, with sunlight streaming in, in a cozy room decorated with wooden furniture and a colorful rug.
A bride in a wedding dress with a veil standing indoors near a window, with sunlight streaming in, in a cozy room decorated with wooden furniture and a colorful rug.

How Do You Handle Dark Wedding Venues With Film?

Off camera flash with film
Off camera flash with film
A woman and a shirtless man are dancing closely at a party, with the woman feeding the man a piece of food. Other party guests are watching and smiling in the background.
A woman and a shirtless man are dancing closely at a party, with the woman feeding the man a piece of food. Other party guests are watching and smiling in the background.

hand held flash

direct, on-camera flash

People dining at a formal event with floral centerpieces and candlelit tables, decorated with draped fabric and hanging lights
People dining at a formal event with floral centerpieces and candlelit tables, decorated with draped fabric and hanging lights

ambient lighting

We have a multitude of tricks up our sleeves for big, dark, moody spaces. (NYC trained us well…)

We prefer discreet remote flashes, which let us pop the flash for a nanosecond when needed. This process creates a beautiful, cinematic look while preserving the space's ambient mood and not blinding you or your guests (youre welcome!). We also use direct and handheld flash and shoot in ambient light.

All of this gives our couples a very textured, multidimensional set of images.

It is worth noting that we do not use continuous lighting (bright, LED lights that stay on constantly and, in our opinion, kill the vibe)

A group of people celebrating at a party, raising drinks and smiling, with more people and a long banquet table in the background.
A group of people celebrating at a party, raising drinks and smiling, with more people and a long banquet table in the background.

remote off-camera flash

A woman in a blue and white striped dress is holding a phone and appears to be taking a selfie while puckering her lips, with another person in a red dress standing nearby.
A woman in a blue and white striped dress is holding a phone and appears to be taking a selfie while puckering her lips, with another person in a red dress standing nearby.

hand held flash

Where Is Your Film Developed?

Close-up of a woman dressed in a white dress with a satin bow at the waist, showing her arm with tattoos and hand with black nail polish, standing near some green foliage.
Close-up of a woman dressed in a white dress with a satin bow at the waist, showing her arm with tattoos and hand with black nail polish, standing near some green foliage.

We hand-deliver all of our film to our lab in NYC.

A man in a tuxedo with a floral boutonnière, wearing sunglasses, is pouring champagne into a flute glass during a celebration or formal event.

How Do You Deliver Film Photos To Your Clients?

A man with curly hair, sunglasses, and facial hair, wearing a white suit with a butterfly-shaped brooch, holding his face with both hands in an outdoor urban setting.

While we would love to send a massive box of 4 x 6" prints with a bow on top as the final product, that's not going to fly these days (unless you want us to?).

We scan all our film in high res and share it with clients via a private online gallery. Negatives are archived in-house.

Woman with dark hair in a sleek bun, wearing a white satin dress with off-the-shoulder sleeves, earrings with pearls, standing in front of a large pink rose painting.

How Much Do Your Film Wedding Photography Packages Cost?

Close-up of pink and beige curtains or drapes with a textured pattern, possibly in a decorative or elegant setting.
A bride and groom hugging outdoors in a garden with trees and flowers, during sunset.

For current collection pricing, visit our pricing page

How Far In Advance Do You Book Out?

A black and white photo of several men in formal attire, including tuxedos, standing and walking in a room with ornate wall decorations and a large mirror. One man in the foreground is smiling and wearing glasses.
A black and white photo showing a woman with dark hair and earrings, wearing a white sleeveless top, leaning forward with her face close to her shoulder, beside a white surface.

If we had to average it, 9 months to 1 year out is the zone for us. In New York, May, June, September, and October are the most in-demand months, as well as holiday weekends, so we get booked up quickly for those. We each take no more than 15-20 weddings per year and hope one of them is yours! To enquire about our availability, contact us here.

A smiling groom in a tuxedo holding a bride in a wedding dress and veil on a balcony with a city skyline in the background.