Q. What should my photographers use: digital or film?
A. Booking a photographer is one of the hardest decisions a couple makes in regard to their wedding—along with almost everything else. But after you’ve researched several photographers and found one you like and trust, and whose vision you share, you still have a decisions to make.
Film or digital? There are benefits to both, but for the most part digital seems to be the preference. If you find an expert photographer with updated equipment, the results can surpass film in quality, and digital photos are much easier to post online and share with friends and family. Plus—let’s be honest—if you archive them correctly, they’ll last a lot longer than negatives.
“Digital is definitely worth it when you see the final image quality both on the computer and in print,” said Jon Marshall, of Jon Marshall Photography. “At this point my digital cameras have surpassed 35mm film as far as quality is concerned. Also, being able to get my favorite client images blogged within a few days and then get online proofing galleries and slideshows set up within a week is something that would be really hard with film.” At the same time, there’s an artistry to film—it’s hard to recreate the grainy reality that film captures so well.
Advances in technology have changed wedding photography in the last few years and also introduced photography to a wider audience—so it’s important when interviewing photographers to look at their portfolio and learn about their experience. As Marshall reminds us, “Quality photography should stand the test of time.”