When you think about documenting your everyday, do you think about taking family photos on film? I don’t think most people do. After all, film kind of fell out of favor when digital cameras started to become more mainstream. The ease of taking a million photos without paying for film or developing or printing out the photos was definitely viewed as a plus but I think we lost something when we traded analog for digital. There is something to be said for having a pretty great digital camera in my pocket at all times (yes, I’m talking about my iPhone) but I would argue that a digital photo doesn’t have the same soul as one taken on film.

So why do I take family photos on film? Well, film has a nostalgic quality that you just can’t get with digital photos. The grain can’t be replicated (though I definitely try!), the colors have a certain feel (again, I definitely try!), and the act of taking a photo without knowing how it turned out is thrilling (and slightly terrifying if I’m being honest). It also forces you to slow down and pay attention in the moment. Because you have a finite number of shots you’re less likely to take a bunch of photos hoping to get one good one. In fact, the one you get IS the good one regardless of whether it’s in focus because the good part is the memory attached.

I truly love every film photo I take, even the terrible ones. I have hundreds of film photos that I’ve kept that I would have deleted had they been digital. Plus you can do something with film that you can’t do with digital: film soup. If you look through the photos in this post you’ll see that some have wild oversaturated colors and strange shifts. This is because I soaked that particular roll in a concoction that damaged the film emulsion on purpose. It’s one of my favorite experiments and it usually yields some interesting results.

Now, I’m not saying I hate digital photos or that film is superior. I still love shooting digitally and in some cases it’s really the only option. But if I have the option for my own personal photos? I shoot film 90% of the time because I love the feeling I get when I look at those photos. So, if you’re into chasing that feeling of nostalgia for life happening right now? I’ve got what you need.

Want some film magic in your own family photo session? Get in touch and let’s chat about it!