One of my fondest childhood memories is picking up or developed photos/prints from our local dime store. There was just something so magical about all that anticipation to hold those prints and see your memories come back to life.

Some people say – don’t you worry that you can’t “see” what you’ve captured? Quite the opposite really. When I photograph with film I feel more in control of what I’m creating. Photographing with film allows me to slow down and be more deliberate with every click of my shutter. Depending on what film I’m using I have between 16 & 36 exposures per roll, and each click costs money – so therefore I must take my time to compose and consider each image carefully before pressing the shutter button.

The “look” that film produces is something that just can’t be replicated with digital photography. The beautiful softness that it gives skin, the grain, the colors – the soul it gives photos. The consistency that is gives to images from one session to the next. Gah, I just love it!

All the images you see on my website and social media are film. I choose film because it gives the images I create a unique and instantly recognizable look. My goal with every session is to create timeless portraits. Trends are great – but timeless never goes out of style. I want future generations to cherish your baby’s photos we cherish our parents and grandparent’s photos.

Hard drives crash. Technology becomes obsolete. Film negatives will always be printable. They’re the ultimate backup – even better than cloud storage in my opinion!

Choosing to photograph with film challenges me to rely more on my understanding of exposure, composition, and lighting. I can’t just look at the back of the camera to see if I got it right. I have to know I’m getting it right and I have to think more creatively and work harder to achieve my desired results. I LOVE that challenge!

After all these years as a photographer, I love my job more than I did when I started. How many people can say that? I never feel burned out in fact, I look forward to each and every session I shoot and am looking forward to many more years to come!

Have I piqued your interest in film? Are you a photographer looking to get started photographing with film? Then I have some links for you! Julie Paisley’s course, Shooting Film Without Fear will get you started in all things film related. Sandra Coan’s course, The Missing Link teaches you to incorporate studio lighting for a natural light look. My lab of choice, PhotoVision, will not only scan your film and send you your gorgeous images as jpegs, they will also educate and help you trouble shoot in all areas film related – and you can buy your film from them too!