Nostalgia is back. Nineties vibes, vinyl records and vintage fashion and with it 35mm film. This beloved analogue photography format has made a huge resurgence in recent years. It’s popularity driven by a mix of nostalgia and aesthetics, with A list celebrities such as Zendaya, Kendall Jenner, Zoë Kravitz, Jason Momoa and Emily Ratajkowski all documented fans. The mainstream is adopting this raw and authentic style, reminding us of old family albums and appreciating its tangible, imperfect beauty. Offering an opportunity to slow down, to exhibit craftsmanship with creativity and capture sentimentality in a way that feels totally true to itself.

And lots of photographers are jumping on the trend. In fact film inspired photography generally is in demand, with pros and amateurs having access to presets and filters, replicating the look. The ‘looks like film’ movement has a huge following and community on social media. Hashtags like #35mmfilm and #filmisnotdead have millions of posts. And apps such as VSCO and Dazz Cam provide enthusiasts with quick edits on the go and platforms to share their work. But is it a trend or part of a fashion cycle and what exactly is it and why is it so magical as part of your wedding photography coverage?

What is 35mm film?

35mm film is known as such because the roll which sits inside the canister measures 35mm wide. Each roll contains usually 24 or 36 frames which when exposed to light, capture an image onto it. The photographs are then retrieved by developing the roll using a process of chemicals in a dark room or digitally in a lab using scanners. The digital process delivers high resolution files which can be further processed using editing software in a similar way to RAW images captured digitally. The film must be protected from light while loaded into the camera and there is no way to see the image until the film roll or negatives are developed. The cameras themselves vary in specification from manual SLR cameras to point and shoot style, to single-use 35mm film cameras. And despite this pre-digital age technology, prices for this equipment can be extremely high due to the scarcity, including the film itself which costs around £10-15 per roll for a popular stock on Amazon. Stocks are both colour and monochromatic (but not on the same roll), with colours and contrasts pre-determined within the film itself. That said, it can still be manipulated to achieve different creative results with light leaks, double exposures and developing methods.

Why 35mm film feels different (and more special!)

Film is timeless and nostalgic. It has a classic, old-world charm that instantly makes wedding photos feel like heirlooms. They transport us to a pre-digital era. A time that can’t be defined or easily identified. They remind us of family albums and people we love. Of holidays and places we lived, old hairstyles and childhoods, when we couldn’t fill a phone camera roll with photos we’ll never touch. And for me, there is a sincerity to the soft tones and natural grain which make the moments feel more real. And more precious because every frame counts. Every shot intentional, deliberate, purposeful. One moment, one exposure, one chance. In fact it’s my favourite for family holidays. I am not caught up in perfection. I have no choice but to let it go. I have to relinquish my control of the sharp accuracy with my focus or the precise ISO for the conditions. I can’t look back obsessively, missing moments happening because I’m replaying moments that have been. And I especially love to document my kids the way my parents documented mine.

How 35mm film enhances your wedding photography

There is a very unique aesthetic quality to film. And above all, we want our wedding days to be just that - our love story, documented in a way it deserves to be told. 35mm film images are (generally) softer. They have an organic look with distinct tones and contrasts. I love the grain which seems to make imperfections disappear and make everything and everyone look a little dreamy and more beautiful, if at all possible. There is a romance to the look but more so to the method. It’s a slower art. Perfect for making time stand still in a whirlwind of a day.

Combining fast shooting, powerful digital photography with 35mm analogue film shooting, gives my couples the best of both worlds; sharp, high-resolution images and romantic, nostalgic moments which could never be recreated. Like us all, slightly imperfect and full of character. And multi format photography of your wedding day gives depth to your gallery. It’s a different perspective, all blended beautifully together, setting your experience apart from all the others. Something luxurious and supremely personal.

And in my opinion, film begs to be printed. Deciding which of your 800 images goes in your heirloom wedding album is overwhelming. But that little curated gallery is in a league of its own. Ready of be savoured and poured over and held and framed and picked up by real people and admired. Ingrained in your shared memories.

Why choose a wedding photographer who shoots 35mm film?

If you’re thinking about incorporating film into your wedding coverage, you’re already my people. You probably like things I like, share my sources of inspiration and also appreciate everything I love about the format. It’s a craft and you’re looking for something nobody else has because you aren’t anybody else. You want an extra level of artistry for your wedding photos. Film photography takes years of skill and experience to understand light and space as well as all the ebbs and flows and nuances of a wedding day. Finding the opportunities to shoot or indeed creating them to get that result takes a dedicated and confident professional. A ‘hit and hope’ shot with some Kodak Gold on a cheap point and shoot isn’t the same thing (no shade here because after years of being a digi only shooter, it took me a minute to get back to this point). My edit style is completely complimentary of my film work, with both galleries sharing tones and textures, not to mimic each other but to go hand in hand together.

So when you’re choosing a film or hybrid wedding photographer, you’re choosing someone who loves and understands their work. You’re choosing something very special.

35mm Wedding Photography is available to my couples across the UK and at destination weddings in Greece, Spain, Italy and France. UK wedding photography areas covered include weddings in the Cotswolds, Dorset, Devon, Cornwall and Somerset. 35mm film wedding photography is available as an upgrade to full day digital wedding photography.