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Film
Versus Digital
for Weddings
By Juan Carlos Torres
As a professional
Oregon
wedding photographer I get this question asked more than anything else.
Rarely will somebody ask me about my wedding photography education,
awards, or professional memberships. I believe the root to this question
lies on misinformation about the different qualities of film and
digital.
Film
For a photographer with no computer experience or who does not want to
spend the time correcting digital files film is the way to go. Film
allows the photographer to photograph a wedding or event and at the end
of the day be done with the process. When the time comes to print the
photographs the photo lab will take care of color balance adjustments
and retouching. From a technical aspect film has a wider dynamic range
than digital. This means than in high contrast scenes film has the edge.
It can handle them better without blowing the highlights.
Digital
The greatest advantage for digital is the control of the photographic
process in the hands of the artist. The photographer is not longer at
the mercy of the lab to produce a photo that reflects his inspiration
and vision.
Digital allows the photographer to shoot more frames without the expense
of film and development, which can translate into a more complete
coverage. After the event the photographer simply edits out the bad
photos and you as the customer end up with the best selection of the
day. The digital medium is ideal for backup. Multiple copies of the
event can simultaneously exist in different locations in the event of a
catastrophe. With film there is always only one copy of the negatives,
which could be duplicated, but the second copy suffers significant
quality degradation. With digital it is possible to produce different
versions of the same photo including black and white, color, sepia, etc.
through a very simple process.
Digital allows for a faster workflow. If your photographer offers
digital gallery previews your photographs can be available in a matter
of hours for viewing and ordering. In addition, slide shows and DVDs can
be produced for the client.
Digital retouching in the hands of an expert can create amazing results.
Since there is no chemistry involved to develop digital the digital
process is more environmentally friendly.
Resolution
In terms of resolution both film and digital can produce similar
results. With the advent of 11 mega pixel and above digital cameras,
digital has the edge for enlargements due to its lower noise levels and
the lack of grain. Many purist talk of the film look, which is basically
film grain and noise that gives film its unique look. This film look can
easily be simulated with digital image processing techniques. Many
people would be surprised to know that most photo labs will scan film
prior to printing. In other words direct film to print is a myth.
Digital photos when printed on true photo paper are virtually
indistinguishable from their film counterparts.
What does the film vs. digital war means to the client? I believe that
when selecting a wedding photographer the client has to focus on the end
product more than anything else. At the end it doesn’t matter if the
photographer uses film or digital. What really counts is the quality of
the photographs that he or she will produce for your wedding day. There
are good and bad photographers using film or digital. Your task as a
client is to weed out the bad ones and select a photographer that will
capture beautiful memories of your wedding day.
About the Author
Juan Carlos Torres is a very respected and awarded wedding
photographer in
Oregon
. He has a Masters Degree in Remote Sensing with a strong background in
digital image processing and photography. For a sample of his works
please visit Portland Oregon
Wedding Photographer and Oregon
Wedding Photographer
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