Why Shoot Film?
As a photographer who primarily shoots film in the year 2025, I get a lot of questions about what’s in my camera bag and why I choose film over digital.
It’s no secret that I am absolutely obsessed with film. I could go on and on about why I prefer to shoot film. I could tell you about how it requires me to be present and shoot with intention. We could get into how I choose a film stock based on the landscape and the time of year or how film handles highlights in a way that digital could never. I’m a shamelessly obsessed film nerd through and through.
None of that really matters to the people on the other side of my lens.
Here’s why it matters to you:
Film is timeless.
A quick google search for “selective color” will tell you that not all photography trends pass the test of time, but film is timeless. The subtle grain and simple tones are reminiscent of photos you may have seen of your parents and grandparents, and that’s for good reason. While some fun and experimental film stocks have been introduced to the market, much of what we shoot today isn’t that different from film stocks of previous decades.
Film is REAL.
We’re living in an AI era. It’s becoming increasingly hard to decipher what is real, but film is, by nature, an honest medium. My goal is to document your family authentically and create art from your everyday moments.
Film is uniquely beautiful.
Somehow both buttery soft and tack sharp, film creates images that can’t be replicated on digital.
Vintage cameras and analog film will forever have my heart, but shooting this format does come with some potential downfalls. Reliability and low light capability are at the top of that list for me. While film is my preferred medium, I’m best able to serve my clients by knowing when to bust out the good ol’ digital camera.
Magic + reliability. It’s a beautiful thing, right?
Without further delay, for all my fellow film nerds, here’s what I’m dragging around in my bag these days:
Favorite film cameras: Pentax645N with 75mm lens, Pentax67ii with 105mm 2.4 lens, Fuji GA645
Favorite film stocks: Kodak Portra400, Ilford Hp5+
If you're interested in learning more about shooting film, I highly suggest checking out The Find Lab. They are an amazing lab with lots of valuable online resources to get you started. If you'd like to chat more, shoot me an email at hello@jamiediger.com, and I'm happy to answer any questions.