Nicole Bradshaw Photography

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5 Reasons I shoot Film

In this age of digital photography, one has to wonder, 'Why in the world would anyone take the time to shoot film?' Well, here are my reasons for shooting with film: 

1.) No matter how hard I- or anyone else tries- there are qualities such as definition, texture, and color tone one can achieve with film that cannot be reproduced with any amount of Photoshopping. I love shooting digital, but when I want a specific trait-especially texture- I shoot with my film camera. 

2.) Memory cards can- and do- fail. I've not yet had a card corrupt (crossing my fingers, and knocking on wood here), but I have had the cases crack. Once that happens, it's best to toss them. With film, as long as it's not expired, and you've loaded it correctly, it's hard to get it to fail. I capture precious memories, and the worst thing that can happen is that I lose them because of a dead memory card. Film helps prevent that.  

3.) It's an amazing challenge! With a roll of film, you only get 24 or 36 chances to get a great photo. With digital photography, you can shoot until your memory card is full (I use 16 gb memory cards that hold roughly 500 photos), so it's easy to just keep going. When I work with film, I have to slow down and really consider what I'm doing.  

4.) It's now 'vintage' or 'retro', which is now cool again, and that translates into a market demand. People are actually looking for photographers who shoot film again, and it's something special that I offer. I also love that my clients are amazed that I take the time to shoot film, and it sparks a lot of great conversations. 

5.) It's just plain fun. Need I say more here?

I hope this answers some curiosity for a few of you! And if you have any questions, please ask!