There really wasn’t much needed for this session. A warm August morning, a field of dry grass, a couple in love and a bag full of film. My kind of day!

I photographed this engagement session entirely on film, moving between 35mm and medium format as we wandered around the grass. We kept things simple and let the morning unfold without much of a plan beyond chasing that summer glow and getting to know one another.

Why I Choose Film

Film has changed the way I photograph people. I’m not taking hundreds of versions of the same moment or constantly checking the back of my camera to see what I just captured. I have to pay attention, wait a little longer and trust my intuition.

For engagement sessions especially, I love that. There is less pressure to constantly be doing something for the camera. We can walk around, talk, take a few photos, move somewhere else and see what happens. I’m still giving direction when you need it, but I’m also leaving room for the quirky little in between moments that end up being some of my favourites.

35mm, Medium Format, and Black & White Film

I bring 35mm, medium format, and black & white film to all my sessions because I photograph a little differently with each one.

35mm is quick and a little unpredictable. I use it for movement, smaller moments and the frames where I don’t necessarily need everything to be perfect. There’s more grain, more texture and sometimes a little blur. I like all of that.

Medium format naturally slows me down. There are fewer frames on a roll and the cameras themselves ask for a little more patience, so I tend to reach for it when I want to make a portrait rather than just catch one. The negatives are larger too, which gives the images so much detail while still having everything I love about film.

And some moments ask for everything to be stripped away and documented in black & white. These tend to lean more heavily on emotion and I’m always looking for the way light and shadows are at play.

I love having all of them in a gallery.

An August Morning on Film

August is basically made for film. Everything is already a little dry and faded, the grass has turned golden and the mornings are warm enough that there’s no reason to rush.

We stayed out until the light started to become a little more harsh, wandering through the grass and making portraits along the way. Nothing elaborate. Just an engagement session that gave us room to play around and make photographs that actually look and feel like film.

Looking for a Film Engagement Photographer on Vancouver Island?

I photograph couples and engagement sessions entirely on film, using a mix of 35mm and medium format to create galleries that are natural, a little imperfect and full of the moments that happen in between.

If you’re planning an engagement session somewhere on Vancouver Island and want to do things a little differently, you can take a look through my portrait page here or send me a hello through my contact page.

x Rae