A Return to Something Real: The Romance of Film Wedding Photography
I've been thinking a lot lately about the photographs we hold onto.
The ones from our childhood, our parents' wedding albums, old family holidays. The slightly blurry ones, the ones with funny colours, where nobody is looking quite at the camera.
There's something so beautiful about them.
They aren't necessarily perfect photographs, but they feel like real life. You can almost remember what it was like to be there, even if you weren't.
And I think that's what I love most about photography. Its ability to make us feel something.
It's also why I've been finding myself more and more drawn to film.
I'm bringing 35mm film photography into more of my work at VENZINA, particularly for weddings, elopements, lovers and intimate portraits across Sydney and Melbourne.
And while I absolutely adore the colours, grain and nostalgic feeling of analogue photography, there's something much bigger behind this little shift.
I think I'm just craving something a little more real.
We live in such an interesting time.
Everything is becoming so incredibly polished. We can edit almost anything, change the way we look, remove every little imperfection and now even create entire images of people and places that never existed.
And while I think technology is incredible, I sometimes wonder if we're losing a little of what makes photography so special.
The human part.
The little moments that weren't planned. The way someone moves when they laugh. The wind blowing your hair across your face. The way your skin actually looks in the afternoon sun.
All those beautifully ordinary things.
I've never really wanted my work to feel overly perfect. I love beautiful compositions, thoughtful styling and creating something that feels like art, but I also want the people in my photographs to feel like themselves.
I want to see their personalities, their softness, their confidence, their love.
I want the photographs to have a little life in them.
And sometimes that means letting go of the idea that everything needs to be perfect.
Falling in love with 35mm film photography
There's something about shooting on film that I find so romantic.
Maybe it's the colours, the texture, the way it captures light. Or maybe it's that you don't get to see everything immediately.
You take the photograph, trust what you've seen, and wait.
I love that little element of surprise.
Unlike digital photography, where you can review an image straight away, shooting on 35mm film means waiting until the roll has been developed and scanned to see the final photographs.
Not every frame will turn out exactly as I imagined. Sometimes there's movement, unexpected softness or something in the image I hadn't even noticed when I took it.
And sometimes those are the photographs I love the most.
It reminds me that photography doesn't always have to be about controlling every detail.
That's not to say I love digital photography any less. I absolutely don't.
Digital gives me so much creative freedom, and I love the detail and possibilities it offers. I see film as another beautiful way to make art, and I'm excited to explore how the two can work together.
Why I love film wedding photography
I think film has such a beautiful place in weddings.
Because when you really think about it, a wedding isn't just about how everything looks.
It's about how it feels.
The nervous excitement while you're getting ready. Your favourite people all in one place. Someone crying when they weren't expecting to. Your partner looking at you in that particular way only they do.
And all those little moments in between that you might not even notice at the time.
They're the things I want to capture.
I love the idea of someone looking back at their wedding photographs in twenty or thirty years and feeling a little bit of that day all over again.
There's something particularly lovely about the nostalgic quality of film wedding photography. The natural grain, softness and colours can make a photograph feel like something you've treasured for years, even when it was only taken yesterday.
And when film and digital photography are used together, there's so much room to create something beautiful.
The detail and flexibility of digital, alongside the texture and character of analogue film.
For me, it's not about making a wedding look vintage. It's about capturing it in a way that feels personal, romantic and full of life.
Film photography for elopements, lovers and intimate moments
I feel the same way about elopements, couples and engagement photography.
There's something so lovely about capturing two people just being together.
The way they naturally hold each other, the silly little moments, the quiet ones.
It doesn't all have to be perfectly posed.
In fact, I think some of the most beautiful photographs happen when people forget they're being photographed at all.
I love the idea of bringing film into these experiences, particularly intimate elopements where there's room to slow down and enjoy the moment.
Whether we're photographing a romantic wedding in Sydney, an intimate elopement in Melbourne or two people simply wanting to remember this chapter of their lives, I want the photographs to feel like them.
And it's not just about weddings
This feeling is something I want to bring into all of my work at VENZINA.
Especially boudoir and bridal portraits.
I love photographing women. I love femininity, sensuality, beautiful light, movement and all the different ways a woman can express herself.
And I think there's something really special about creating photographs where someone can see themselves a little differently, while still recognising who they are.
I love a little softness. I love skin texture. I love the moments between poses when someone relaxes and something completely natural happens.
Film brings another beautiful dimension to bridal boudoir photography and intimate portrait sessions. There's something about its softness and texture that works so beautifully with natural light, delicate fabrics and those quiet, feminine moments.
Of course, I still love creating beautiful editorial images. That will always be part of my work.
But I want there to be feeling behind them.
Film and digital photography at VENZINA
So what does this mean if you're considering a photography experience with me?
It means I'm exploring more opportunities to incorporate analogue film alongside my digital photography, particularly for weddings, elopements, bridal boudoir and couples.
Both mediums have their own beautiful qualities, and I love the idea of bringing them together.
Digital allows me to work freely across different lighting conditions and moments. Film introduces its own colours, textures and little surprises.
Together, they give me more ways to create photographs that feel romantic, personal and a little nostalgic.
If you're drawn to the look of 35mm film, it's something we can talk about when planning your photography experience.
Because ultimately, the medium is only one part of it.
What matters most to me is the person in front of the camera and the feeling we create together.
A new little chapter for VENZINA
So this is where I'm heading.
More film. More movement. More beautiful imperfections.
More photographs that feel like memories, even when they're brand new.
I'll still be shooting digitally, and I'll still be creating the romantic, feminine and editorial imagery I love so much. I'm simply making more room for film and everything I love about it.
I think there's something really beautiful about embracing both.
And as the world becomes more and more filled with images, I find myself wanting to make photographs that people actually want to keep.
Photographs of real people, in real moments, made by another human being who saw something beautiful in them.
Not everything needs to be perfect to be beautiful.
Sometimes the feeling is the beautiful part.
And that's what I want to keep exploring.
With love,
Vivienne x
Let's make something worth keeping.
If you're dreaming of romantic wedding photographs, an intimate elopement or a beautiful portrait experience, I'd love to hear what you're imagining.
VENZINA creates contemporary wedding, bridal boudoir and intimate photography experiences across Sydney and Melbourne, combining film and digital photography.
Explore VENZINA's photography experiences or enquire about your own.
