Have you ever wondered why you just love the look of a certain photo, but you can’t put your finger on exactly what’s going on to create that effect?
In this blog, I thought I’d talk a little bit about grain in photos and, in particular, film.
I promise not to get techie, so bear with me and all will become clear (or grainy!)
(Sorry about the bad pun)
Flattering Wedding Photos
If you look at the photo above (taken in bright sunshine) you’ll see that the bride’s (Frederica’s) face has a lovely natural look to it that’s really flattering. The dark tones in the groom’s (Josh’s) suit have plenty of detail and definition.
Overall, the photo has a really nice look that suits the occasion, dynamic without being over the top.
Now, let’s look at the photo below and compare the two versions…
Very different, right? (Hopefully you can see the difference if you’re looking at this on your phone!)
The photo below has a much blander, greyish, look to it - Josh and Frederica don’t pop out and grab your attention quite as much as in the photo above.
Here's why
The first photo exactly replicates one of the most famous black & white camera film types in the world (Kodak Tri-X 400, if you’re into the techie stuff), creating the subtle and unique look that this film gives you.
Whereas the second photo is the type of effect that you get if you just click the ‘convert to black and white’ button on your computer - nothing fancy going on.
Hopefully so far you prefer the first photo!
It's all about the quality
“Grain”, I hear you ask! You didn’t? Bear with me, not much more to go now!
So I didn’t quite tell you the whole story above…
If you look at the last photo (below) and compare it to the first one at the top of this blog post, it now has a gentle, organic feel added, whilst still retaining all of the great qualities of the first photo.
This is created by the grain that black and white camera film produces (in this particular case, the grain exactly replicates that of the Kodak Tri-X film).
It’s very subtle, but hopefully when it’s all combined together it’s easier to see and understand what’s going on ‘behind the scenes’, and allows you to see the benefits.
It’s a look that I love to use to create timeless images for any of the black and white photos that I take at weddings. (Did I mention I provide colour images too?)
Now… I think I know what’s going through your mind! “I don’t need to know how it’s done, as long as you make me look great in my photos”.
You’re absolutely right! I promise not to go though the above again. (unless you ask me to!)
For me, it’s so important to provide my couples with the absolute highest quality images, and this is a key part of the process towards delivering that for you.
I hope that you found this interesting and that it’s given you a small insight into the way I create my black and white wedding photos.
Hopefully, this is a look that you love too!
I’d love to chat to you about what you’d like from your wedding photos and how I can help you - you can get hold of me here.
To avoid any confusion...
I use the most up to date professional digital cameras and associated equipment (not old film cameras).
In addition, I use the latest editing software from one of the word’s leading photographic editing suite providers that allows me to exactly replicate (rather than imitate) all of the very best professional film types that have been available over the decades (colour as well as black and white).
Printing photos of images produced using the above editing techniques brings out yet another dimension to the photos!
And if you're into the more techie stuff...
Feel free to skip this paragraph if you’re not!
World famous Kodak Tri-X 400 is the last film from a classic range dedicated to black and white photography and film that included the Plus-X, Double-X, Four-X etc. It has the ability to withstand substantial changes in lighting, and a well-defined grain. It was largely used by the great reporters of the 1960’s and 70’s, and is still in production today due to its incredibly high quality.