Film Photographer, Brisbane
I am a film photographer in Brisbane, and have been shooting 35mm portraits for a little over twenty years. Portraits of people on their own, people in pairs, and people who would rather not be photographed at all.
Most film work in Queensland is sold as a wedding add-on: a roll or two alongside the digital coverage. What I do is the whole shoot on film. Thirty-six frames at a time, metered by hand, developed and scanned by a lab, edited slowly. It is a different way of being photographed, and most people find it a calmer one.
A session is usually an hour or two, somewhere with good light and room to breathe: your place, a street you like, the river at the end of the day. There is no rapid-fire shutter and no screen to check after every frame, which means there is nothing for you to perform for. We talk, we walk, and I wait for the moment you stop thinking about the camera.
35mm film portraits
I shoot mostly on 35mm colour negative, usually Portra, rated generously so skin comes out warm and the shadows stay clean. When a portrait wants more detail and more stillness, I bring a 120 camera. Either way the grain stays in. Nothing is smoothed into plastic.
Couples on film
Film suits nervous couples, which is most of them. The pace is slow enough that you forget to pose. Engagements, anniversaries, or simply a record of the two of you as you are this year.
Creatives, artists and actors
Portraits for people who need a photograph with some character in it: press and profile images, headshots that do not look like headshots, and portfolio work for models and performers.
Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and further
I am based in Brisbane and regularly shoot on the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast and through the hinterland. Further afield is a conversation, not a problem.
Questions
How long does a film portrait session take?
Usually one to two hours. Film is unhurried by nature, and most of the good frames come after the first twenty minutes.
How many photographs will I get?
A considered edit rather than every frame: the strongest images, carefully chosen. The count depends on the session, and we agree it before we shoot.
How long do film scans take?
Film has to be developed and scanned before I edit, so allow a few weeks. You will get a realistic date when we book.
Do you travel outside Brisbane?
Yes. Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast sessions are common, and I travel interstate and overseas for the right work.