Seven photographers were asked five questions. This extract concentrate on two of the questions;
1. How much of your work do you shoot on film and why?
2. Film or digital – where do you see the benefits of the two different methods?
Peter Garten: www.peter-garten.de
1: I shoot film when the customer wants me too (when the resolution requirement is very e.g.) or when a tilt- and shift camera is needed (4”x5”). Now and then I use a Pentax 6x7. That is when the special effect of sharpness and blooming with a wide open shutter is requested (Food photography and other especially pictorial stills e.g.).
2: The post-production of digital leaves a lot more work in the hands of the photographer. Furthermore you’ll have to rely on the customer’s ability to handle your digital files in calibrated, color-managed environment, which is somewhat risky business. But of course the benefits are that you immediately can control the quality of the images and instantly see if it corresponds with the layout. (The text is shortened).
Erika Koch: www.erika-koch-fotos.de
1: About 50% of my work is still shot on film. For non-contact work I never know which is the final media and size therefore I prefer the flexibility of film. Also for my own work I prefer the quality of film.
2: Both workflows have their benefits so I choose depending on the job. If I shoot portraits for the internet I shoot digital. But if want to make posters I choose film. When I shoot film I scan the images myself and print them on my printer. I see it as a big advantage to be able to deliver high-quality, black and white prints and not being dependent on the lab (as I do not have my own lab anymore).
Heli Hinkel: www.heli-hinkel.com
1: I use film more and more rarely. It is only when the customer asks for large posters or they don’t have any idea of how to handle digital images. However I still recommend film for beauty photography.
2: The film workflow, shooting polaroids, sending film to the lab, selecting images, scanning and editing – takes longer, but is a very comfortable process. With digital the customer immediately sees all the images on the monitor. That makes the approval process quick. Sometimes the customer even takes along the entire shoot in raw format. Raw files are not that nice to look at so then I will have to create some examples of image processing. That makes a long working day.Film or digital is two worlds and they are both - when you understand the techniques – outstanding.
Stefanie Brinkkoetter: www.brinkkoetter.com
1: I shoot 100% film but of course most films are digitized later. The main reasons are; I am 100% satisfied with the results I get
I find other issues of more importance
The people I work with are top class
My customers do not demand digital capture
But the investment in digital moves closer as I am sure that my customers will request simpler handling/archiving.
2: I will probably be able to answer this question much better in a year or so.
Thomas Schüpping: www.thomasschuepping.de
1: 60% of my work is on film as I prefer the character of film to the digital result.
2: The importance of planning is more evident when you shoot film. You have to make more clear decisions and I believe that you work with more feeling. When you shoot digital you can more go along and see what happens and with very difficult shootings you have more control.
Peter Hamel: www.peterhamel.de
1: About half of my shootings are still on film. When I shoot reportage I prefer my 35 mm film camera. It is faster and more productive than my DSLR. There is a better flow, I can react faster and there are no strange interruptions. Apart from that I love the material (film and paper). However the quality of the DSLR is fantastic; I have seen posters equalling the quality of a film camera.
2: I find the selection of digital files to be very time-consuming compared to looking at film based contact sheets. Finally I would miss the contact with the people in the lab.
Simone Rosenberg: www.rosenbilderberg.com
1: I shoot two thirds of my images digitally. But when I shoot architecture I shoot on film. Especially when I need long exposures and/or have a mixed lighting condition it is my experience that film works better. I get better shadow details and the “wrong” light in a mixed lighting condition does not get as extreme with film as with digital. (The text is shortened)
2: An advantage of the digital shooting is that you immediately can evaluate the result. But it is a disadvantage that you have to spend so much time at the computer, loading, sorting, selecting and processing files.