Los Angeles Film Wedding Photographer

I'd describe my documentary-style wedding photography as visually sophisticated bright Los Angeles fine-art editorial analog 35mm film wedding photography, with a timeless fashion-forward documentary instinct. Drawn toward the warmth, nostalgia, and simplicity of mid-century summer vacation photography, with sun-washed colors and textures inspired by beautiful Spanish Californian and Art Deco architecture. An artfully cinematic, lived-in, romantic California documentary, intentionally photographed with the composition of a fashion editorial with plenty of negative space.

I'm a one-man show. I'm the one who emails you back, the one you call on Zoom, the one who shows up to your wedding, edits your pictures, and hand-inspects every print before delivery. Nothing in my workflow, or the pictures I take of you is automated, outsourced, or run through Ai. This level of attentiveness is why I only book small intimate weddings. Allowing me to photograph your wedding without relying on an associate, an assistant or even a second photographer. You are booking me — not a photography company — I cannot be at two places at once.

Deliverables

• You will receive a full set of 4x6 proof prints of every final edited picture as a standard deliverable. Not a curated set or a print credit. No. You will get every single final image in print, along with an industry-standard online gallery where you can view, download, and order additional prints.

Coverage Time

• Unlike the industry norm of hour-based packages, my flat-rate pricing is based on total guest count present at your wedding, rather than a fixed number of coverage hours. In other words, if you book me for a single-venue wedding of around 50-80 guests. I clock in 30 minutes before your scheduled ceremony time and stick around until the party naturally winds down or we get kicked out of the venue at 10pm — unless there's an after-party. I never say no to late-night cheap beer and tequila shots at the local dive bar. Now, keep in mind that because I am a one-man show, I need to know if I can realistically cover your wedding on my own. Because a 20-guest wedding and a 250-guest wedding are not the same thing, even if the timeline is identical.

What's Not Included

• In an effort to keep my rates competitive in this economy, the following are not included in the base price: getting-ready coverage, indoor religious ceremonies (my Nikon F5 and Nikon D700 are too loud), extensive bridal party pictures, and heavy catalog product-style detail pictures — such as table decorations, floral arrangements, lay-flat stationery, and similar setups that are created primarily for vendor promotional content. Now, keep in mind that there are only so many rolls of film I can carry with me at any given time, so I'd rather use this finite resource to photograph you, your family, and your friends who traveled far and wide to be here with you, and not waste on five different angles of the napkin placements.

While I look forward to visiting new and familiar places, destination weddings that require me to fly out of Los Angeles are not practical because flying with plastic bags full of 35mm film means dealing with strict airport security and film-damaging X-ray machines. That said, I do photograph multi-day destination weddings in the Central Coast, San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles, Palm Springs, and even Taco Bell weddings in Las Vegas. Meaning! If I can drive to your wedding, I'm in — including driving out of state. See the pricing page for the current destination wedding rate, and please note that it does not include the cost of the car rental and a three-night stay near the venue, both of which are billed separately.

If your wedding takes place outdoors during daylight hours, then yes, I will photograph the entirety of your wedding exclusively with my reliable, tank-like workhorse of a camera: the Nikon F5, loaded with real Kodak 35mm film. The same F5 I've used for more than twenty years with either Kodak Gold or Ultramax film. However! At night, I use the Nikon D700. Because while I make every effort to use film indoors and at night, the ambient light in your venue will ultimately influence how I photograph your wedding.

That said, some pictures are simply not technically possible on film regardless of available light. Beverly Hills City Hall is a prime example, where I use the Olympus E-M1 to photograph the entire building in one frame. Because I approach weddings as a pragmatic professional service provider first, artist second.

Now, to be absolutely crystal clear, how I photograph a wedding is not what the industry calls hybrid coverage in which both film and digital are used simultaneously, often taking the same picture twice on both formats. Or worse, advertise film coverage to then use one roll of film with all digital coverage with film aesthetic presets. A deceptive and performative practice all too common these days. My approach is strictly Kodak film all the way through until the sun goes down or the party moves indoors.

Absolutely internet stranger! I photograph a handful of confidential weddings each year in Los Angeles, and have no hang-ups with not using these pictures for social media or even my own website. Coincidentally, many of my clients are not heavy social media users themselves, some are not even on social media at all, and their privacy, as well as yours, is more important to me than a few likes on Instagram.