Analog Film Wedding Photography: A Perfect Marriage for Minimalist, Simple Weddings

Why I Use 35mm Film with Nikon Film Cameras to Photograph Small Weddings in Los Angeles

Someone once told me, "Simplicity is sophistication. Simplicity is divinity. Because intelligence is being able to make complicated things simple." I’ll admit—I didn’t fully understand it at the time. But over the years, those words have become inseparable from who I am—not just as a person, but as a film wedding photographer. It’s shaped how I work and what my clients see in their photographs. Like many, I believe in taking pride in your work. I believe in using well-made tools that don’t need firmware updates—tools that just work and will outlast our careers.

As the old saying goes: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That’s why I use 35mm film to photograph weddings, and why I rely on cameras like the Nikon F3, N75, and F5—the same F5 I’ve used for over twenty years, carried in a Domke bag I picked up around the same time.

I don’t use 35mm film because it became fashionable again. I’ve been using it since 2003. I use it because it works. It’s practical. It’s consistent. The color and depth—when paired with the right lenses and the right light—are unmatched. It’s why Hollywood still uses Kodak 35mm motion pictures film for many of its most important projects. It sits in that Goldilocks zone—not too analog like 16mm or 8mm, and not too polished like medium format. In fact, I’d argue that if you’re going medium format, you might as well go digital.

And no, I’m not a stranger to digital—I use it nearly every day to photograph my chickens and wedding receptions. But film has that je ne sais quoi. You can’t always explain it, but you feel it. You know it when you see it. While 35mm film has stayed in vogue long after digital became the default, I keep using it because of my clients. The ones who know that real simplicity is like an In-N-Out burger in Los Angeles: honest, consistent, and unpretentious. Analog photography draws people in with its quiet beauty, using natural light to create neutral tones without the artificial sheen of viral TikTok wedding trends. It holds its own by honoring the subtle, meaningful moments of a wedding—speaking to those who value timeless memories over spectacle.

Trend is a dirty word — Anna Wintour