Film photography in AdelaideReal film, for real families.
35mm for the in-between moments. 120 medium format for the portraits you'll frame. Every session is a mix of digital and film, so you get the safety of one and the soul of the other.
Digital
The safety net and the storyteller
Fast, quiet and good in low light. Most of your gallery is digital, edited by hand to sit beside the film.
35mm
The family album
Thirty six frames on a roll, shot in between everything else. Grainy, warm, a little imperfect. The pictures that look like your parents’ photos.
120
The portrait
Medium format. Ten to fifteen big square or 6x7 frames on a roll, so every one is considered. Soft, deep and very still.
Super 8
The home movie
Real motion picture film, about three minutes a cartridge. No sound, no second takes, just movement, light and your people.
Straight from the lab
Grain, glow and a little bit of luck.
- LADYBIRD 40021 ▸21SA
- LADYBIRD 40021A ▸21A
- LADYBIRD 40022 ▸22
- LADYBIRD 40022A ▸22ASA
- LADYBIRD 40023 ▸23
- LADYBIRD 40023A ▸23A
- LADYBIRD 40024 ▸24SA
- LADYBIRD 40024A ▸24A
Why I still shoot film
Digital cameras are extraordinary. I use one at every session. But film does something digital can't quite copy: the way highlights melt, the way skin glows, the grain that makes a photograph feel like an object rather than a file.
It also changes how I work. A roll of 120 has as few as ten frames. I can't spray and pray. I wait, I watch, and I press the shutter when the moment is right. Families feel that. The pace slows down. Children stop performing.
More than anything, film photographs look like the ones in your family's old albums. When your children are grown, their photos will sit comfortably next to yours and your parents'. That continuity is the whole point.
Want more film?
- Extra roll of 35mm or 120 film: $120
- Ten archival 8x10 prints in a linen box: $390
Questions people ask
Is every session shot on film?
Every session includes at least one roll of film alongside digital. Digital carries the story and makes sure nothing is missed. Film gives you the frames that feel like heirlooms.
How many film photographs will we get?
A roll of 35mm has 36 frames and a roll of 120 has 10 to 15, depending on the camera. You receive every frame that is sharp and not a near duplicate, scanned in high resolution. With children moving fast, some frames always miss. That is part of film.
Which film stocks do you use?
Mostly warm colour negative film for skin and golden light, and a classic black and white stock for newborns and quiet moments. I choose on the day, based on the light.
Where is the film developed?
With a professional film lab here in Australia, then scanned at high resolution. I check every scan and colour correct it by hand to match your digital photographs.
Can we get prints from film?
Yes, and I recommend it. Film scans print beautifully, and your online gallery has a print store. Ask me about archival print boxes and hand-bound albums.