Film Photoshoot With Keeley
The film photo session was Keeley’s idea. Before we even booked the shoot we spoke over the phone about how nerve racking it can be to take photos in such a public place like the library. She wasn’t sure if she would be too awkward to pose in public. But she was certain that she wanted film photos as a part of her set. How could I say no?
While Keeley was nervous about posing in public, I was nervous about shooting film in a professional setting. You’d think, someone who spends every waking hour with a camera in their hands would be a little less concerned about something like this. I mean I literally shoot film daily, and when I’m not shooting film, I’m developing or scanning it. But even so I had the heebeegeebees. Professional photography is this weird field of art that must go well. You can’t just shoot from the hip; you have to do it right.
<— Instagram reel of me at the Library
I’m not someone that likes to wait around and find out if something is going to go well. Long before Keeley and I met for the shoot, I visited the Boston Public Library to get familiar. with the space and what sort of conditions I would be shooting in. In situations where I’m going to be shooting indoors, I like to limit my flexibility so that I understand what sort of limitations I’ll run into in the future. The library has a lot of really great windows where sunlight can peek through. But for my test run, I wanted to see what sort of photos I could get without the help of the sun.
I spent most of my time away from the windows. I looked for rooms and corridors without sunlight. It might have taken me around two hours to find anything interesting enough to shoot on film, but that’s the beauty of film. It makes you think through your compositions.
I discovered that the library is really well lit! There are windows almost everywhere which helps a ton. But even where there aren’t any, I was able to capture some great moments with nothing but the help of the florescent lights. I was able to shoot with Ilford Delta 3200 pretty comfortable, but in some places. I had to close the aperture by 4 or even 5 stops! So I knew that shooting 800 speed film would be fine. Knowing this before going into the shoot made me very optimistic that I would be able to capture Keeley on film no matter the room that we went to.
I ended up shooting with Delta 3200 and Portra 800. Two very popular films stocks. The Delta has a nice chunky grain structure, is B&W, and handles low light really well. The Portra renders colors really well and has a wide range of flexibility which means I can shoot both indoors and outdoors with it comfortable.
Shooting with Keeley was so easy. She said that she was a little nervous about posing in public, but I couldn’t see it. She was brave and confident even when we went outside and we had a few people giving us the double take, Keeley really took to the poses with a lot of ease.
I really liked this photo of Keeley with the city behind her. She asked me to help tell the story of her life in Boston.
I intentionally focused on the buildings in the background to emphasize her environment. I really love the way that Portra 800 rendered the blue sky and the color of her skin. It gave this photo a kinda painterly look. I love it when a photo goes just the way that you imagined it!
Even when the photos didn’t go super well, I was able to save them! Here’s an example of a photo that didn’t go great.
On the left is the original photo. I accidentally underexposed the frame AND missed focus. A double wammy. Because I was shooting so close to the window, my camera registed that light coming in as part of the exposure. I should have known in the moment to over espose but I think was just a little too nervous in the moment. The focus is a classic case of “front-focusing”. Instead of getting phocus on he face I landed just a little too far in front of her nose. You can tell that Keeley’s hands and folds in her dress are nice and sharp but her face appears soft. Instead of throwing the photo out completely, I decided to play around with cropping.
It took me some time but I found a little crop that I really liked that complimented the focus on her delicate fingers. I really like the way that this crop makes this photo timeless. It even give a mysterious air to the Keeley. This ended up being one of my favorite photos from the set.
Shooting film along side digital photos gave me the confidence that I need to shoot more film sessions. I’m already happy with my ability to make photos. I’m always seeking out ways to improve myself and I think that this was a step forward. I’m really happy that Keeley reached out to me and believe trusted me with her photos. I think I’ll be doing MANY more film photo sessions in the future.
I know that I spend a lot of time talking about how pleased I am that the photos came out but I think that it’s important to not that we had fun. Keeley and I were running all over the Boston Public Library, shooting photos in copley square, and being loud in the subway. Keeley was such a fun person to work with and I hope that I get more clients like her in the future. Congratulations on graduating Keeley! and good luck in all your future endeavors.
Film Photos
Digital Photos
