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Film used professionally

There are a number of professionals who use film exclusively but if you say "Average" then I don't think so.
 
I think the availability of film processing can make it difficult for pros to use film. I would think third world countries that hire pros still use film. I remember on an island in the Galapagos in Ecuador. They had a film lab because folks couldn't afford computers nor digital cameras. Most folks on that island didn't have computers an internet connections nor their own phones. Most pros face the expense of upgrading cameras and computers. Poorer countries use film out of economic necessity.
 
Mainecoonmaniac said:
Poorer countries use film out of economic necessity.
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In many poorer countries film was never an option for most people, and thus there never was a widespread infrastructure for film with film resellers, photo labs etc. As the standards of living have risen, people have bought cheap smartphones and capture d*gital images, so they've sort of "skipped film" in a way.
 


The opposite also happen. In Brasil many people wish to shoot film but don't do it because of the high cost of film and film processing. The importing taxes are very high.

But there are places like India, where professionals have no problem about affording computer and digital cameras, but a lot of studios keeping shooting with film. Just because they can.
 

I guess I could consider myself the "average" professional photographer. While I tend to blend both film and digital, there are some projects where I'm exclusively film. I use it for a certain look (color, grain, how light reacts to the film) that isn't easily replicate-able by digital.

Film is more than capable of producing professional results. The great thing with film is sheer breadth of materials and cameras to play with to fine tune a certain look or feel in your image. 6x7 cameras, double exposures, INSTANT film, 35mm black and white graininess... etc.
 
99% of my professional work is done digital. Its always going for publication and digital is the preferred format. I use film as a hobby.
 
fstop said:
99% of my professional work is done digital. Its always going for publication and digital is the preferred format. I use film as a hobby.
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Oh dear! Tut, tut...
With so many film cameras listed, what are they doing? Collecting dust in a shelf?
 
Not really they are in a cabinet so they don't get dust on them. I use a variety of them. You quickly develop favorites and use those more than others.
 
Films shot on film are shown with digital projections. A lot of small movies houses and even drive ins are out of business as they were unable to afford a new digital system.
 
Alan Gales said:
Architectural photographers have all gone digital.
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I have been picking up some architectural work for magazines lately and I have used (there was a url link here which no longer exists) in two of three shoots.

I use it all the time now for magazine work because the turn around times are usually long enough to allow it, like this recent piece all in black and white which has resulted in some fine art sales and commissions. I have managed to get film use up to 50% in my work, it's fun and clients love it.

And one of my favorite all film shooters is Dead Link Removed, all on Kodak Portra, great work too. You might be surprised at how many of the more successful and not mainstream pros use film.
 
That's really beautiful work.
 


I can't seem to make a blanket statement on APUG without being proved wrong somewhere.

That's cool. I'm glad that you are able to do it. I know Kirk Gittings on Large Format Photography Forum said the industry has gone digital including himself. He does shoot 4x5 for his personal work.

I like your work, by the way.
 

Thanks for the kind remarks folks...

Kirk and all of my friends who do real estate / architecture as a primary source of photo income have all went 100% digital for that work for good reasons no doubt. Since I only do it in an editorial and fine art sense for now, I tend to mix both to satisfy a desired outcome.

I have no dog in this fight, just like to give examples of how film is being used within it's now niche existence to give some pros a breath of fresh air from the juggernaut that is digital imaging.

Being able to employ the use of film in my work makes me not hate digital...
 
My professional work goes straight to the internet, brochures and technical/service publications. You can't put a film image on the net without digitizing it.Using digital shortcuts the process.
I too use digital before committing to film for my hobby photography much in the same way instant film was/is used to check lighting etc.Using digital has improved my film shots and works for me. I never completely commit to digital only, but film will only be used for hobby applications. The quality of images I make on a full frame digital is jaw dropping, The quality of my film images is impressive also, it depends on where the image will get used.
 
How come no one takes divorce pictures? In some cases its a more joyous occasion than the sentence.
 
That is great!
Carry on until you reach 100% film like me.
 
mehguy said:
In this day and age, can film cameras be used professionally?
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No.

Clients have become used to a combination of image definition, editing control and return speeds on the project that are not available for film. Theoretically a studio could run a professional monochrome and C41 line, plus darkroom, but costs would be prohibitive. In the old days most cities had a pro lab that would return negatives and prints in 24 hours or less, but they are rare nowadays.

A professional can certainly offer film fashion or portraiture work, but as a general Tog there'd be no point in abandoning their digital cameras.
 
Until I decided that it was time to retire last October I was a full time professional photographer, I used film only, and black and white for 99% of the work I did, working both commercially and as a fine art photographer, and was never short of work, for the most part I was turning away work, I was the last photographer in the Channel Islands wotking with film, so I had a captive market, The channel islands are tiny compared to the USA, but only last year I was offered a job, recording the 50th annirvesery of the liberation of Jersy from German occupation at the end of the war, they wanted it to be done to look like the forties, I said no as I thought I had a car show with my classic car on the same day, found out my show was earlier. they came back to me, said I could name my own price, too good to turn down, being the last film photographer in a small pond was good, now there are no film photographers left in the CI, I still get people phoning up wanting film work, and every now and again it is just to good to say no
 
50th.....maybe 70th.?
That was quite an honor.....nice (fitting) that it went to a resident.
It was, kind of, an odd occupation with hardships somewhat unique to the islands.
 
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