Medium Format in the Fashion Industry

[6by6cm]

Any photographers here working in the fashion industry? Is MF(Film) still used in the industry or are they dropping their film cams and prefer those high-end digital SLRs?

When I say Film-MF, I mean shooting film then scanning to digital files. This is assuming that the photographer or the agency cannot afford a digital back.

Any thoughts?

 

[JBrunner]

Any photographers here working in the fashion industry? Is MF(Film) still used in the industry or are they dropping their film cams and prefer those high-end digital SLRs?

When I say Film-MF, I mean shooting film then scanning to digital files. This is assuming that the photographer or the agency cannot afford a digital back.

Any thoughts?

Editorial content in the circles I shoot for has gone and stayed largely digital.

I'm seeing some of the fashion work, especially the covers, move back to film. as in, it went largely digital, around here, and now its swinging a little back toward film. Seems some can see a difference. Renting a DB isn't an issue, and its not about file size, they just are getting tired of the "plastic" look. (their words, not mine)

The same is occuring in my commercial work. When its a POC that need to be cranked out, they are saying "just shoot it digital" but when its high profile, high dollar, its film all the way. It all depends what market, and what market level you are talking about. The cheaper, and lower, down the food chain, the less likely film will be involved, so you don't see film around the model mill/gold chain photographer crowd. While its possible to be a hack using any photographic medium, the hacks have by in large moved to digital. Good riddance.
.

 

[HerrBremerhaven]

I am hearing the same thing on the West Coast, and from a few NYC photographers. The ideas for the end users are that the film photographer might know a bit more what they are doing, and many of them just like the look more. The other still used item is Polaroids, since it gives a view of a model without any retouching possible; though Polaroids as end use items going to print is not common at all.

Since I am on the Fashion Daily mailing list, even though I don't consider myself a fashion shooter, I get to read about quite a bit of what is happening with the big name photographers. Seems that many that came through the start of digital using larger (6x7) medium format often stayed with that. Now some newer photographers are entering this field wanting to emulate the more established shooters. So the current answer is a mix of camera types, depending upon end usage of the images.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
Dead Link Removed

 

[GoGo]

Fashion Daily?

Gordon,
What is the Fashion Daily mailing list?
Grazie,

PS, Yes Film is still sought out when time is not a factor.

 

[6by6cm]

Editorial content in the circles I shoot for has gone and stayed largely digital.

I'm seeing some of the fashion work, especially the covers, move back to film. as in, it went largely digital, around here, and now its swinging a little back toward film. Seems some can see a difference. Renting a DB isn't an issue, and its not about file size, they just are getting tired of the "plastic" look. (their words, not mine)

Yeah the so-called "plastic look" isn't that appealing. Photos look too clean. I don't know if it's bad or not. Plus digital takes out the discipline of shooting properly with Photoshop in mind.

The same is occuring in my commercial work. When its a POC that need to be cranked out, they are saying "just shoot it digital" but when its high profile, high dollar, its film all the way. It all depends what market, and what market level you are talking about. The cheaper, and lower, down the food chain, the less likely film will be involved, so you don't see film around the model mill/gold chain photographer crowd. While its possible to be a hack using any photographic medium, the hacks have by in large moved to digital. Good riddance.
.

Thanks for the insights. I just want to get the feel of what's happening in the fashion industry in terms of what medium to use.

 

[6by6cm]

I am hearing the same thing on the West Coast, and from a few NYC photographers. The ideas for the end users are that the film photographer might know a bit more what they are doing, and many of them just like the look more. The other still used item is Polaroids, since it gives a view of a model without any retouching possible; though Polaroids as end use items going to print is not common at all.

Since I am on the Fashion Daily mailing list, even though I don't consider myself a fashion shooter, I get to read about quite a bit of what is happening with the big name photographers. Seems that many that came through the start of digital using larger (6x7) medium format often stayed with that. Now some newer photographers are entering this field wanting to emulate the more established shooters. So the current answer is a mix of camera types, depending upon end usage of the images.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
Dead Link Removed

Thanks Gordon for the inputs.