It started in sixth grade with an old Nikon and a schedule that needed filling.
That is the honest truth of how I found photography. I signed up for a film class because I had an open period and needed something to put there. I had no idea I was about to find the thing that would become my soul’s voice.
That camera, that class, that smell of fixer in the darkroom — it changed everything.
How a Nikon and a Film Class Became a Life
I was not looking for a calling. I was looking for something to do on a Tuesday.
But somewhere between loading the film and waiting in the dark for an image to appear on paper, I understood something I did not have words for yet. Photography was not just a skill. It was a way of seeing. A way of telling the truth about the world in front of me.
Thirty years later, I am still doing exactly that.
The Sound That Changes Everything
If you have never heard the shutter click on a film camera, I am not sure I can fully explain what it does to me.
It is not just a sound. It is the sound of a moment that is now gone — captured, held, made permanent. There is weight to it. There is intention. You cannot spray and pray on film. Every frame costs something, so every frame means something.
Digital is remarkable. I use it every single day in my portrait studio. But when I pick up a film camera and hear that click, my heart does something different. It always has. It always will.
And the smell of fixer in the darkroom — that is the smell of anticipation. The smell of truth appearing on paper. I have been chasing that feeling for thirty years.
The Film That Has My Whole Heart
I will forever be in love with Ilford HP5 400.
The texture. The grain. The way light wraps itself into the shadows and comes back out as something you can almost feel with your fingers. Black and white film has a quality that I do not think can be replicated — not by a filter, not by a preset, not by any algorithm. It is honest in a way that color sometimes is not. It strips a scene down to what actually matters.
When I shoot on Ilford, I am not just making a photograph. I am making something that feels true.
Where Film Takes Me
I shoot film most often outdoors. Flowers, trees, the way the last light of a sunset moves across something ordinary and makes it extraordinary. Film slows you down enough to actually see those moments before they disappear.
That intentionality is something I carry into every part of my work — including in the studio, and now inside The Saint Paul Darkroom, where I get to share this process with other photographers who are ready to slow down and make something real.
Frequently Asked Questions About Film Photography
Do you offer film photography sessions for clients?
Film sessions are available on a limited basis for clients who want that particular quality and texture in their portraits. Reach out and let’s talk about what that could look like for you.
What is The Saint Paul Darkroom and can I learn film photography there?
Yes. The Saint Paul Darkroom is open, and film photography — including darkroom printing — is at the heart of what we teach and create there. I would love to show you what it feels like to make a print with your own hands.
What is Ilford HP5 400 and why do you love it so much?
Ilford HP5 400 is a black and white film stock known for its beautiful grain, wide exposure latitude, and that unmistakable texture that makes a photograph feel like something you could touch. It is forgiving, it is gorgeous, and I have shot more rolls of it than I can count.
Is film photography harder than digital?
It is different, not harder. Film asks you to slow down, to be intentional, to commit to a frame before you take it. That discipline actually makes you a better photographer in every format — including digital.
