Weddings on film
Every wedding I photograph is shot on digital and film. 35mm for movement and moments. 120 medium format for portraits that need to be quiet and still.
Film is not a filter. It is a different way of seeing a day, slower, more careful, with grain and colour that digital cannot copy. This guide explains how it works at a wedding.
By Jiaxi Wang, an editorial wedding photographer and videographer in Melbourne. I photograph fashion-forward, design-led and intimate weddings on digital, 35mm, 120 and Super 8 film. Updated November 2026.
What film does
Film handles bright light gently. Skin looks like skin, white dresses keep their detail in full sun, and highlights roll off softly instead of clipping. In low light, grain gives the photographs texture instead of noise.
Film also changes the pace. Each frame costs something, so I wait for the right moment.
35mm and 120
35mm is small, fast and close to how the eye sees. I use it for getting ready, the ceremony, the dance floor. 120 medium format is larger, heavier and slower, with more detail and a shallower look. I use it for portraits, family groups and the quiet moments.
Choosing the stock
I choose the film stock on the day, depending on the light and the mood. Warm colour stocks for golden hour, black and white for stone and shadow, faster stocks for dark rooms and evenings.
If you already know a stock you love, tell me before the wedding and we can plan around it.
Developed in Collingwood
I work at Echo Darkroom, part of Cool Studio in Collingwood. Every roll is either developed in-house there, or developed and scanned by me. Nothing is posted away. Film scans are delivered in the same online gallery as the digital photographs, high resolution for print and web size for sharing.
What it costs
Film photography is included in every photography service. There is no separate film package. Photography collections start at $2,200 for six hours, and photo and video at $5,000. Super 8 motion picture film can be added from $790, and a specialist film laboratory processes and scans it. See the packages and the Super 8 guide.
Film questions
How many film photos will we get?
It depends on the day and the light. Film sits alongside the digital gallery, not instead of it.
Is film risky?
Every important moment is covered on digital as well. Film is added, never relied on alone.
Can we have a whole day on film only?
Ask me. It is possible for small weddings with plenty of daylight.
Tell me about your day
Dates for 2027 are open.
Wedding photography and video collections begin at $5,000 for six hours.
The eight-hour Signature collection is $5,900. Photography-only collections begin at $2,200.