Film vs Digital Grad Photos: A Complete Guide
A question as old as time!
(almost)
If you’re new here, welcome! My name is Claire Hambrick, I’m a professional photographer based in Durham, NC, and have been taking grad portraits in Spring and Fall for over 5 years now. I’ve worked with grads in campuses all over North Carolina and occasionally out of state to provide stunning photos that tell the story of your college experience, making sure that these photos are something that your future self can look back on with pride. My style varies from cinematic to editorial, depending on the client. I’m especially known for the portraits I offer on 35mm analog film, and for tailoring photoshoots to my clients. Before our session together, you can expect emails back and forth getting to know your style, sharing a Pinterest board and inspiration photos, and an optional pre-session planning call to get to know each other and discuss your creative visions.
I love being able to offer portrait sessions both digitally and on film. I think both options have different pros and cons, and the right format for you really depends on what kind of look you’re going for with your grad photos. When shooting on film, there are more unknowns: you never know exactly how they’ll turn out until after the film has gone through chemical processing and the negatives scanned and developed. Film photos also have an inherent physicality to them that digital photos just do not have. For me, all these interplaying variables add to the magic of this format. There’s more trust and intuition involved. Photos might be slightly blurry, grainy, dreamy — it’s an aesthetic I come back to time after time. Photos taken with film feel timeless: old cameras and classic vignettes mean the photos look like they could be taken today or 50 years ago. I invest in the best quality film stocks available, seeking the richest colors for all skin tones.
With digital photos, it’s a more familiar look for most of us that have grown up in the digital age. We can take hundreds of photos at a super quick shutter speed, capturing tiny nuances in movement. Digital is how we know photos in current day. I love film, but there will always be a time and place for digital — particularly when conditions are harder to control like in low light. Plus, with digital, there are less possibilities for things to go wrong in the post-production process since there are no chemicals involved. It’s trusty, great quality, and you’re less likely to get things like blur or grain on your photos. Digital photos have a sort of crispness to them and a great choice when pursuing an editorial look.
The easiest way to know which medium draws you in more is to check it out side by side. The rest of this post will show a variety of film and digital grad portraits to show their different qualities.
Can’t decide? You can always choose both. This option is available in my tier 3 package: for more info on grad photo packages, check out the link here.
Scroll down for a photo FAQ.
Side by Side Comparisons:
Film (left), Digital (right) — UNC Charlotte, 2024
Film (left), Digital (right) — UNC Chapel Hill, 2023
Film (left), Digital (right) — UNC Charlotte, 2024
Film (left), Digital (right) — UNC Charlotte, 2024
Film (left), Digital (right) — NC State, 2023
Film (left), Digital (right) — UNC Charlotte, 2023
Film (left), Digital (right) — UNC Asheville, 2024
Film (left), Digital (right) — UNC Charlotte, 2023
To recap: film or digital is ultimately an aesthetic choice. Film has a hazier, dreamier vibe where as digital can be crisper and more “professional.” When in doubt, go with both!
Champagne: Film or Digital?
If you choose to bring a bottle of champagne for a photoshoot prop, your choice of photographic medium depends on personal preference. Typically, digital will be best for capturing tiny details like individual water droplet as the shutter speed (how fast the photo takes) is much quicker. However, some folks still prefer the sort of dreaminess that this moment looks on film. Here are a couple examples of each.
Film (left), Digital (right)
Cinematic: Film or Digital?
Typically, film has a more old-school cinematic look. The photos below were from an all-film grad session at NC State in 2024. Cinematic can still of course be achieved digitally, just in a different way.
All film:
Fisheye: Film or Digital?
If you’re wanting to do something different than the mainstream with your grad photos, I often suggest incorporating my fisheye camera lens for a few shots. This creates a distorted, wide angle look that can be a lot of fun. This effect can only be achieved with digital as the lens doesn’t work with older film cameras.
All digital:
Editorial: Film or Digital?
If high-fashion is your taste, I recommend going with digital. It’s often a sleeker, crisper look with angles perfect for that editorial feel. Plus, flash looks great on digital format and can add to that editorial style. See below.
All digital:
Inside: Film or Digital?
If you’re wanting photos in a college house or old building, film can be really special. Film works best if the inside location has big windows nearby. Digital works perfectly well here too, it’s up to preference.
All film:
Digital:
Conclusion:
Hopefully, this provided a little more reference to the question of film or digital pics for your grad photos. As you’ve seen above, there isn’t a right or wrong choice; all the images and grads look great, but the final effect of the photo can change depending on what format you opt for. Unless you’re really set on one or the other, having both is a great way to cover all your bases.
Ready to book?
Fill out the grad booking form here.
Thanks so much!
