John Enman — We talked about how wedding ceremony images has modified

John Enman — We talked about how wedding ceremony images has modified

Published 9:30 am Tuesday, February 3, 2026

My very long time good friend and photographer, Alex Neidbala stopped by my store. Until his retirement in 2005 Neidbala owned and operated Billows Photography in Kamloops.

Alex talked about some images in an exhibition he had been to and as we talked about images we drifted into how a lot has modified because the Eighties and Nineties once we had been each working as wedding ceremony photographers.

Back then the ultimate merchandise for the marriage couple had been prints and for these photographers wanting high quality enlargements better than 8×10 the best choice was to shoot medium format movie (that meant utilizing movie that produced 2¼ x 2¼ inch negatives as a substitute of 35mm movie’s 1/38 X 15/16 inches)

Medium format movie was bought in rolls that relying on the digicam had been 12 or 16 frames (photos) per roll. At that point we each used a digicam referred to as a Hasselblad. A roll of 12-exposure movie was loaded in {a magazine} that hooked up to the digicam. When 12 exposures had been taken one other loaded journal was exchanged for 12 extra images. Gosh, so very completely different from the seemingly infinite quantity of photos I get from the 128GB reminiscence card I usually use at this time.

Neidbala stated that taking pictures again then was more durable for photographers than at this time, in that fashionable photographers don’t fear about operating out of movie or have the price of processing every roll of movie after which the prints.

I’ll say that when a photographer is restricted to altering movie each twelve frames at such an vital occasion as a marriage, each shot needed to depend and it additionally took time to vary movie so photographers needed to be ready for each shot. I believe the liberty photographers now have permits for extra creativity.

The Hasselblad didn’t have auto focus lenses or any programmable modes. Photographers needed to slowly use the handbook focusing lenses that had been a lot heavier and bulkier than most present DSLR lenses. A metered focusing head that may very well be hooked up to the digicam physique was obtainable to be used, however most of us used hand-held mild meters. However, not like at this time, improper exposures had been frequent when one modified places on the transfer.

Wedding albums had been an added value and normally contained both 5X5 or 8X8 inch prints. The complete variety of prints was normally a lot lower than 100 photos, and every enlargement was printed in a customized lab.

Today we’re capable of take main artistic dangers and if a shot didn’t work, delete it and check out once more. Instead of being restricted to 12 everlasting exposures for a household grouping, one is ready to make a number of exposures, choose the most effective picture; with everybody smiling and eyes open, no grimaces or humorous faces, after which retouch or delete the remainder.

Photography has been thrilling all these years as a result of the expertise has been an ever altering. I recall photographers marvelling at my Hasselblad the identical approach I do when some photographer fingers me their new mirrorless digital digicam. I offered my Hasselblads and bought my first DSLR in 1999. Its enjoyable to reminisce and I’m wondering what the digicam of selection will likely be for photographers ten years sooner or later.

Stay protected and be artistic. These are my ideas for this week. Contact me at www.enmanscamera.com or emcam@telus.internet.