I’m often asked by new film photographers and clients alike about film photography and what it costs to shoot in film. While many people welcome the information, sometimes I feel like I have to still justify film when many others can get something cheaper…..(here’s my perspective on that! It might surprise you!)

I can’t always give specific wedding collection pricing because it’s not necessarily relevant to the inquiring bride’s date, or service request, or it might not be appropriate to share what an actual couple has invested in film photography, so I generally share the price range of film photography and what someone can expect at a session or on a wedding day. So, really, today’s blog post is sharing the CDB(Cost Of Doing Business) side, regarding film photography. For reference, a film session costs anywhere between $125 to $400, depending on a lot of factors mostly based on your needs. Clients who are attracted to my work generally fall within a similar aesthetic style (Whimsical, bespoke, timeless), and that means incorporating certain mediums that start at different price points - medium format or 35mm, Portra 400, 160, or 800. Here is a recent blog post for brides about what to consider when hiring a film photographer!

So with that said, I want to break down a textbook KTP portrait session, then scale it to a Wedding. Look for accompanying photos that help you visualize the service a bit better!

Portrait Session Ingredients :)

35mm Film

120 Film (medium format)

PORTRAIT SESSION CDB: $100

You’ll probably ask, what makes the supplies for this session cost $100? I thought it was just a roll or two of film? Like I said, my sessions come in anywhere between $125 - $400, with a portion of that cost going toward film and related fees. There are two main types of film that I use - medium format and 35mm. 35mm is a few dollars more expensive since it holds on average about 36 frames, and medium format rolls have only 16 frames per roll.

Below is a breakdown of the cost of shooting in film, organized in a timeline that maps out the payment, step by step.

Session booked! Let’s buy some film!
- 2 rolls of Portra 400 35mm at $8.75 a roll [$17.50]
- 2 rolls of Portra 400 120mm at $7.35 a roll [$14.78]
- Shipping from TheFindLab [$7.95]
- TOTAL: $40.23
Session Done! Let’s get it processed so I can deliver some scans to you that you’re going to LOVE!!!
- Ship The Film To THEFINDLAB in Orem, UT [$7.25]
- 35mm Processing and Scanning Fee at $14 a roll [$28]
- 120 Processing and Scanning Fee at $12 a roll [$24]
- TOTAL: $59.25
SUBTOTAL: $99.48
- This is rounded up in a few paragraphs above because the envelopes I use sometimes change. There are Dollar tree ones that are about 50 cents each so after factoring it in, that would be 2 cents short of $100 even.
- You get around 100 images from your one-hour session! (104 if we are talking technically, but I allow around 3 or so frames as a margin for error such as blurred/missed focus photos, closed eyes, or another unforeseen error. That’s not a lot of error, but it’s my running record!

I hope this makes things a lot clearer for you now! The majority of my wedding collections and pricing is based first upon my CBD, and then the rest of the profits and fees are included.

Now let’s scale this up to a Wedding Day. Now, a free engagement or bridal session is included in every wedding collection so this pricing is only for the wedding day. This is the average cost to shoot a portion of your 6-hour wedding day in film.

Wedding booked! Let’s buy some film!
- 5 rolls of Portra 400 35mm at $8.75 a roll [$43.75]
- 2 rolls of Portra 400 120mm at $7.35 a roll [$36.75]
- Shipping from TheFindLab [$7.95]
- TOTAL: $88.45
Wedding Done! Let’s get it processed so I can deliver your wedding day scans to you that you’re going to LOVE!!!
- Ship The Film To THEFINDLAB in Orem, UT [$7.25]
- 35mm Processing and Scanning Fee at $14 a roll [$70]
- 120 Processing and Scanning Fee at $12 a roll [$60]
- TOTAL: $137.25
SUBTOTAL: $225.70 (Yields around 260 images of your 300-500 image gallery [6 hours service])

Of course, the number will be greater or smaller depending on how long you’ve booked me for and what collection you choose. I hope this gives you a greater insight into film wedding photography and how it truly is the best investment for those wanting timeless, heirloom-quality images to remember their wedding day. If you have any questions at all, I am happy to answer them or even send you over a pricing guide so you can see some of my offerings in more detail.

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