This week on Lensel, “the news for wedding photographers”

• Clean Film - How to avoid bad film results

• What shooting a ceremony in the dark looks like

• Half Frame cameras and new anamorphic lenses

• News + inspo to keep you ahead of the rest

Let’s dive in ⬇️

WEDDING FEATURE

Desert Dance: Shooting a wedding ceremony in the dark with Joel and Justyna

“It might sound like a cliché, but we really do aim to photograph how it felt.”

Joel & Justyna take us behind the scenes of a 500-person Palm Springs wedding that somehow felt intimate from start to finish. The ceremony was nearly all in the dark. The styling was sculptural but restrained. And the energy moved between slow, intimate moments and a full-throttle dance floor.

PS. if you haven’t seen this yet, at Lensel we are starting to feature real weddings. Think normal wedding blog feature, but the twist? It’s all told from the photographers perspective. Submissions will be open soon.

NEWS

Happening this Week

• The SD card turns 25. It’s the little rectangle that we all rely on and it’s 25 years old this week. From 8MB to 4TB it’s all grown up. If you’re a geek like us you might want to watch the tribute video here.

• Flash but pocket sized. A flash that fits IN your pocket maybe what we all need. Dive in and see the new flash release from Godox.

• A next level ‘pre-wedding guide’. This week we saw photographer Mauricio Garay launch his wedding guide in book format - a gift to each new couple. Taking a simple guide on getting better photos and elevating it into much more. Check it out here.

• Finally anamorphic. Cinematographers had these bad boys all to themselves all these years. But Blazar has gone and made the first practical anamorphic lenses for photographers. Finally.

• Half Frame enough? Fujifilm today released it’s new ‘half frame’ camera. The “X-Half”. And yes, as it suggests it’s sensor size is half a full frame, and is it vertical format. Designed to be an everyday fun camera maybe this could strike a good balance as a non-work camera. + here’s a first review on Youtube.

• Tuscany is calling. Just a few spots left at this beautiful looking editorial in Tuscany this coming this July.

• DJI rumours heating up. Chatter is everywhere this week that DJI is about to release it’s first full frame mirrorless camera - aiming to take on Sony, Canon and the likes. Dive in here to see the juicy details.

SHOOTING AND FILM

🎞️ Clean Film: how to avoid bad film results

Everyone’s shooting film. But not everyone’s doing it well.

You’ve seen it: the crunchy shadows, milky scans, muddy color - the mistakes. A “film look” that’s more ‘vibe’ than ‘taken by a pro photographer’ photograph. And while grain and imperfection have their place… (sometimes a mistake is an absolute winner)… For pro photographers wanting to incorporate film into their every wedding workflow… this isn’t it.

So what’s the difference between clean film and muddy film? Film that feels right and film that just looks...off?

We asked three amazing (all film) photographers to break down what shooting good clean film really means to them, and HOW to actually achieve it. Thanks to David Swidrak, Zara Staples and Michelle Pullman.

If you’ve been disappointed with your scans, unsure about metering, or tempted to give up on film altogether: read this. TLDR at the end too.

What is ‘Clean Film’?

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INSPO THIS WEEK

⬇️ There are blurry photos, and then there are blurry photos. Take a peek here into what it looks like to capture motion the right way.

⬇️ Just a little lesson in layers from a brand bringing their own photography vibe to the game.

⬇️ We love some good curation. And this simple idea is a perfect example. Way to show off the feeling of a wedding reception in a unique way that stands out. Do your self a favor and dive in for a look at this series ‘holding drinks’

⬇️ Documentary frames at an iconic spot. Can it get much better? Every frame here is it’s own world. 11/10.