Denver Engagement Film Photographer: Artistry and Moments Captured with Intention
I’m so excited to share this elegant and charming engagement session because it was my first real session on film! Mary Ann Craddock is a Denver-based wedding and portrait photographer who photographs her clients’ moments with honesty, beauty, and ease. Prior to 2023, I hadn’t shot film since my college party days in the early aughts. I’ve loved the look of film for the past few years, and now I’m finally in the headspace to take the plunge and try it out and become a Denver engagement film photographer.
The Artistic Appeal of Film Photography
In a digital world, I think the most challenging aspect is the lack of instant gratification and feedback. The medium of film photography points us to more. Perfection is no longer the goal; the goal is to capture the moment in whatever manner possible. Rather than seek perfection, over-analyzation, and a barrage of choices to make the perfect photograph, we are left with simple choices. Choose your film stock, expose the photograph, develop and scan the roll. Lastly, bask in the beauty of the imperfect images that we created. The simplicity of the moment as it truly was trumps over-analyzation.
I’ve always had a strong love for black and white images, especially the slightly-out-focus grainy ones. It’s the beauty in the imperfections that all draw us to the medium. It’s from the depths of us that we long to remember things how they truly were, but in our nature to create more from what was.
About the Couple: Catie and Liam
Catie and Liam are both professional dancers with the Colorado Ballet. These two met at Houston Ballet’s 2015 Summer Intensive when they were teenagers. They were partners in pas de deux class on the first day. Their first date was at the movies to see Jurassic World. After that, Catie and Liam were inseparable all summer and then continued a long-distance relationship for two years! Both admit that they met so young but were so sure about each other right away.
Liam proposed to Catie on their trip to Paris last summer! Catie says, “It was so romantic, he took me to a beautiful park and proposed in a temple overlooking Paris.” They have always known they wanted to get married and just recently tied the knot in St. Augustine, Florida. This engagement session was also featured on Magnolia Rouge.
Technical Details and Equipment
My Contax film camera arrived in January and I’ve been experimenting with Kodak, Fuji, and Ilford black and white film. For this specific session, 75% of these images are film and 25% are digital. The color film is Fuji 400h and the black and white is Ilford Delta 3200.
Below is a summary of the technical specifications used for this Denver engagement session:
| Equipment/Material | Specification |
| Camera | Contax 645 |
| Lens | 80mm f/2 |
| Color Film Stock | Fuji 400h |
| Black and White Film Stock | Ilford Delta 3200 |
| Processing and Scanning | Photovision |
Photography Services in Colorado
Mary Ann is a Colorado wedding photographer serving Denver, Vail, Aspen, and the Rocky Mountain region. She is a welcoming presence for her couples and their families. Her clients cherish their time with their loved ones as much as their memories, allowing Mary Ann to photograph narrative, lived-in moments. If you’re looking for a Denver engagement film photographer, let me know! Follow along for a glimpse into my world of artistic creation and discover the beauty in meaningful details.