Choosing the Right Format for Your Family Photos: A Simple Guide to Film, Digital, and Super 8
Not sure whether you want digital, film, or Super 8 for your family photo session? This guide breaks down each format—from modern digital imagery to nostalgic film and vintage-inspired Super 8—so you can choose what feels most meaningful for your family portraits.
What This Guide Is (And Who It’s For)
If you’ve ever looked at a session package and thought,
“Wait… what’s the difference between digital, film, and Super 8?”
—this guide is for you.
You don’t need to be a photography expert to make meaningful choices for your family. But I believe you deserve to understand what you’re investing in—clearly, simply, and without pressure.
Each format I offer—whether digital, film, or vintage Super 8 video—has a different emotional texture. And depending on the kind of story you want to tell, one may speak to you more deeply than another.
This guide will walk you through:
What each format is (in plain language)
What it feels like to be photographed that way
Which format might best match your vision and values
Whether you’re drawn to timeless film tones, the emotional movement of Super 8, or the clarity and speed of digital—this will help you decide (or simply feel more informed when we chat about your session).
Let’s begin with the most familiar: digital photography.
What Is Digital Photography?
Digital photography is the format most people are familiar with—it’s what your phone, DSLR, or mirrorless camera captures. Images are created instantly, stored on memory cards, and then easily edited, shared, and printed.
Why I Use It
In my sessions, digital photography is incredibly helpful for capturing fleeting expressions, fast toddler moments, and low-light scenes—especially indoors or during evening routines. It gives us flexibility, efficiency, and options.
What It Feels Like
Digital feels clean, clear, and modern. It offers the sharpest details and quickest turnaround. If you’re drawn to natural colors and a soft, true-to-life look, digital provides a reliable, beautiful foundation.
When It Might Be the Right Fit for You
Choose digital if you:
Want multiple frames of the same moment to choose from
Prefer faster delivery
Love true-to-life color and light
Value flexibility (especially with wiggly kids or indoor sessions)
Want your story told clearly, simply, and fully
It’s the format we’ll almost always have as part of your session—often paired with film or Super 8 for a layered, emotionally rich experience.
What Is Film Photography?
Film photography uses traditional rolls of film—35mm or 120 medium format—to capture each image one frame at a time. These images are developed in a lab, scanned by hand, and carry a texture and richness that digital can’t quite replicate.
I often shoot film alongside digital during sessions. It slows everything down in the best way—it invites intention, softness, and presence.
Why I Use It
Film allows me to approach your story with more pause. Because there are only 16 or 36 frames per roll, each click matters. It invites us both to be more grounded in the moment, rather than chasing the next one.
35mm film is slightly grainier and more nostalgic—perfect for movement and candid energy. 120 (medium format) film offers even more depth, light softness, and painterly detail—ideal for tender portraits or quiet, emotional moments.
What It Feels Like
Film feels timeless, imperfect, and full of soul. It adds a nostalgic warmth to the gallery—subtle grain, dreamy light, tones that feel pulled from memory.
You don’t get dozens of photos from the same second. You get the moment that mattered.
When It Might Be the Right Fit for You
Choose film if you:
Love the look of vintage family albums
Are drawn to softness, grain, and natural light
Want your photos to feel like memories, not just images
Appreciate intention over volume
Crave a gallery with emotional texture and visual depth
What Is Super 8 Video?
Super 8 is a vintage motion picture format originally used to film home movies in the 1960s and ’70s. I use those very same cameras from back then to create short, emotionally rich family films that feel like time capsules—grainy, flickering, nostalgic, and full of life.
Why I Use It
Some stories are meant to move.
The sway of your dress as you scoop them up.
The way their curls bounce as they run barefoot through the yard.
The hush of evening light in your kitchen as you wipe tiny hands and set down dinner.
Super 8 allows me to capture the quiet choreography of your everyday—moments too fluid to freeze.
What It Feels Like
Super 8 feels like watching a memory unfold in real time.
The footage flickers with a softness that’s impossible to fake.
It doesn’t include sound—but somehow, you hear it anyway.
You feel the warmth, the rhythm, the presence.
It’s like watching a dream you haven’t had yet—
one you’ll play again when you’re aching for the way life felt right now.
When It Might Be the Right Fit for You
Choose Super 8 if you:
Want to remember movement, not just moments
Love vintage home movies or tactile film aesthetics
Crave something that feels cinematic, personal, and timeless
Want your children to see how you loved them—not just what you looked like
Are drawn to storytelling in all its forms—not just still images
Do I Have to Choose Just One?
Not at all.
Many families choose a blend of formats—digital for versatility, film for feeling, and Super 8 for movement. Each one adds a different layer to your story, and when combined, they create something deeply textured, honest, and whole.
You don’t have to know which format you want before booking. That’s part of what I’m here for.
If you’re unsure, I’ll guide you through it. We’ll talk about what kind of moments matter most to you, what you're drawn to visually, and how you want this season of life to feel when you look back.
Think of it less like choosing a product—and more like curating a creative time capsule.
Final Thoughts: What Story Do You Want to Tell?
Each format—digital, film, and Super 8—offers a different way of seeing.
A different way of remembering.
There’s no right or wrong choice—only what feels most true to you.
Some seasons call for clarity and ease.
Some call for softness and stillness.
And some are so fleeting, they beg to be captured in motion.
Whether you know exactly what you want or you’re still exploring, I’d love to help you shape a session that honors the pace, mood, and magic of your family’s story.
If this helped you understand your options—or made you feel even more curious—reach out anytime.
We can talk about what would feel most meaningful for the season you’re in.
Let’s create something lasting.
Something layered.
Something only you could live—and only I could witness.
Still Wondering? (Quick Answers to Common Questions)
Is film better than digital for family photography?
Not better—just different. Film adds softness, grain, and nostalgic tones that evoke emotion. Digital offers speed, sharpness, and flexibility. The best choice depends on what you want to feel in your final gallery.
What’s special about Super 8 family films?
Super 8 captures movement—like a quiet home movie. It feels like watching a memory unfold: dreamy, flickering, timeless. The feeling of motion and mood is, in my opinion, beyond compare.
Do you offer all formats in every session?
Many of my sessions blend digital, film, and Super 8. If you’re not sure what you want, we’ll talk through your vision and create something layered and personal.