Canvas Rebel recently reached out to me with an interview opportunity under their series ‘How did you come up with with the idea?’ and I was ecstatic to share the project I have been working on since the beginning of covid. For the past two years I have been formulating a way to recreate the magic of film through digital photography and modern technology, and after recently hitting a big milestone with my product, I knew the opportunity with Canvas Rebel would be the perfect time to introduce my concept of emulating film. It is still a work in progress, but it’s exciting to finally share my vision.
Meet Jasmine Baetzel
We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jasmine Baetzel a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jasmine, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
When I first started capturing weddings, I had no intention of shooting film because like everyone else, I am spoiled with the instant gratification of digital photography. However, I adore it and was always trying to find a way to give my work a ‘film’ look. During the lockdown in 2020, I had some free time to experiment with different film cameras and film stocks and fell completely in love with the process all over again. However, film takes a lot more work for very few photos and given how comfortable we are with the ability to capture thousands, I knew if I wanted to offer my clients film services I would have to find a way to emulate it digitally. I mixed up my lenses and started using a blend of analogue and digital equipment which did a pretty good job of replicating the movement and textures of film but I struggled with the colors. That’s when I came up with my in-camera color grading process and since then, I have been able to emulate the bold colors of Fuji and Kodak film stocks without lab or film costs while providing clients with hundreds of photos instead of 80, or so. There are a lot of underwhelming options out there but overall it really hasn’t been done before initially, I didn’t think I would be able to come close to meeting my high expectations, but every day I discover more possibilities this process introduces and I still get butterflies when it crosses my mind. It will probably take me a few years to fully grasp its potential but in the meantime, I’ll be tinkering with cameras, studying color theory and capturing the nostalgia of film through the comfort of technology and who knows? Maybe one day it will have the ability to bring discontinued film stocks back from the dead.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I have been a wedding photographer since 2018. In 2017 I was in school part-time when a wedding photographer offered me a cash job as an assistant photographer. I was hesitant at the time because I had midterms coming up and I reflect on that often but went for it. Everything after that feels like a blur, I was completely obsessed. I dropped out of school and spent most of my time assisting until I felt confident enough to start my business in 2018. Business boomed until covid hit in 2020. I almost lost it all but the unexpected free time was the opportunity I needed to expand my research and ultimately discover a way to emulate film. All of my work up until 2020 was digital and editorial so learning how to capture weddings with analogue equipment broadened my documentary horizons. With knowledge in both, I am able to adjust my style to match my clients even if they are unable to communicate the proper terms and I strongly believe that’s how I am able to build a strong connection with my clients, ultimately erasing the camera.
Read the full interview on Canvas Rebel – https://canvasrebel.com/meet-jasmine-baetzel/
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