Soulful Film Frames with Damien Milan

There is a fine art to capturing a connection between two souls – an even more delicate balancing act when it comes to film photography. With a finite number of frames to shoot, it requires a powerful concoction of intuition and craftsmanship. To be able to not only anticipate those fleeting, magic moments mere seconds before they unfold but to capture them poetically, takes a true master of their craft. For Blue Mountains-based wedding photographer Damien Milan, capturing the most real and raw moments of a wedding goes hand-in-hand with analog photography. Surrendering to the challenge of shooting film, Damien is able to slow down and draw his subjects into the present with him. Going against the grain of clichéd photo ops, Damien’s slower and meditative film process allows his couples a moment of pause. A respite to breathe and take in the magic of every single nuance with each other, instead of experiencing it all in a blur.

As a hybrid photographer shooting on both digital and 35mm and medium format film, Damien crafts a collection of images with an unparalleled depth of tones and textures. Tying the two genres together is Damien’s ability to distill the atmosphere of each small moment he is privy to into a single frame – even the most fleeting. From capturing stolen kisses under a streetlight to chasing lovers through misty mountains, each analog and digital frame of Damien’s emanates a nostalgic warmth that we are so fond of. A long-time favorite of The Lane, we adore Damien’s atmospheric mementos for their unfailing ability to transport us elsewhere for a brief moment in time.

With his soulful photography style drawing him from Australia to Europe to capture elopements in wild, unexplored destinations, Damien found a moment in-between weddings to reveal the process behind his poetic film captures…

“Shooting film at weddings definitely puts me out of my comfort zone. The thought of missing a crucial moment due to the physical limitations of analog cameras is quite daunting. But I believe one doesn’t push their creative boundaries enough if they are too comfortable with their craft.”

“I like to think that this analog process helps me to feel more present and to capture moments in a more soulful and meaningful way. It gives my couples a more poetic perspective on their day which they seem to love.”

“…There is something unique and beautiful about light being captured on celluloid. Shooting film has definitely taught me to embrace small imperfections like the grain, texture and tones of an image that make it even more special and unique.”

See more of Damien Milan’s Photography on his website or via The Lane Directory.