A couple of years ago, this would have been a major question.  Now, in the headshot world, the battle has pretty much been won; digital has claimed the field.  I honestly don’t think I’ve had a request for film in two years, and I have a bag of unused film sitting in the frig. That’s not to say film doesn’t have its merits, or its fans.  Truth is, I’m still an ardent film fan.  Aesthetically I still love film; it interprets what you see, it tranforms and adds sentiment to a scene. Still, the fact is, film is a hassle.  And digital is close enough that it’s generally not worth the additional hassle.  But don’t take my word for it.  Let’s go through the differences in detail. 

The Advantages of Digital

·      Instant Feedback.  You have to love this part.  With digital, you can see what you got immediately.  So it gives you, the client, the comfort of knowing whether you’ve got a shot that you like by the end of a shoot.  With film, you have to trust the photographer.  Not that you can’t, but sometimes, it’s hard to know that what you’re thinking and what the photographer is thinking are the same thing. 

You can also see what you’ve got during the shoot, and make adjustments along the way.  This allows you to adjust your expressions, your poses, your clothing and your looks as the shoot progresses.  This is priceless, and results in much better shoots.

·      No Limit on Number of Photos.  Most photographers who offer digital give you almost unlimited photos within a given period of time.  In particular, for those who are nervous or uncomfortable in front of the camera, you can just keep shooting and erase the ones you don't like.  I've had clients that weren't comfortable until after the first hour of shooting, and for these clients, digital is a great advantage.  With film, you have to make every shot count. 

·      Immediate Processing, Less Hassle.  As you know, with film, the photographer has to take the film to a lab and get it developed.  That takes 1-2 days, and the developing costs $15-20.  Then you, the client, has to come back and look at the proofs.  Often, to figure out which pictures you like, you have to get 4x6 copies made, at $1.50-2.00 a print.  Then you have to pick the ones that you want to blow up to 8x10.  Each of those cost $15-20, and takes 1-2 days.  So that’s costly, and involves about four trips to a printer.

With digital, the photographer can burn you a disk in about fifteen minutes (not all photographers do that, but I do).  Then you can go home and look through the pictures on your computer.  No proofs, and sometimes, you don’t even need an 8x10.  You can take a digital copy of the photo you want to print and give it to the printer directly.  Heck, you can even email it if you don’t have adjustments or comments for the printer. 

The Disadvantages of Digital

·      Digital Picks Up More Detail.  A Lot More.  For those that have detail in their faces, and don’t like that detail, that can be problematic. That means pores, crows feet, wrinkles, zits and scars will all show up, especially on a close up.  If you compare a film photo vs. a digital one, you will find that film "interprets" a picture and often softens the look. 

·      Digital Often Requires Photoshop.  Because of the detail, you often have to go into photoshop to take care of the detail.  That can cost $60-80 an hour usually (okay, plug for me – I charge very reasonable photoshop rates).

The other issue is that you need a good photoshopper.  Too much photoshopping, and the photo can seem unreal (you’ve seen those, haven’t you?), and then you know that the person doesn’t look like the photo.  Like anything else, photoshop is a great tool, it depends on who’s using it.

·      Printing Can Be More Complicated.  While digital simplified shooting, it has made the entire process more complicated.  Before, there was photographer and a printer.  Now, there’s a photographer, photoshop, a monitor and a printer.  In other words, there’s a lot more to coordinate, and sometimes, not everything is aligned. 

In good hands the process is simple: a good photographer makes sure that his monitor is calibrated properly (showing the right colors), and a good printer will make sure that he prints to the right skin tone. 

There are times, though, that not all the checks in the system work.  So it’s good to check with your photographer and your printer that they are calibrating their equipment properly. 

·      Digital Requires A More Skilled Photographer.  This may seem counterintuitive, because digital is supposed to make things easier, right?  Not exactly.  For the photographer, things actually got more complicated.

With digital, the photographer has to be a better shooter.  Digital has less tolerance; that is, what you see is exactly what you get.  So there’s really not a range of error.  The photographer has to have a much more precise understanding of light, and must take a good photo the first time.  Well, you say, “there’s always photoshop!”  That’s not really true.  Photoshop can take care of smaller details – flyaway hairs, pimples, and such – but you can’t redesign a photo in photoshop.  In other words, there is no substitute for a good photo taken right the first time. 

So, just be sure that you’re confident in your photographer’s shooting abilities.  While I think photoshop is a great tool, my stylistic preference is for shooting the best shot possible, and avoiding photoshop as much as possible.