Kurt Boomer
Wedding | Last Updated: April 4, 2024
Hi there, My name is Kurt of Kurt Boomer Photography. I primarily shoot weddings but do some editorial work in addition. Landscapes are by far my favorite when I have some free time.
I haven’t shot a digital image (besides my iPhone) in quite some time. To me, the beauty of film is just unbeatable. It’s nothing that can be replicated with actions or presets. And it goes beyond the organic look of the images it produces. It changed the way I shoot altogether.
I have slowed down and started to think about every shot I take. That pertains to everything from weddings to travel. I also love the way film retains highlight detail and how beautiful it prints onto fine art papers. The colors of Fuji film are my favorite. It has a bit of an ethereal feel and creates beautiful skin tones. So, whether it’s blaring mid-day sun portraits or a dimly lit reception, my medium of choice is superior in my eyes.
When it comes to gear, I keep it as minimal as possible. 90% of my work is done on a Contax 645 with a Contax 80mm f/2 prime. While it is just about the most finicky camera I have ever held, when you learn how to use it, nothing is better.
It’s fairly fast in its handling for medium format. It has a separate dial for every function and the Zeiss glass is to die for. Shooting it wide open at f/2 gives you a beautiful depth of field with amazing separation.
The Zeiss lenses create amazing colors and contrast. I shoot it until it’s too dark to handhold Ilford Delta 3200. I really only use two films during the day. Fuji 400H and Ilford Delta 3200. I love the raw graininess of Delta.
I always have my trusty Sekonik L-558R light meter with me for metering that tricky light. For night shots with the Contax, I use an old Sony video light. It’s annoying but gets the job done.
When it comes to the dark spaces, I turn to 35mm. My camera for this is the Canon EOS-1V. The thing is a brick. I love it. It’s fast, easy to use and I get the Canon lens line up to choose from. I shoot Kodak Portra 800 and again Ilford Delta 3200 which both look amazing in low-light. Kodak Portra films push really well and still give me descent skin tones in the dark. Ilford Delta 3200 at night has a very classic and romantic feel.
I use a Canon 430EX II flash when I need to. Mainly to stop motion like dancing. I use the Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L for most of my dark reception work along with the Canon 50mm f/1.2. I shoot everything wide open as I don’t have what is almost unlimited ISO with digital in film.
I send all of my film to Richard Photo Lab in Hollywood, CA. They have a custom color profile and produce scans exactly how I want my finished images to look. This brings me to one of my favorite aspects of film. No post-production. I download my images from the lab, do a quick cull and off they go to the client. It produces a great workflow for my business.
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