THE WEDDING CONTACT SHEET // our latest print product
THE WEDDING CONTACT SHEET
It’s no secret film has had a comeback, and I wanted to take it one step further as a nod to my photo school days. Every detail of this custom made piece has intention, craftsmanship and is waiting to hang on your walls to admire (and likely start a conversation).
My designer Sheena and I met in photography school in Boston (New England School of Photography) and are connected to the film process, which is how we learned photography; Developing our weekly rolls of film, hours in the darkroom, conversations over light tables and knocking on each other walls while color processing when ready for a Bertucci’s break.
I wanted to highlight a quiet (and almost forgotten) darkroom hero: the contact sheet.
THE CONTACT SHEET is an art form in and of itself. It’s put together for film and darkroom printing.
Once you processed your roll of film, you cut the negatives into strips, and place each strip in a plastic (& dust free!) sleeve. Placing this on the enlarger under photo paper, the contact sheet is the first thing you print in the darkroom, serving as an index of all the images on a roll of film.
It’s what you see for the first time after developing a roll of film.
35mm NYC studio at SVA, with Dorie, 2004
We started with the literal “here is what one roll of film from X-part of the day” would look like as a contact sheet, which was truly joyful to put together! Printing those at large scale read as a sweet and fun flip-book effect; (Almost too fun and sweet?)
BUT, I wanted to push the imagination further and dare to ask:
What if your entire wedding day
was shot on a single roll of film?
What would that contact sheet look like?
This is it the ultimate space where we can really play and daydream in a film meets digital space.
Featuring curated frames that savor slices of your wedding day in scenes, details, classic and candid moments - they are all part of the story of the day as arranged and told by Sheena with her refined visual language of shapes, colors and design (that literally made all our photo teachers gasp, which is why she is here now, doing all my design work and still making me and you all gasp).
I daydream the ideas, and she executes them (always better than I could ever imagine).
This collab makes us both excited and proud.
HERE WE ARE IN NESOP DAYS, 2006 // (left) sheena as my after hours portrait subject on newbury street for class assignment + (right) self portraits in my boston bedroom for class assignment
classmate tommy outside the darkroom at the developing sinks, 2006
Thoughtfully selected wedding moments for the walls of your home on 20x24” matte photo paper in a simple black starter frame. Large and oversized to make your heart stop. Sweet, smaller frames to make it beat again.
You decide if your contact sheet is in all color or all black and white which allows us to honor and stay true to what a contact sheet is - a single roll of film where you had to select color or back and white before even loading into the camera. The date of the “film“ features your wedding year along with the CKPHOTO logo as a seal of approval. (Hey, Mom! I made that!)
I love that this piece feels like the (perfect) missing in-between of our albums and fine art prints; It feels like the best of both worlds in the most playful way.
Let us take you into our darkroom and see what develops. //
Q&A //
What is a contact sheet? // After photographing and processing a roll of film, one (typically) cuts the roll of film into strips. Placing the negative strips on the enlarger to produce a single print that contains all images of the film role; an overview of what is on the roll for archival and organizational purposes.
Does this come in other sizes? // It does not come in other sizes. The total dimensions are 20x24” and will be mailed to you in a thin black started frame, ready to hang on your wall. It can live in there, or you can upgrade to a professional frame. (Highly recommend for long term archiving.)
Can we select our images? // We start from your curated images in your 00 HIGHLIGHTS. Perhaps a few surprise images along the way as needed. While keeping in true contact sheet fashion, horizontal images will be sideways. With expert eyes, your images will come alive, evoke all the emotion of your day and be a true masterpiece for your walls.
Color v black and white? // YOU CHOOSE! This lets us stand true to what a contact sheet is, a single roll of film where you had to select color or back and white before even loading into the camera. (But also, why not both?)
Is this all on film or digital? // If you had film added on to your Wedding Collection, there may be frames of film mixed with digital images.
How do we care for this art piece? // Your print arrives in a complimentary starter frame, but we recommend upgrading to a professional frame with archival materials when you're ready. Museum or UV-protective glass helps preserve the print and protect it from fading over time. Until then, avoid displaying it in direct sunlight and handle the print only by its edges to prevent fingerprints or dust. If you're local to Burlington, Vermont, I'm happy to recommend trusted local framers.