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Kim Hildebrand, a Coeur d’Alene, Idaho family and newborn photographer, shares tips for photographers through her workshop experiences, film experiments, creative journey and inspirational articles. “Success is accomplished together, Failure is done alone.” – Simon Sinek. Kim has been in business for 15 years, 7 of which she has restructured her business to profitably shoot with 100% film. Kim considers herself a natural, candid, storytelling photographer who loves photographing newborns and families at home, where their hearts are. This natural approach results in photos that really show the personalities of each family member and these moments can be presented in a number of ways. Check out Kim’s selection of beautiful products on my pricing page. Kim has won numerous awards, teaches and mentors others about film and artificial light photography at numerous conferences, workshops, retreats and her own online platform. When not working, Kim can be found planning vacations and adventures with her family.
12 Rolls. 4 Cameras. Zero Digital Backup. One Birth. A Film CONFIDENT Student Case Study: Heather Whitten Before film images by Heather Whitten TL;DR: Heather, a birth photographer in Maryland, photographed an entire birth on film: 12 rolls, 4 cameras, no digital backup. She lost one roll to a loading error and kept going anyway….
She Used to Dread Her Scans. Now She’s Shooting Film at Paid Sessions. A Film CONFIDENT Student Case Study: Rachel Rachel’s Before Images on 35mm film TL;DR: Rachel was already shooting clients, but her light meter and her camera never agreed, and her scans kept coming back orange. With a clear metering process from Film…
How to Shoot Kodak Portra 160 Film — And When It’s Actually the Right Choice Most people reach for Portra 400 by default. It’s forgiving, it’s versatile, it handles low light with some grace, and it’s everywhere. But Portra 160? That one gets overlooked. And honestly, if you’ve never spent real time with it, you’re…
You didn’t pick up a film camera to feel like you’re doing something wrong. You remember why you picked it up? Maybe it was a film image you saw — the kind that stopped you mid-scroll. Not because it was perfect, but because it felt real. Warm. Like it was actually from somewhere. Maybe it…
Let’s be honest about what shooting film actually costs. There’s the film itself. The developing. The scanning. And depending on where you live and which lab you use, you’re easily looking at $30–$50 per roll by the time you see your images. That’s not nothing. Especially when you’re not sure they’re going to turn out….
Want to know the real reason your film results are inconsistent? I bet it’s not what you think, so read on. There’s a very specific feeling you get when you hand a roll of film to the lab. It’s not quite excitement…and not quite dread. It’s somewhere in the middle — that quiet “please let…
I’ve been seeing article after article about the grandmacore trend and I honestly love it. So today I want to talk to you about why film photography is the ultimate creative reset we all need. Let’s be honest: digital life is a lot. Constant pings. Algorithm pressure. Feeds that never end. Whether you’re a professional…
Film is alive and well — and Kodak just proved it again. In late 2025, Kodak announced the launch of two new 35mm color negative films: Kodacolor 100 and Kodacolor 200. With film prices climbing and choices narrowing, this affordable pair is already turning heads. But how do they compare to classics like Portra 400…
Today I want to talk to you about why your film photos are still off—even when you’re metering correctly. This is a common problem, but can be an easy fix! Let’s talk about the moment every film photographer dreads: You scan your film… and it’s meh. Grainy, muddy, or just plain flat. You swear you…
Now with summer travel season upon us, I want to share with you how to ship film to your lab to ensure it gets there safely. If you’ve ever stared at your finished rolls of film wondering, Now what?—this one’s for you. Shipping your film to a lab shouldn’t feel like sending your creative heart…
Now that summer is here, I want to talk to you about the best point and shoot film cameras for fun, nostalgic vibes. Because honestly, when is there a better time to let your hair down and experiment to your heart’s content without overthinking everything? Summer is good for the creative soul, am I right?…
Today I want to talk about 5 troubleshooting tips for film exposure that I see over and over again. If you’ve ever gotten scans back and thought, “What the heck happened to that roll?”—you’re not alone. Film is magical, but it’s also honest. When your exposure’s off, it tells you loudly. Whether you’re just starting…