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Should you hire a wedding photographer who shoots with a digital or 35mm camera? We'll help you decide.

As you review the portfolio of a potential wedding photographer, you probably won't be able to tell whether he or she used a digital or film camera. But there are subtle differences in appearance, such as color intensity, and other reasons why you might choose one over the other.

Digital

About 60 percent of wedding photographers are shooting their clients' nuptials digitally. Here are the pros and cons:

Perks

• The colors tend to appear intensely vibrant.
• Color photos may be easily converted to black and white. Digital pics can also be cropped into artsy square or letterbox formats; flaws, like the lipstick print your aunt left on your cheek, can be erased.
• Turnaround time is faster. Within two or three weeks, a photographer can upload hundreds of digital photos to a website, or give them to you on a CD.
• "With a digital camera, transitions are smooth and fluid," says Jennifer Maring, of the Connecticut-based studio Maring Photography, who shot Donald Trump's nuptials. "For example, during the ceremony, I can take 100 consecutive shots of the processional and not be worried about having to change rolls of film [which have just 36 exposures each]."

Problems

• Over the course of time, the format of your original digital photo files may become obsolete. This means that at some point you may not be able to create new copies. This is the nature of modern technology—think of BETA tapes and floppy disks. Many brides assume that digital photography is cheap. It's not: Hours of post-production time will be devoted to perfecting your photos, and your photographer needs to maintain and upgrade his high-tech camera and computer equipment. All of this will be reflected in the fee.

Film

Plenty of couples hire photographers who shoot on film. Here's why you may or may not want to do so yourself:

Perks

• If stored properly, your 35mm negatives will survive for hundreds of years.
• In film, colors tend to be softer, more subtle and complex. (Some digital photos can look "too perfect" or "fake.") Many brides prefer this look—especially those who want their photos to have a journalistic feel. And when it comes to black and white photography, "the aesthetics are hard to reproduce digitally," says New York City photographer Terry deRoy Gruber. "There's something so beautiful about the highlights and shadows, and the texture and grain, that only black and white film—not a Photoshop filter—can deliver."
• If your photographer shoots film, you'll benefit from the full range of his or her experience. (Even a seasoned photographer may only have been shooting weddings digitally for five or six years.)
• Most film photographers will be willing to scan your film negatives onto a CD, so that you can view and share them online.

Problems

• Turnaround time—it can take a month or more to process film negatives into proofs.
• Images shot on film are static—your photographer cannot adjust the composition, color and contrast after the fact.