Interview – FILM PHOTOGRAPHY

Interview: Danielle Wrobleski

“I like having a set number of photos I can take; it really makes me focus on what I want to shoot and how to make each exposure count.”

JM – Tell me a bit about yourself.

DW – My name is Danielle Wrobleski. I’m a film photographer located in Milwaukee, WI and I have way, way too many cameras.

JM – Why do you shoot film?

DW – I tripped into film photography just over three years ago. Before that I really didn’t know anything about photography at all, so I really learned photography by shooting film. It’s what I feel most comfortable with, and beyond that film just fits my style a lot better than digital. I like having a set number of photos I can take; it really makes me focus on what I want to shoot and how to make each exposure count. I also just love the look of it. I love getting physical negatives, scanning them into my computer, and seeing them come to life. The colors and style I get out of my film photos have a lot more life to them than any photo taken on my DSLR.

JM – How would you describe your style?

DW – I guess I would say it’s a bit of a mish mash. I like to shoot a bit of everything from landscapes to architecture to night time.

JM – Has your style changed since you first started photography? If so, in what way has it changed and what brought on that change?

DW – When I first started shooting photography a few years back I really mainly focused on shooting nature and landscapes. I love hiking so bringing my camera along on outdoor adventures was most natural to me when I first started shooting. Since then as I’ve learned more about framing and composition I’ve expanded into more urban settings and now I like to hunt out interesting and unique scenes around my city too.

JM – What is your favorite film? Camera?

DW – This is tough. Right now I’m really digging both Lomo 100 and Portra 160. I love a lower ISO film, and both of these fit the mark really well. Sharp as knives and very minimal grain. Plus the colors on both are gorgeous. As for a favorite camera, I don’t know if I can pick from my big collection! But I do feel most drawn to my Bronica ETR at the present moment. It’s just everything I want out of a medium format. I love that I can get 15 photos to a roll. Plus the lens is just gorgeous, and it’s the perfect weight, not too heavy to be able to walk around with unlike some other medium format cameras (coughmamiyarb67cough).

JM – How many cameras do you currently have? Do you find yourself often buying, selling, and/or trading cameras?

DW – I have somewhere in the vicinity of 40 cameras, maybe just slightly more. I’m not buying them *too* often. I think I only bought three in all of 2020. I quickly amassed my collection of 40 when I first started shooting because I would stalk my local thrift stores and snatch up anything I could find. When I first started out I just loved experimenting with different cameras and learning about what they could do. I haven’t parted with any yet – I’m not sure if I could. I’m very sentimental and each one reminds me of a different part of my film journey.

JM – What is a personal goal you have for your photography?

DW – I have a handful of disjointed, unrelated goals. I’d like to start being more creative with my photography. A lot of what I currently shoot is just typical scenes around where I live. I would like to branch out and do more double exposures, experimental films, etc… I would also like to do more portraits and self portraits. Additionally, I just want to document the moments of my everyday life more. I’m worried one day I’ll be 60 and look back and realize I have no photos of my regular life. So right now I’ve made it a mission to capture one black and white shot everyday. Whether it’s just the beautiful view out my living room window, making dinner, or having game night. I just want to capture more of the life moments I love with the people I love.

“The more and more people I meet in this little [film] world the more amazed I am with how friendly and outgoing everyone is. I’ve met so many amazing friends through this community I wouldn’t have otherwise and I feel incredibly lucky to be a part of it.”

JM – How often do you shoot medium format? Do you have a preference between 35mm and 120?

DW – I definitely reach for medium format much more than 35mm. This is the total opposite of like a year or so ago. I find myself feeling more and more comfortable with 12-15 shots per roll. I feel like frequently I’ll start a roll of 35mm and get halfway through it and just peter out. Then I’m just doing throw away shots to finish up the roll, and that annoys me. Plus not to be too stereotypical, but I just love the detail and resolution of medium format.

JM – What is your favorite shot you’ve ever taken? What’s the story behind it?

DW – I think one of my favorite shots I’ve ever taken is a night time shot I captured this past summer of an illuminated door framed by an overhanging tree and fence in the foreground, shot on Ultramax with my Nikon N80. It was my first time ever shooting film at night and I couldn’t believe how well the photo turned out. The fence is just a regular chain link fence, but with the darkness of the night it makes it look almost purple and the green from the tree turns the door and light into this eerie green glow. It’s perfect.

JM – What do you see for the future of film photography?

DW – I really hope it keeps growing! And in my heart I think it will. Film has been around for over 150 years and people keep coming back to it. As I said before there’s just a life to film that I don’t think we can ever truly leave behind. Sometimes it’s hard not to worry when you see headlines like Fuji Pro 400 going away, but I really think film companies are noticing this is more than just a blip and eventually things will start picking up.

JM – What is your favorite part of the film photography community? Do you think that attribute exists only with the film community or does it extend to digital photography community as well?

DW – I love how welcoming and supportive everyone is. I’ve been on Instagram for a year and a half and I was initially very worried to launch my page because I was scared people would think my photos were stupid but it’s been the complete opposite. The more and more people I meet in this little world the more amazed I am with how friendly and outgoing everyone is. I’ve met so many amazing friends through this community I wouldn’t have otherwise and I feel incredibly lucky to be a part of it. As for digital, you know I really can’t say. I don’t shoot digital all that often and don’t know too many digital shooters to be quite honest. But I do wonder if there’s something about the film process and the sentimentality of it that brings people closer together.

You can see more of Danielle’s work below:

Interview: Han Phan

“Shooting film feels more immersive and all-encompassing: I can’t just rapid-fire shoot a roll of film; everything takes forethought. It’s challenging but that’s what makes it fun and when you get a great shot, it makes shooting on film so worthwhile.”

MH – Why do you shoot film?

HP – I’ve only recently started shooting film about 2 years ago. Prior to that, I had a Canon 5D Mark II and Sony A7iii and had been shooting digital since high school. I now exclusively shoot film and made that decision because I absolutely love the challenge of and results from film photography. Shooting film feels more immersive and all-encompassing: I can’t just rapid-fire shoot a roll of film; everything takes forethought. It’s challenging but that’s what makes it fun and when you get a great shot, it makes shooting on film so worthwhile.

MH – How would you describe your style?

HP – I don’t think I have a style yet. I shoot neighborhoods because these are the streets I walk daily so I want to preserve via photographing them; I shoot portraitures because I want to try to capture human rawness; and I shoot landscapes because it’s beautiful. It’s really whatever catches my eye, but absolutely no definitive style.

MH – Has your style changed since you first started photography? If so, in what way has it changed and what brought on that change?

HP – Yes, definitely. I started out with point and shoot cameras: Contax T2, Olympus XA (pretty much p&s, at least how I was using it), Minolta Espios, etc… and I would use them like they were digital cameras. Basically, just walking around and aimlessly taking photos of everything and anything, which basically was me taking photos of nothing. And by that, I mean there wasn’t a purpose behind my taking those photos. They meant nothing because I was just excited that I was shooting film and wanted to get through a roll for the sake of finishing a roll. Things are very different nowadays because I know what I like to photograph. It takes me weeks to finish a roll of medium format and a few months to finish a roll of 35mm. I think that’s due to my slowing down, seeking out subjects to photograph that won’t feel like I’m shooting just to shoot, and I’m happier with the results I’m getting due to this.

MH – What is your favorite film? Camera?

HP – Favourite film in 120 is undoubtedly Portra 400 because it is consistent and for 35mm it’s Colorplus because it’s just as good as Portra but (was) more affordable. And currently, my favourite cameras are the Mamiya 7ii and the Pentax 67ii. Get back to me in a month because I am just starting to shoot with my new (to me) Graflex Series D 4×5 camera and I think that might be my favourite once I see those huge negatives.

“It’s strange, but it isn’t so much what a photograph LOOKS like, but what it makes me feel. The photos that resonate most are the ones that evoke a feeling of awe/surprise/anger/joy/whatever or ones that are able to depict an entire narrative in just a single shot.”

MH – Is there a camera you thought you’d never part with but ultimately did? If so, why did you part with it?

HP – The Leica M6. I think I pined for it for a good month, a friend found one for me for a great deal, I bought it, used it… and I absolutely did not enjoy it. Don’t get me wrong, the ergonomics are cool, it is sleek and such a timeless camera, but it didn’t make my photos any better than my Nikon SLR’s or even my Leica M5 (which, at the time, was a third the price of the M6). I sold it within a month of owning it. Then a few months later, I picked up another one to give it a second try. Same results.

MH – What is a personal goal you have for your photography?

HP – I want to be able to make a zine I am proud of and that means something to me. And I want to be a paid film photographer; I want my work to be good enough that others think it’s worthwhile to hire and pay me to make photographs of/for them.

MH – What do you look for in a photograph? Is what you find compelling in a photograph different when it’s one of your photographs compared with a photograph taken by someone else?

HP – It’s strange, but it isn’t so much what a photograph LOOKS like, but what it makes me feel. The photos that resonate most are the ones that evoke a feeling of awe/surprise/anger/joy/whatever or ones that are able to depict an entire narrative in just a single shot. I could only wish even one of my photos could affect someone.

MH – What is your favorite shot you’ve ever taken? What’s the story behind it?

HP – My most favourite photo I’ve made is of my mom. I shot it on the Mamiya 6 last year, pre-COVID. I only get to go home maybe three or four times a year, and this was during my summer visit. Right before I left, I shot this photo of my mom and it isn’t even anything great but she’s beautiful and the love of my life and the fact that I got this candid shot of her makes me very happy so it’s my favourite photo.

MH – What do you see for the future of film photography?

HP – There is a huge resurgence. It’s been ongoing for years, but maybe its resurgence isn’t as linear as it has been and more exponential. But my outlook is kind of bleak: cameras are super expensive now (ie: Mamiya RB67 and Mamiya 645 this time last year was HALF the price), Kodak just raised its film prices for the second time this year, the expired stuff will eventually run out so there’s still a ton of film stocks a lot of people won’t ever get to shoot (I’m looking at you, $100/pack FP-100C), etc. However, it is so much fun and anyone who shoots film is so immersed in the community (lifestyle?) will never give it up regardless of these things, and it’s super cool to see more people engaging in shooting film. I hope I am entirely wrong and companies like The Impossible Project invest in the future of film and revive it via new, affordable film cameras and film stocks.

MH – What is your favorite part of the film photography community? Do you think that attribute exists only with the film community or does it extend to digital photography community as well?

HP – I absolutely love how the film community is so supportive. Everyone I’ve met has been nothing but kind and informative and willing to teach an amateur like me. It’s so overwhelmingly positive. I’ve also made some really great friends from it: there are two dudes I talk to at least once a day who are the realest/coolest guys, and we met through the film community. There’s a group of women from all over the world I’m in a groupchat with and we do nothing but uplift one another and give advice, film related or not – it’s beautiful. This community is the coolest thing I have ever been part of and I think this sort of thing exists anywhere in some capacity.

More of Han’s photos can be seen below

Interview: Jason Hunter

“I like the tactile feeling of shooting with film cameras. Whether that’s the clamshell on the XA, or advancing the film and cocking the shutter on the RB67. This is something that can not be found with digital cameras.”

Jason is a film and digital photographer who co-operates Restore From Backup, a film photography specific hub account on Instagram. Jason first reached out to me out of the blue and started off by saying we had a common circle of photographer friends and he couldn’t have been nicer. Since then, his work has inspired me to see buildings and cars in different ways than before.

JM – Tell me a bit about yourself.

JH – I’m from Chesapeake, VA, a pretty dull little suburb between Norfolk and Virginia Beach. I’ve lived here for the majority of my life and have no plans on leaving. I’ve been married for ten years, and we have three cats and no kids. My life is pretty quiet, and that’s exactly how I like it. Also, I really love Math Rock and coffee.

JM – Why do you shoot film?

JH – First and foremost, it’s the community. I’ve been photographing things for a good while now; however, I never really got into it until I started shooting film. Also, I love mechanical things. I like the tactile feeling of shooting with film cameras. Whether that’s the clamshell on the XA, or advancing the film and cocking the shutter on the RB67. This is something that can not be found with digital cameras. Although, I wish they made a digital TLR!

JM – How would you describe your style?

JH – I’m not sure I have one, or I don’t know what to call it if I do. Honestly, that’s not a concern of mine. I like taking pictures of things that catch my eye. To some, that might seem counterproductive; however, I feel like it really helps me. I don’t ever want this to feel like work or feel like I have to shoot a certain way. I’m just having fun, and that’s what is essential.

JM – What is your favorite film? Camera?

JH – My favorite film by far is Portra at any speed, but I prefer 400. As far as my favorite camera, that changes depending on which day you ask me. I’m a firm believer that the Olympus XA2 is a perfect camera. However, my Rolleiflex 2.8C is quickly becoming my favorite camera. It’s an absolute gem of a camera.

JM – Is there a camera you’ve really wanted but don’t think you’ll ever have? Why do you think you won’t ever own it?

JH – I really want a Leica M6, but I don’t think I’ll ever own one. That’s because I’m not too fond of rangefinders. I’ve tried with a couple and can’t get into them. Partly, I think it’s because I have a hard time focusing with them. I know they are nice, but they’re not for me.

JM – Is there a camera you thought you’d never part with but ultimately did? Why did you part with it?

JH – My Olympus OM-4, I loved that camera mainly because I used to be a huge Olympus fanboy. I even sold my Canon 5D mk3 for an Olympus Micro 4/3 kit because I was an idiot. I sold my Olympus OM-4 when I switched to Nikon, but I really should have kept it.

JM – What drives you to photograph?

JH – The need to get out of the house drives me to photograph. Also, I need to create something or be working on something, and photography helps me with that. I’d be a lier if I said it wasn’t for attention as well, or I wouldn’t share my stuff on social media. However, I think that’s a good thing, in some regards, because it forces us to get out there and make new and better photographs.

JM – What is a personal goal you have for your photography?

JH – I want to make a book. I’ve never made a zine until this year, and know I’m hooked. Looking at them now, I already feel like I can do better, so I want to focus on making something special.

JM – What do you look for in a photograph? Is what you find compelling in a photograph different when it’s one of your photographs compared with one from someone else?

JH – I like lines and sharp edges. That’s what typically catches my eye first, so the vast majority of my stuff has some form of sharp lines or corners. However, this typically differs from what I like in other’s works. I like looking at other’s photographs for other forms of influence. Taking elements from them and trying to do it in my way. I love those, “Why didn’t I think of that?” moments.

JM – What is your favorite shot you’ve ever taken? What’s the story behind it?

JH – My favorite shot I’ve taken varies from week to week, but recently it was a photograph of an Auto Zone. I went in there to grab some windshield wipers. Walking out, I noticed the clouds with that sharp corner of the building, so I snapped a photo with the RB67. I didn’t overthink about it really, but when I saw the picture, later on, I thought this is pretty cool, mainly because it’s an Auto Zone. When I put it on Reddit and Instagram, it blew up, which is cool because other people saw what I saw in an ordinary Auto Zone.

JM – In what ways has your photography grown and improved since you started shooting film?

JH – Well, for starters, I’m not shooting everything at f/1.8 or making everything HDR. In the beginning, I thought things had to be complicated or out of the ordinary to be interesting. I hated where I lived because I thought there was nothing to photograph. Now, I’m pretty happy, just being happy with want I got.

JM – How often do you shoot with your digital camera?

JH – I shoot with my Fuji X-T4 just about every day. It’s always with me. I’ve started trying photos out with the Fuji and then coming back another day with a film camera. Honestly, I could see myself shooting digital a lot more in the future, and only shooting film a couple of times a year. I think it’s important to practice and know a camera, but it’s also essential to keep things fresh. So, for now, I’ll keep mixing it up.

You can see more Jason’s work below.

Interview: Florian Guillon

“[Film] is a medium that allows me to express who I am while doing the things I love: getting out, watching the people around me, and spending time in nature.”

Florian is a film photographer in France that I know through Instagram. He and I ordered our Intrepid MKIV-Black cameras nearly at the same time and have gone through the paces of learning large format photography together. His work has always been an inspiration and it has been an honor to get to know him better through this interview. His instagram can be found here along with the Instagram for Les Trois Bains (The Three Baths).

JM – Tell me a bit about yourself. This can be anything from what you do for a career or what got you into photography or anything else.

FG – I am a 28 year old attorney living in Paris, France. I started shooting film 3 years ago, and have shot it daily ever since. I have always been interested in art, however I am completely unable to paint or draw anything but stick figures! At one point I tried photography and I immediately knew this was the medium that would help me express my creativity. It is a medium that allows me to express who I am while doing the things I love: getting out, watching the people around me, and spending time in nature.

FG – I am also an active member of a French photographic collective called “Les Trois Bains” (the name is derived from the three baths of B&W film processing: developer, stop and fixer). It is a unique collective that wishes to help people discover (or rediscover!) the joy of darkroom printing and film photography. We aim to grow the Paris community of film photographers and darkroom lab and printing. Last but not least, it is a place where we can share our photographic work. Photography is by definition a very solitary process but sharing it and working together on a future project is very fulfilling since we can learn and improve from each other and hear very constructive criticism on our work – something that is kind of lost in today social media platform where praises are mandatory and critiques are perceived as offensive.

JM- Why do you shoot film?

FG – Like so many of the photographers of my age, I began my photographic journey with digital. I can barely recall shooting film before, except for a few disposable cameras (which film I never saw for some reason). A few years ago, I went on a trip to Scotland with my Canon Eos digital camera and came back with something like 4,000 pictures on several SD cards. I uploaded the 4,000 pictures into Lightroom and got bored with it. I saw the photos many times during my trip: via the LCD screen when shooting them, again when I was reviewing them at night, again on the airplane, and many times after that. But somehow it felt like these where just not what I was originally looking for. Because really, they weren’t good images – there was nothing inherently special about them. They were nothing but postcards of the remarkable landmark of the Scottish Highlands. I only wish I could have captured the very essence of my journey in Scotland, a place I deeply love.

FG – I had just exposed my first roll of HP5 a couple of days before I went on that trip but didn’t get it developed until several months later. I have to say, it was by far the best photographic experience of my life. Touching the negative, seeing it dry, and feeling the very softness of it in my hands was a very organic and physical experience. Holding a negative is something unique. The photographs on this emulsion you are holding are evidence of a past moment of your life. It felt like a revelation to me.

FG – I then recalled the experience of shooting that roll. I had to be very mindful of every exposure for I had only 36 of them to make. It considerably slowed me down. This different approach changed everything. Not only was I enjoying the process of shooting the same way I was with my digital gear (if not even more), but I also was living in the moment while shooting, not looking at the LCD screen of my camera checking for the correct exposure or composition. It was a real turning point.

JM – How would you describe your style?

FG – If you have a look at my work, you could say that I am a landscape photographer and that is partly true. Landscapes are what I mainly share on social media. Landscape photography is the “style” of photography that first helped me capture images that I feel inspire a feeling of melancholy. I am obsessed with that emotion. You could call my photographic journey a “chase of melancholy”. To be honest, however, landscape is a huge part of my work but it is not my main focus when it comes to photography.

FG – My main focus is about capturing moments of “everyday life”. I have the deepest respect for photographers that can document the life of people around them or the life in the places they live in a very unique way. Photographers such as Elliott Erwitt, Igor Moukhine, Alec Soth and other less well known photographers such as Pierre Lansac, Eloi de la Monneraye. My favorite of all Christopher Taylor (see “Steinholt” publisher: Kehrer) excels in doing this. As a result of my respect for these photographers, I am shy about sharing my work on this aspect of my photography. I have been working on a project for a couple of years now with which I would love to capture scenes of a place where life, loneliness, and emptiness cohabits. I will be sharing some images of that project with you here.

JM – What is your favorite film? Camera?

FG – For landscape photography, Ilford FP4 is my favorite film. I love the negatives I get from it, and it is a very easy film to be working inside the darkroom. That said, my go-to film is Ilford HP5. I love that this is a very versatile film that is easy to push or pull process. I should also give an honorable mention for Bergger Pancro 400 that is becoming one of my favorite films.

FG – As for my favorite camera, I will say the Hasselblad 500cm, because of its incredible built quality, everything feels so great with it. The Leica M6 (and its 50mm Summicron) is my go-to camera though. I love this camera as it does what it is designed for, shooting without having to care about your camera. I could forget that I have it in my hand when shooting with it. This probably explains why it is considered as one of the greatest camera designs of all time.

JM – When it goes to obtaining new gear, what qualities do you look for?

FG – Ease of use and sturdiness. That is why I am only working with a fully mechanical camera. No automatic settings, no electronics (other than the built-in light meter). I hate it when I am looking at a camera with some complicated settings and/or knobs everywhere. The simpler, the better.

JM – What drives you to photograph?

FG – My passion is to create art. Photography has become the most important thing in my life (along with sharing moments with my friends and family of course, and the best part is that I still shoot when sharing these moments with them). I think and live photography, yet it is not even my job. Though I should say it has become a second job because every spare moment of my life is now dedicated to shooting, processing, and working with Les Trois Bains.

JM – What is a personal goal you have for your photography?

FG – Being able to produce a cohesive body of work that depicts the society I live in. I do not care about making a living out of it in the future, this is no goal of mine. The project of Le Jardin du Luxembourg is not even close from being done but I will see it through and try to share it because I feel it has something to say about how we as humans are shaping places with the way we live in them and build places that are full of traces of our lives even when we have left these places.

JM – What do you look for in a photograph? Is what you find compelling in a photograph different when it is one of your photographs compared with one from someone else?

FG – An image should have meaning. A message. In an era where photography has mainly become a means to serve consumerism or to satisfy people’s need for entertainment, I think it is moving away from what it could or should even bring to our societies. What better way to capture what we are or what we could be than to show it in a photograph? What is especially exciting about photography, as in many other art forms, is that whatever style is chosen by the photographer, an emotion, a meaning, an idea or a purpose can be translated into the image. A portrait, just as much as a landscape photograph, can enable its author to capture an emotion.

FG – I always find the work of other photographers more interesting than mine because they often show reality or an approach to photography that is not my own. In this way, the work of other photographers acts not only as a source of inspiration for my work but also as a vector of interest for subjects I would never have been confronted with. Besides, I believe that I have a certain level of expectation of my work that I do not necessarily expect from someone else’s work. The work of another photographer always seems to me to be more accomplished than mine, maybe it is not the case, but there is surely some truth in that. Above all, it pushes me to look more and more in my work.

JM – What is your favorite shot you’ve ever taken? What’s the story behind it?

FG – This photograph is representative of these small scenes that punctuate our daily lives. It was taken while walking in a Parisian garden, on one of those weekends when all the inhabitants rush into the parks and gardens to enjoy the few rays of sunshine in an environment where nature is present (a rare thing in Paris). It comes from only my second exposed film. I can remember capturing it; this old lady was asleep while a small playpen is the main subject of this photograph. I only discovered the pregnant woman on the left in a second step, while pulling the negative. That said, I put this photograph aside at first because of its framing. I would have liked to get rid of that horrible trash can on the right side of the picture, but a few years later I finally understood that this element is an integral part of this scene and that this imperfection reinforces, in my opinion, the “authentic” character of this photograph.

FG – I do not know why this is my favorite photograph. It has a lot of imperfections -it is not the sharpest image of all and also probably not the most interesting, however this may be because of the juxtaposition of these people in amazing positions or the mixing of many generations in the same photograph that makes it very unique? Either way, I always have a laughing eye when I look at it.

JM – In what ways has your photography grown and improved since you started shooting film?

FG – In the beginning, I devoted myself entirely to the theory behind light metering so that I could not only grasp its subtlety but also apply this knowledge to film development and darkroom printing. And this is perhaps one of the biggest changes in my photography since I started working with film. Not only do I continue to create photographs, I work with all my photographs in the darkroom and no longer digitally (which I now only use for social networking and digital archiving of my negatives). One often hears that it is important to print one’s work which I rarely did when I was working digitally. Since I switched to film, I have been doing almost daily. I am now completely in line with this idea. Making a darkroom print offers intense satisfaction. This is not only because of the pleasure of being able to control the entire image creation process from shooting to printing but also because of the joy of being able to hold a long and demanding job in one’s hands.

FG – Last but not least, film photography has allowed me to understand that photography is an exercise that requires you to immerse yourself completely in this art form. Taking your time, again and again, starting over again. In an era where immediacy rules our daily life, where screens are omnipresent, film photography is a refuge. Finally, should I mention large format ? My oh my, this is very new to me, so I will assume I know nothing about it. But this is, in my opinion, a completely different approach to photography. And so far, I am enjoying it a lot. Forget everything you knew about patience. This will require you to work (hard), fail (numerous times), and do everything it will take to master your craft. I am convinced after only a few weeks that this allows you to go beyond your wildest dreams in terms of fine details and control over a camera.

JM – Do you have any advice for a film photographer looking to do travel photography?

FG – I don’t have any advice as such to give. I don’t feel legitimate in that sense. On the other hand, I can explain what my mistakes were and what I am now focusing on when traveling:

– Reproducing images seen hundreds, thousands, millions of times is a mistake. The chances you’ll capture a unique perspective of it are close to none.

– Concentrate on your own experience of traveling and try to capture the emotions perceived. The rest is not important. Photography has a unique ability to capture an image and memory forever. My favorite photograph I took in Iceland is of a handle of an old door that reminded me of a jewelry of my grandmother.

– Stay away from airport sensors and kindly request a manual check of your film!

– Finally, leave with enough film, but without overloading yourself unnecessarily. How many film cameras and lenses did I bring with me that remained in my suitcase?

More of Florian’s work can be seen below:

Interview: Brian D Smith

“Film is romantic. It’s timeless. It can be wildly perfect and simultaneously imperfect. I think this last sentiment is what I find most captivating about film.”

Brian is a wedding photographer who lives in Charleston, SC. His portrait work is absolutely stunning and clearly demonstrates a lot skill in shaping light. His work has pushed me to try new things with my photography. You can find his website here and his Instagram here.

JM – Tell me a bit about yourself.

BDS – I was born and raised in Ohio. I worked as an engineer for 2 years in Ohio before I moved to Charleston to work for Boeing. I spent 4 years there before I became disillusioned with working a desk job and I began to feel disconnected from my work. It was fulfilling and challenging, but I longed for something that was more deeply personal. Around this same time, I reconnected with photography and began pursuing weddings. I became consumed by photography. This feeling led to a swift realization that it was time to move on from my engineering career. I put in my notice, traveled the world, and began putting together the pieces of a photography business. This whole journey has been trial and error. I’ve figured it out as I’ve gone. I work really hard and have had a lot of successes, but I’ve had so many more failures and wasted energy on pursuits that haven’t provided any return. What hasn’t changed, however, is my love for photographing people. I never expected that an introvert would develop such a deep connection with portraiture and human connection.

JM – Why do you shoot film?

BDS – I initially started shooting film because I wanted to use my Grandfather’s hand-me-down camera. I pursued film professionally because it just seemed to be the thing that elite wedding photographers do. I have continued to shoot film because I’ve fallen in love with the process, the aesthetic and the tangible feeling it brings to my work. Film is romantic. It’s timeless. It can be wildly perfect and simultaneously imperfect. I think this last sentiment is what I find most captivating about film. Film handles imperfections so gracefully, to the point where they become something you appreciate in the work you just created. For me, this is where I find the most meaning in photographing people. Pretty photographs exist in plenty, but if you truly connect with a subject and capture their beauty, you capture them in their entirety – imperfections and all. Film feels like an extension and a romantic depiction of the complexity that is the human existence and personal beauty.

JM – How would you describe your style?

BDS – My style is a mix of sophisticated portraiture and gritty experimentation. I appreciate a well executed beauty portrait just as much as I do a conceptual artistic work. My style evolves a lot, and I still don’t feel like I have a good grasp of who I am as a photographer. As frustrating as that can be, I think that is what makes the pursuit so rewarding. At the end of the day, what I care most about, is that my work reflects me through my subjects. I want people to see my images and see my own depth, just as they see the depth of the subject being depicted.

JM – What is your favorite film? Camera?

BDS -My favorite film is Kodak Portra 800. I returned to the film stock this past year and completely fell in love. It so brilliantly tip-toes the line between refined beauty and surreal. I love the brilliant teal blues and the vibrant oranges. When I shoot Portra 800, I feel like the film stock is contributing so much to the artwork, then simply capturing the light from the scene. It feels like it is applying it’s own artistic interpretation to the surroundings. My favorite camera is my Leica M-A. It isn’t the easiest or quickest to use, but I am just so drawn to the mechanical feel of it. I think it’s beautiful, and it is the closest thing I have ever felt to a camera just being an extension of myself. I’ve probably owned about 20 film cameras and I still feel like I am on a quest to find the perfect kit. It also depends on what I am photographing, but here is a quick summary.

Portraiture/Documenting/General – Leica M-A + 50 Summilux
Studio Strobe Portraiture – Contax 645 + 140mm F4 Macro
Studio Portraiture – Hasselblad 202FA + 110 F2

JM -Do you prefer to take portraits in or out of the studio?

BDS – I much prefer the studio, honestly. Studio portraiture has been the most rewarding pursuit of my photography career. I love the outdoors and I love those dreamy backlit portraits, but I just hate location scouting. I really don’t enjoy it or the added stress of it. I feel like when I have too many other things to worry about, I don’t produce my best images. When I am in studio, I get a chance to slow down, connect with the person I am photographing, and build something from the ground up.

JM – What drives you to photograph?

BDS – I love just about everything about photography, but my greatest drive is building something that is fulfilling and rewarding for myself. I want to love the work that I do in life. I want to have an outlet for a voice and photography is the only thing I have ever found in my life that has even come close to that. I was a really good engineer, but I want to be brilliant at something.

JM – What is a personal goal you have for your photography?

BDS – I HATE defined goals – hate them. It was one of the biggest reasons I left engineering. I was tired of being chastised for not having a concrete 5 year plan. I’ve learned a lot about myself in my 3 years as a photographer and one of those is that I am a bit all over the place. I change what I want and what I want to pursue frequently. The closest thing I have to a goal, right now, is that I want to open a high end portrait studio and coffee shop. I want to marry my two loves and create a space that is welcoming, full of positive vibes, and an atmosphere that I truly want to live and work in. It’s an idea I haven’t been able to shake, and one day I know I’ll make it happen.

JM – What do you look for in a photograph? Is what you find compelling in a photograph different when it’s one of your photographs compared with one from someone else?

BDS – I tend to be more of the “I know what I don’t want in a photograph” type and that leads to creating something that I want. I see so much imagery every single day and, while it is all so beautiful, it all looks pretty similar. I am drawn to photographs that push creative boundaries and look like something I have never seen before. In this way I value the same things in my own work that I value in others, with one major exception. I take great pride in connecting with portrait subjects to make simple “character” portraits – portraits that capture the depth and breadth of a subject. While someone looking in from the outside might not be captivated by or inspired by the photograph, I know the personal connection that went into creating those photographs and I see so much of the subject reflected in the imagery. I value these images immensely and they are some of my favorite photographs. In a day and age where social media rewards consistency in works, it’s so hard to market a brand that produces clean portraiture and conceptual works. I can’t say that I have figured out how to do it yet, but I’ll never stop trying.

JM – What is your favorite shot you’ve ever taken? What’s the story behind it?

BDS – Man that’s such a tough question. I honestly don’t think I have a single photograph that stands out as a undeniable favorite, but this portrait in particular is special to me. This portrait was from the first ever successful shoot I had using film with strobes in studio, and probably the first time I have ever truly been captivated by expression in a portrait. It was perfection from the time I first laid eyes on it and I still view it the same today. The lighting, the colors and crushed shadows of the expired film – everything just seemed to work harmoniously.

JM – In what ways has your photography grown and improved since you started shooting film?

BDS – I have learned to appreciate grit and imperfection. This has been the biggest evolution in my photography journey. I recently revisited some 35mm photos from an Iceland trip 2 years ago. I shot them on portra 800 film and they are muddy and grainy, but with oh so much character and color. I remember not liking them when I first got the scans back because they didn’t reflect the perfect beauty that I always expected from film. Revisiting them now, they are my favorite travel photographs, and some of my favorite photographs in general. I think this appreciation for the imperfect has greatly improved my ability to tell a story and create images that are more feeling that perfection. I know the old cliché of “film slows you down” is a bit overused, but I find it rings true. I am more patient with film. I take less photos and get more usable images. I am more likely to experiment with film because I can’t immediately see the results of the experimentation and start tweaking every endless little variable. When you start to over analyze your experimentation, it starts to lose it’s enjoyment. With film, I think about what I am doing before hand and I just go for it. I can’t begin to tell you how many of my favorite images have been the result of film experimentation.

JM – Do you have any advice for a film photographer looking to get into studio portraiture?

BDS – Learn lighting! Don’t be afraid of complex lighting. Most studio work you see is natural light driven, and while beautiful, I tend to find it a bit boring. I am more drawn to drama, in both lighting and expression. Natural light is a great way to start to help you learn studio posing and how to communicate with a portrait subject in a studio environment, but there is so much more potential to unlock when you get creative with lighting. Keep it simple to start. Put a subject in front of a backdrop in a dark room (so you can see your light) and use an LED light. Move the LED light around to see where the light falls on the subject and find what lighting style you are most drawn to. My favorite photographers are fashion photographers from the 1940s through 1970s. They were masters of lighting techniques and shot everything on film. When I look at their works, they have unlocked so much more creativity just through lighting. Think about all of the beautiful natural light studio portraits you see, but how many of them truly inspire you? Does that image stand out from the rest that you see? It’s okay to start out simple, but always try and experiment. Always try new things.

More of Brian’s work can be seen below:

Interview: Timothy Rhyne

“I approach all my work with a minimal frame set. Limited to focus on color pallet and simple composition. This framework allows for a exploration of color and specific focal points within storytelling.”

Timothy is a film photographer whose landscape work has been a big inspiration to me. The way he conveys movement, scale, and changing light is far and above where I am at with my landscapes. You can find his personal website here and his Instagram here.

JM – Tell me a bit about yourself.

TR – Growing up, my dad wouldn’t let me shoot on his digital camera until I learned how to use a film camera. As a high schooler, I wasn’t into that but ended up taking photography classes through the school. There I learned how to use a camera, develop and print black & white film. When I graduated, I was given a digital camera and didn’t pick up a film camera for a while. About two years ago I asked for my dads film camera (the same one I used in high school) and put a few rolls of Portra 800 through it on a trip to Washington. Up until that point I had never shot color negative film, and was blown away by the results. Since then I’ve let go of all my digital cameras and acquired a few film cameras. It’s been a super fun journey diving into the world of film and using old cameras. Film photography has become an important part of my process, and now I’m trying to find more ways to incorporate it into my professional work. Currently, I reside in Denver, Colorado as a Graphic Designer while I work to build a small creative studio focused on visual communication.

JM – Why do you shoot film?

TR – Film to me is a journey. It’s not a quick snap and upload in any way and is both predictable and unpredictable. Film requires you to first understand its history and processes. It has a way of connecting to different eras of work and time and presents itself in authentic ways. I have fallen in love with the learning and application that film provides in order to manifest an image.

TR – It is film that pushes the artist and tactical functions of the camera to produce imagery. For these reasons I shoot film.

JM – How would you describe your style?

TR – I approach all my work with a minimal frame set. Limited to focus on color pallet and simple composition. This framework allows for a exploration of color and specific focal points within storytelling.

JM – What is your favorite film? Camera?

TR – My favorite film stock is Kodak Portra 160 and I love shooting on my Contax G1 or my Fujifilm STX-2.

JM – Your colors are often so light, airy, and all around beautiful. Do you scan your photos? If not, do you know what kind of scanner the lab uses?

TR – I scan my film at home with an epson v550 and then use Negative Lab Pro to do all my negative converting. I will occasionally use my local Lab Mikes Camera who has a Fuji Noritsu.

JM – What drives you to photograph?

TR – Photography for me isn’t just about capturing the scenery or subject but the emotion they provoke. Capturing moments or places has become essential to my lifestyle. The medium itself drives me to share what I’ve created and I love building a collection of imagery that can represent a moment in time that can spark a sense of curiosity.

“Film has changed my outlook and approach to photography. I have noticed a shift in my desire to photograph certain colors and create dynamic images that emphasize the flexibility of film.”

JM – What is a personal goal you have for your photography?

TR – I’ve turned my sights this year to build a body of work that draws on my approach for landscapes into documenting people and life around me. I’ve been so attached to landscapes but have forgotten to capture and share what’s around me in my day to day life.

JM – What do you look for in a photograph? Is what you find compelling in a photograph different when it’s one of your photographs compared with one from someone else?

TR – I view other artists work very different than my own. Photography has a way of captivating something for everyone, and speaks to people so differently. For me I look for ways to imagine myself in the scene or try to think through how the artist framed the image. While there are also moments where I just admire the work.

TR – I find that the more I dive into others work, the tendencies of my own begin to shift. I see my own imagery beginning to draw inspiration from my favorite photographers and influence my style. I love that my style continues to develop due to the film community.

JM – What is your favorite shot you’ve ever taken? What’s the story behind it?

TR – This was the last frame on my camera as I drove out of Point Reyes National Seashore. I honestly didn’t even think the image would come out, due to shooting with Kodak Portra 160 and the heavy overcast. To my surprise it not only came out but captured the scene exactly how it felt. When I was leaving the park, the clouds were rolling in over the cliffs and creating a haze. The sun was poking through over the green pastures but the coastal waters seemed to fade into the distance. There was a sense of peace as the weather was changing slowly. This was one of my favorite moments from the trip to capture. It’s an image that I always come back to and love how it evokes the same emotion that I had while taking it.

JM – In what ways has your photography grown and improved since you started shooting film?

TR – Film has changed my outlook and approach to photography. I have noticed a shift in my desire to photograph certain colors and create dynamic images that emphasize the flexibility of film. My work has taken shifts in composition that has resulted in filling the frame fully , and become detail oriented.

TR – I have become more engaged with the community, and learned a ton about other photographers. I am very excited to see what the future holds for film and how my own work continues to evolve.

More of Timothy’s work can be seen below:

Interview: Victoria Oliver

“I long for tangible connection and the creation of physical art from my heart and hands. This is why I love film. It is magical, chemical alchemy.”

Victoria is a film photographer living in the Blue Ridge mountain area. Her work is beautiful and often inspires me to get out, explore, and shoot more often. Her instagram dedicated to her film work can be found here and, in addition, her instagram showcasing all of her work both in front of and behind the camera can be found here.

JM – Tell me a bit about yourself.

VO – I live in the Appalachian mountains, just below the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, in a small town surrounded by forest service and national forest areas. I have always laughingly called myself a Jill-of-all-trades, because my mind never wants to settle with only one project. I am always restless and ready to go. Seeking to reconcile my day job with my desire to be a gypsy born in another century.

VO – Want to hit the open road, climb a tree, or spontaneously take off to hike a mountaintop? I’m your girl! But I will also spend hours reading a good book, working in my garden, or cooking plant-based recipes in my old sun soaked kitchen, surrounded by orchids and houseplants. With good music, always. I am a jewelry artist, hiker, writer, painter, art model, and have only recently felt comfortable adding “photographer” to that list. As an artist I find it hard to credit my own work for fear of sounding too self-absorbed… but I was recently published in a magazine, so I guess it’s actually real now, right??

JM – For being somewhat new to film, your body of work is very impressive on both sides of the glass. What made you move towards expressing your work with film?

VO – Thank you so much! I am incredibly honored and excited, because I respect your work so much. Your website and interviews have been one of my most consistently read sources of inspiration since I started shooting film. I think honestly it comes down to 3 things: budget, depth of connection, and nostalgia.

VO – Have you ever read about the differences your brain undergoes when you are immersed in nature, and away from modern technology? I am very fascinated by this, and love getting away from digital devices and screens, but still documenting the beauty I see around me. I have always loved old photographs. As I tried to decide which fancy new camera I wanted, and frankly couldn’t afford; I realized I edited most of my photos to look like film anyway, and I was starting to follow film photographers, so why not shoot film? I was so excited by this realization. Then, my first film camera was a gifted Nikon FM10, and I just grew really inspired with that.

JM – How would you describe your style?

VO – I long for tangible connection and the creation of physical art from my heart and hands. This is why I love film. It is magical, chemical alchemy. I think that my style is a fledgling thing right now. It changes depending on the light, the subject, and whether or not I am traveling. I am incredibly influenced by mood, and the feeling of the place I am in. I would say that I am seeking to create work that is impulsive but thoughtful, adventurous, feminine, strong, and experimental.

JM – What is your favorite film? Do you have a favorite camera?

VO – My Nikon FM10. My fascination only grows as I experiment with the differences a new film stock can create; so that may be an ever-changing preference for me! At the moment I prefer Kodak film, because I prefer a warmer, less saturated tone to my work. I am very fond of Kodak Pro Image 100. That stock is always in my camera bag! Even though it is a daylight balanced film, it has shown incredible flexibility for my shooting style. Also Kodak Gold. I know it is a cheaper, consumer-grade film, but the colors are just beautiful. Recently I have been shooting Kodak Portra 800, Ilford HP5, Kodak Ektar, and Kodak UltraMax as well.

JM – What drives you to photograph?

VO – I have modeled for artistic projects sporadically since I was a teenager, and I started realizing I had ideas that I wanted to create for myself. As a jewelry artist, I wanted to shoot portfolio images, and as a hiker, I wanted to document the beautiful places I traveled through. Creating photographic art (especially with film), is almost like creating a painting. Learning to manipulate and capture the light based on the film-stock you have chosen; visualize and pose your subject to convey a story, and then capture the angle and the composition to create drama and a sense of connection. It is about creating something just a little bit MORE than the physical scene in front of you. And sometimes you throw all of that out the window and shoot just to capture a candid moment! For me it is about capturing a feeling. Does that make sense?

JM – What is a personal goal you have for your photography?

VO – One day I hope to complete a book or travel ‘zine. As such, a huge goal for me would be to shoot enough film work I am proud of to sit alongside my words and complete that dream. To build a compelling portfolio of work and the aesthetic to present my own jewelry designs one day, and to learn to develop and scan my own film.

“I tend to shoot what I connect with, and most of my photos hold stories and emotion for me. So, “best” or “most beautiful” photo would be one thing, but ‘favorite'”

JM – Do you find yourself more comfortable as a model or photographer?

VO – Honestly, when I model I feel like I wear an alter ego. That alter ego is someone a lot more graceful and evocative than my down-to-earth, introverted self! I can find a place of being very comfortable there, but I am more empowered and fulfilled as a photographer.

JM – What is your favorite shot you’ve ever taken? What’s the story behind it?

VO – Ohhhhh, picking a favorite photo is very hard for me. I tend to shoot what I connect with, and most of my photos hold stories and emotion for me. So, “best” or “most beautiful” photo would be one thing, but “favorite” probably has to go to a really special photo I took for my brother. When he and his wife welcomed their second baby, they were deeply involved with starting their own business, and could not afford professional infant/family portraits. It was winter, and shooting film indoors was completely outside my experience. But I did a lot of reading, picked a great film stock (Portra 800), and went for it. Keep in mind manual focus with a 2 year old and a 1 week old! I am incredibly proud of this image, and it means a lot emotionally.

JM – In what ways has your photography grown and improved since you started shooting film?

VO – My photography experience pre-film mostly consisted of detail shots for my jewelry work, snapshots on trips, and hiking photos on my phone. I started working very hard to make my hiking photos just a little bit different and capture a unique style as I told my stories for a growing social media account. Since I started shooting film, I feel that I actually have something of quality to offer, and that has given me the confidence to reach out to other photographers and models to collaborate, so practice, practice, practice. Film is both effortless, because it is naturally beautiful but also incredibly hard! There are so many variables, and it really makes me slow down and focus. There are no screens to check, no bursts to make sure you caught the movement, and each shot literally costs $$, so I take it a bit more seriously. But I also shoot a lot of experimental work just to see how it turns out, or to push the expectations with a specific film, and that has led to a lot of valuable lessons.

More of Victoria’s work can be seen below:

Interview: Monika Murren

“I like to document moments and places that feel both intimate and otherworldly and magical.”

Monika is a photographer that I met on Instagram like many of the other people I’ve interviewed but her body of work is uniquely personal. The work that she publishes on her instagram is inspiring and she even sells some of her prints on her website.

JM: Tell me a bit about yourself.

MM: I am was born and raised in Poland but have spent most of my adult life now in the US. I currently live in the Hudson Valley, about an hour north of New York City. I feel lucky to live in such a beautiful place, surrounded by incredible nature and yet so close to a big city. It inspires my photography daily. I have always been curious about the world having grown up in back-then communist Poland and not having access to the rest of the world. I knew there was a greater world outside and it motivated me to learn to speak other languages and then to travel and eventually photograph the world.

JM: Why do you shoot film?

MM: I started shooting digital first but quickly learned that if you wanted to truly understand photography, you had to go back to the roots and learn about film and manual exposure as well as using manual lenses. I fell in love with the process of shooting photos that way, it required more planning, focus and attention to composition.

JM: How would you describe your style?

MM: I like to document moments and places that feel both intimate and otherworldly and magical. I want to be able to look at a photo and instantly feel transported to that place and be able to imagine the light, smell and sound in the scene. in other words, a photo should be able to activate your senses and your imagination.

JM: What is your favorite film? Camera?

MM: Without question, my Mamiya 7ii medium format 6×7 is my favorite camera. I have been shooting with it for over 12 years and can’t imagine my life as a photographer without it.

JM: What drives you to photograph?

MM: I love the process of creating each photo, it’s both very exciting and carries an element of surprise, especially when you shoot with film.

“I am aware that our natural world is changing around us, many landscapes forever lost and documenting those places to remember them as they are now is so crucial and there is an urgency in that for me here are my images”

JM: What is a personal goal you have for your photography?

MM: I would love to be able to have my own gallery one day where I could display the photos. They look beautiful when they are printed large and framed. It’s a shame that we mostly look at tiny images on instagram nowadays.

JM: What do you look for in a photograph? Is what you find compelling in a photograph different when it’s one of your photographs compared with one from someone else?

MM: I look for beautiful composition, light, harmony of colors or black and white tones.

JM: What is your favorite shot you’ve ever taken? What’s the story behind it?

MM: It’s very hard to choose one, but one that’s very special for me is my image from the White Sands National Park in New Mexico. I was very much inspired by the work of Gary Winogrand at the time and this image combines both such a beautifully striking landscape with a modern picnic bench. it just looks like it’s from another world and the light and the colors are so vivid and warm in spite of the freezing morning temperatures in the high desert of New Mexico. It feels very timeless to me now.

JM: In what ways has your photography grown and improved since you started shooting film?

MM: I constantly try to improve my technical skills as well as my composition. Photography is ever evolving and changing. I think I am more deliberate in what I photograph now. I used to photograph people more and I still love it, but places and landscapes inspire me more. I am aware that our natural world is changing around us, many landscapes forever lost and documenting those places to remember them as they are now is so crucial and there is an urgency in that for me here are my images. the last one is the one from White Sand

More of Monika’s work can be seen below:

Interview: Ioana Lungu

Ioana is a film photographer from Bucharest, Romania currently living in Ethiopia. Her work has a great personal touch that inspires me. Her instagram can be found here.

JM: What got you into photography?

IL: I’ve always been searching for moments that feel like home, and tried to make them stay. Mostly these were times spent with my friends, we were all a bit lost and trying to reconcile our full-time jobs and studies with a deeper yearning for moral and aesthetic ideals. This, and urban spaces or light-soaked afternoons spent at home, reading, talking or making food for loved ones made me want to reach out for the camera. There’s a quiet, muted poetry in mundane moments and I wanted to capture that in images.

JM: Why do you shoot film?

IL: I got my first film camera as a gift and started using it because buying a digital one was, to put it simply, too expensive for my broke student life. The first rolls of film I shot were a disaster – getting used to a rusty 1970s Fujica without a functioning light meter wasn’t exactly a walk in the park. However, I kept shooting out of lack of alternatives and gradually fell in love with the look of film, but also with the meaningfulness of it all. Shooting film allows me to capture each moment consciously, and the fact that I only have 36 shots makes me think twice about what’s worth shooting and what not. Film feels like a craft, one that takes perseverance to master.

JM: How would you describe your style?

IL: Personal, unplanned, impulsive.

JM: What is your favorite film? Camera?

IL: Portra 400 and my old Fujica ST701.

JM: What drives you to photograph?

IL: I want to be able to capture intimacy, whichever form that takes.There’s nothing more touching and fascinating to me than people, the way they interact with each other and the space around them, the bonds we have and the way we relate to the world. That is why I am not interested in staged shots but rather aim to capture spontaneous moments of magic.

JM: What is a personal goal you have for your photography?

IL: I want to photograph more, something I don’t always manage to do due to having a full-time job. I also want to overcome my shyness and ask people to let me photograph them more. Especially in East Africa, that’s not always an easy job, as people tend to be reluctant to have their picture taken by a stranger on the street.

JM: What do you look for in a photograph? Is what you find compelling in a photograph different when it’s one of your photographs compared with one from someone else?

IL: I mostly look for emotion, the photograph has to stir something in me. Often it can be the colour scheme, the light or the subject. What draws me is a certain look of authenticity, a dreaminess that looks natural. I’d say I’m looking for the same things in my photography as well.

JM: What is your favorite shot you’ve ever taken? What’s the story behind it?

IL: I took this photo after a long absence from Addis. I’d been gone to Europe for 1.5 months, officially expatriating myself and erasing all traces of my previous life in Vienna. I was a bit afraid of what it would feel like to arrive back in Ethiopia and if it would still feel right to commit the next years of my life to being there. When I got home at 6 AM, completely exhausted after a night flight, everyone was sleeping. I stood by myself in the living room, the sunrise light quietly flooding everything, and took a picture of this one solitary rose stuck in a bottle of wine. I knew then and there that this is home, that there’s nowhere else in the world I’d rather be.

JM: In what ways has your photography grown and improved since you started shooting film?

IL: I’ve grown more patient. I am more open to accidents, to pictures not turning out quite the way I wanted them to. I’ve also grown more confident in my style and have identified the direction I want to go in. I’d say my photography has become more purposeful, I’d rather take my time and shoot something that feels right to me than aimlessly produce images just for the sake of doing something.

More of Ioana’s work can be seen below:

Interview: Carl Fehres

” I absolutely love the process of shooting film, not seeing the results for days or even weeks. I love the slower pace of manually focusing and the limit of photos per roll causing me to really think about every frame, every image before I press the shutter button.”

Carl is a really talented portrait photographer out of Houston, TX. His polaroid work is the best I’ve seen and his other incredible work uses several other cameras including a Mamiya RZ67, Pentax 67II, and Leica M6. His website can be found here.

JM – Why do you shoot film?

CF – Man, how do I answer that… There’s so much I love about shooting film. I love that I’m getting the look I’ve been wanting with almost no editing after I get the images back from the lab. I absolutely love the process of shooting film, not seeing the results for days or even weeks. I love the slower pace of manually focusing and the limit of photos per roll causing me to really think about every frame, every image before I press the shutter button. The best part has to be scan day… getting email from the lab with a link to the files. Lastly, I love not spending hours editing digital files to try and make them look like something organic and natural.

JM – What is your favorite film? Camera?

CF – Unfair question – that’s like picking your favorite child. I would have to say the Leica M6 and Summicron 35mm lens with Portra 400 if I had to pick just one combination. The view through the Mamiya RZ67 is absolutely dream like and the results are incredible. It’s just not a camera that you can use every day.

JM – Of the film stocks you use, is there any rhyme or reason as to when you use one over another?

CF – I like Portra because it’s available in both 35 and 120 format. I’ve been trying Kodak Color 200 recently on shoots where I want more color pop, but unfortunately it’s not available in 120. I’ve used the Kodak Color 200 for all of the double exposure and most of the underwater work I’ve done recently.

CF – I shoot a lot of BW as well. I shoot a lot of BW when color will be an issue due to uneven or bad lighting. I also love using BW when shooting in harsh light. I use Kodak Tri-X 400 when shooting 120 and TMAX 400 for 35mm. The Tri-X has too much grain for my taste when shooting in 35mm format

JM – What proportion of your shots turn out as you hoped (or better)?

CF – I’ll normally shoot 80-120 Images on a shoot. I’ll typically post 80% of those for the model to review and pick from. I’m pretty selective with what I post to my portfolio and I’m happy if 2-3 images are portfolio worthy.

JM – How often do you find yourself doing a shoot with your car? What makes the difference between those shoots when you use it and those when you don’t?

CF – I don’t shoot with cars that often but it’s fun when I do. I like going into a shoot with some type of theme or style. Adding a fun vintage car or a really interesting location gives me something to work from.

JM – Would you say that your style has changed since you’ve started shooting film? What was the catalyst for this change?

CF – I like the quality of my work better now that I’m shooting film. I used to struggle with color more when I shot digital. I know I can change colors really easily in post processing with digital but you can spend hours trying to find the color pallet that matches your style, I don’t have that struggle with film. I don’t think my style has changed too much but the overall look and feel of my images is more organic and natural.

CF – As an experiment, a few months ago I shot with a medium format digital camera along side my normal film gear. I could hardly stand using the digital camera, shooting with it just felt so awkward to me compared to shooting my Mamiya RZ67. I got the images back on the computer and the digital camera raw images had insane amounts of dynamic range and detail. The digital camera had almost too much detail and the colors were uninspiring. I spent 30 minutes editing the the digital file to look as good as my film shot was straight from the lab. Once I was done I still preferred the look of the film file. It had less detail which I actually prefer when shooting portraits.

JM – What is a personal goal you have for your photography?

CF – Photography for me is a passion and a creative outlet. I’ve never considered myself creative. My person goal is to continue trying new things and learning and to work with as many creative people as I can.

“I’m drawn to photos that capture something unique and special, something that evokes an emotion or feeling.”

JM – What do you look for in a photograph? What do you look for in a photograph?

CF – I’m drawn to photos that capture something unique and special, something that evokes an emotion or feeling. I like a photo that tells a story, like a frame from a movie.

JM – What is your favorite shot you’ve ever taken? What’s the story behind it?

CF – My favorite changes every few months. Right now it would have to be the double exposure photo of @kim.vandageraad. It’s a shot that I could never have fully planned or imaged. I’ve been shooting flower exposed film from my friend Chase Hart @myfridayfilms. I don’t know how the first exposure was taken before I shoot the second exposure so results are a bit random and sometimes magic.

JM – If someone told you they were thinking of getting into film, what would your response/advice be?

CF – Just do it! Grab whatever camera you can pick up for cheap and go shoot a roll or two. It’s easy to get caught up with all the gear (and I love gear) but all you really need is a decent and cheap 35mm SLR and cheap fast lens to go make some magic.

CF – Start with black and white and get the process down. Black and white is actually pretty easy to develop and scan yourself so you can do this cheaply if you want to keep the costs down.

CF – Color is more tricky. Most film is daylight balanced so start by shooting outside or next to a window with natural light. Find a good lab you can work with and talk to them! Send them examples of work you want your final results to look like. Scanning color film is an art form and the lab needs to understand what your vision is.

More of Carl’s work can be seen below.