2015
ISSUE #4
nostalgia WHATTAROLL MAGAZINE
COVER PHOTO BY
M aria Grazia M ormando In this Nostalgia Issue, we had the pleasure of collaborating with the following talented people: Satomi Sugiyama (Wandering Worlds) instagram.com/analogue_dream Natalie Yang (Photoessay) www.littlesunlady.com Nádia Maria (Interview) www.nadiamaria.com Tuanne Eggers (Truth & Dare) cargocollective.com/tuanneeggers Marcin Zdun (Photohistory) www.wzfo.warszawa.pl
And this is who we are! Marta Huguet Cuadrado Adrian Norbert Cuper Marko Slavković Kam Tom Yip Joy Celine Asto Margot Gabel Alessandro Panelli Edie Sunday Harun Osmanović
W Editor’s Word Once in a while, we are filled with nostalgia that makes us
Or, were they maybe already gone shortly after the photos
long for a world that no longer exists.
were taken? Maybe they were important to us, probably members of our family. Maybe they were our friends
We all have tiny time machines at home – in the closet,
or neighbors, or people we met during a trip, an event, or
drawer, box, or attic – that come in the form of actual, phys-
a summer camp. How did they go -- suddenly and unexpect-
ical photo albums, yet we often completely forget about
edly, or quietly, in a timely manner? How do we remember
them. We remember at least one of these albums from our
them?
childhood; we have flipped through some of them together with our parents (and sometimes, grandparents) to bring
By recalling the past through the magical paper windows
us to a distant or not so distant past. Through them, we see
we call photographs, we can see deeper into ourselves. We
ourselves taking the first steps, our parents as little chil-
are able to recall or discover the history of our family and
dren, our grandparents young and in love. How many of us
people around us. We can put ourselves in the context of
still use these time machines as often as possible? Or, do
the great history that often goes beyond our existence. We
they perhaps lie somewhere, forgotten and dusty, replaced
become surprised that, before us, life went on. Trees stood
by devices that take us to just a few weeks back at most?
and flowers bloomed before the way they do today. People lived their lives unaware of the future, as we all do at this
What do we see through these old photographs? Did the
very moment.
world they present really exist? While they only looked at the camera lens many, many years ago, they now seem to
How many of us ever thought about what the people of the
be looking straight at us, following us through their gaze.
future will think when they see the photos we take today?
They seem to know our thoughts, feelings, and desires, yet
Will these time machines in paper form be pulled out of
in their gaze there is always gentleness. It imposes nothing,
their hiding places by our children, grandchildren, or even
but discreetly fills us with emotions; joy, sadness, fear, and
our friends? Will they make us wonder about how much
excitement flow through us and leave a mark. This is what
time has passed and how much we’ve changed since then?
makes photography such a powerful medium for conveying
Or, if we’re no longer around by the time these photos are
emotions.
unearthed, will our gaze captured on film continue to affect those who are present long after we’re gone?
Are the people in these photos still with us? How much did they change? Do they still remember the story behind a particular photo, a certain moment captured on film? What did they know about life at the time? What were their plans and dreams, and how many of these actually came into fruition?
Nostalgia sometimes brings us more questions than answers, yet we cannot deny that it’s part of the magic that comes with each worn and faded photograph.
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NOSTALGIA EDITORIAL
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WAXING NOSTALGIA
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WANDERING WORLDS
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TRUTH & DARE
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PHOTOESSAY
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PHOTOHISTORY
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INTERVIEW
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
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WHATTATIPS
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Nos t a l g i a There are moments in our lives when we feel like the hero of Marcel Proust's "In Search of Lost Time." However, instead of madeleine dipped in tea, our fondest memories are evoked by photographs pulled out from the family album. In this magical moment, everyone thinks about something different -- a childhood spent in the countryside, a trip to the zoo, the first love, long-dead loved ones, or maybe the joy of the first day of spring. In this issue, we asked photographers about the photos that fill their hearts with nostalgia. We hope what you will find in the following pages will do the same and remind you of the moments you most treasure, and even become that symbolic madeleine for you.
НОСТАЛЬГИЯ by Maria Grazia Mormando http://mariagraziamormando.blogspot.it
Hasselblad 500CM Ilford B&W
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DEAD SEA by Rosario Vetro www.rosariovetro.com
Nikon FM2(n) Fujifilm Superia X-Tra 800
UNTITLED by Alicia Vega www.aliciavegaphotography.com
Pentax K1000 Kodak Portra
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UNTITLED by Benedetta Falugi www.benedettafalugi.com
Ricoh 500 rf Fujifilm Superia 400
UNIONE by Chiara Dondi www.flickr.com/photos/chiainthesky/
Lubitel 166B Ilford 120 Hp5 400 B&W
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UNTITLED by Lunakhods http://lunakhods.tumblr.com
Canon AE-1 Kodak Portra & lots of sunlight
KICKFLIP by Fotobes www.fotobes.com
Lomography LC-a Lomography Chrome 100 (slide film, cross processed)
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BATHROOM - TREASURE OF FAMILY by Pauline BRGS http://cargocollective.com/pauline-brgs
Nikon F301 Kodak gold 200 expired
PIGEON MAN OF LINCOLN SQUARE by Niall Hartnett www.niallhartnett.com
Yashica 124 TLR Agfa APX 400
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WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE DEEP BREATH I WOULD TAKE OVER AND OVER FOR ALL OF US? by Diana Spatariu http://www.flickr.com/photos/dianito
ZENIT B Kodak Gold 200
GOODBYE ENGLAND by Magnus Jorgensen https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_last_magnus/
Pentax ME Super Kodak Gold Ultra Max 400
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ANGEL AT THE HOUSE by Ramona Deckers www.ramonadeckers.com
Nikon FE Ilford 400
RIDING IN THE SKY by Jessica Ashley Unknown www.jessicaashleyunknown.com
Pentax Spotmatic & Disposable camera Lucky 200
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DISTANT ELEPHANT by Quinn Milton quinnmilfilm.tumblr.com
Minolta Hi-Matic AF2 Fuji Superia 400
HOME by Martha Kubica www.facebook.com/pages/Marta-Kay-Photography/279896385368683
Promaster 2500 PK 35mm SLR Fujicolor Superia 200
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WANDERING WORLDS
Lost in Time with Satomi Sugiyama It’s easy to find nostalgia washing over us
"I wanted to capture the images people will
when we look back at our adventures through
wonder when it was taken as they see the
photos, especially if they take us back to
photos for the first time. Something nostalgic,
memorable spots and amazing experiences.
like leftovers from Showa Era or maybe older.
For Los Angeles-based Satomi Sugiyama,
It’s the part of the city that’s often been
however, taking photos of Osaka and its
ignored, forgotten, or neglected". the lifestyle
surrounds goes beyond reminiscing the home-
that’s been left behind" the things that prob-
town she left around 15 years ago. "I decided
ably won’t be among the world heritage sites."
to focus on the places and the subjects that seemed timeless," she said, about what came
In this Whattaroll x Parallel Planets special,
to her mind after seeing one of the photos
you will glimpse into Satomi’s interesting
she took during her return to Japan last year.
perspective of Japan both as a local and a
It gave her the idea to start a project called
tourist, and learn about the stories inspired
"Lost in Time," where she breaks away from the
by the photos she took from her most recent
usual touristy photos and even famous desti-
visits in the country.
nations in order to give people a glimpse of a moment frozen in time which they will always feel nostalgic about.
1. We’d like to know more about you. Can you share with us some basic facts about yourself? What keeps you busy aside from film photography? I’m originally from Osaka, Japan and moved to Los Angeles about 15 years ago. I’m currently working as a scanner at a professional photo lab, which keeps me busy 6 days a week, and if I’m not in the darkroom on my only day off, I’m usually spending time hiking, bike riding, exploring L.A. and nearby areas, and/or taking photos. I also try to watch as many movies as I can, though I only watch old ones. Los Angeles is such a great place for a movie lover like me, offering screenings at many independent movie theaters, gorgeous old theaters on Broadway from the 1920s, or even at a cemetery! Oh, and of course I can’t forget to mention my three cats, Junnie, Donkey, and Bandit who are a big part of my life!
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2. Please tell us something about your most recent trips to Japan. Where exactly in Japan did you head to? Can you describe the fondest memory you’ve had or most prominent scene you’ve seen from these latest visits? Well, my main purpose is always to visit my
to photograph in the rain in Los Angeles. I got
family, so I was mostly spending time with
really tired though, and was freezing after
them in my hometown, Osaka. Aside from
taking photos for a while, so I decided to go get
that, I went to many of my favorite places in
some hot tea. Once in the warm coffee shop, I
the surrounding area such as Kyoto, Nara,
couldn’t get myself to go out there in the rain
and even visited a cat island in Shiga! I also
again and ended up falling asleep for maybe
went on a little trip this time around with my
about 30 or 40 minutes, and when I woke up, I
boyfriend who I met up with in Tokyo. We went
looked outside to find out the rain had turned
to more typical touristy places like Shibuya,
into snow while I was asleep. If taking photos in
Enoshima, and Kamakura first, and then
the rain was exciting for me, of course taking
from there, we went to see thousands of plum
photos in the snow was even ten times more
trees in Yugawara plum forest and traveled
exciting. So I rushed out because sun was
to Naraijuku, which is a rest stop of an old
already starting to set and I knew I had very
path called Nakasendo which people traveled
little time, went back to Senso-ji Temple and
mostly on foot in Edo Period. Before we headed
started photographing people passing by in
to Osaka to show him my hometown, we also
this snowy town. What made this scene so
visited this beautiful, beautiful hot springs in
striking was the combination of the location,
Gunma Prefecture called Takaragawa Onsen
cold weather, snow, the evening light, and the
where we dipped ourselves in an outdoor hot
people passing by. One of the photos I took
springs by the creek, surrounded by snowy
right then, right there is one of my favorite
mountains.
photos I have ever taken, titled "雪の降るまちを (Yuki No Furu Machi Wo)," which I named after
However, despite having visited all those
an old Japanese song released in 1952, sang by
uniquely amazing places, the most striking
Koh Hideo. Please allow me to quote the English
scene I encountered was interestingly at
lyrics from the song (see right page)
Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa, which is one of the most popular tourist destinations I visited
The shot was technically not the best shot
during my solo trip to Tokyo in 2014. I remember
because it was underexposed, but it captured
it was a cold day, and was raining since I
everything I saw there that I loved and it looks
woke up in the morning. It was my last day in
as if like a scene from a movie. When I look
Tokyo and I already had my mind set to go to
at the photo while listening to the song I just
Asakusa, so the rain couldn’t have stopped
mentioned, it gives off such a nostalgic feeling,
me from doing so. Once I got there, I started
and this shot was really what started my Japan
taking photos of the rainy town and I was actu-
project, called "Lost in Time."
ally quite excited since I rarely get a chance
In the snowing town In the snowing town Only my memories are passing by In the snowing town Falling from my far-off hometown These my memories These my memories I will grasp them someday Smiling warmly and happily In the snowing town In the snowing town Only footsteps are following In the snowing town Welling up inside me The sadness The sadness I will relieve it someday Like a breeze in a spring day of verdure
3. Do you still feel nostalgic about Japan? What was it like going back after a while? Is/are there any specific spot/s there that you always find yourself looking forward to visiting whenever you head back to the country? Yes, of course! As a matter of fact, the longer I
There are vendors who sell Deer Cracker, which
live away from Japan, the more I feel nostalgic
are made for the visitors to feed the deers. I
about the country. Going back there now is sort
just love taking photos of the deers of Nara and
of like the mixture of going home and traveling.
watching all the interactions between the deers
It’s embarrassing to say, but it wasn’t until
and the people! It’s such a unique atmosphere
after I moved to the States that I started taking
you will never find anywhere else in the world!
more interest in the culture and the history of Japan. I’ve read a lot about Japanese history
The second place I always visit is Osaka Castle.
over the past 15 years and learned so many
It is actually not the best preserved castle, and
things that I didn’t even care about or appre-
unfortunately the inside has been turned into
ciate when I actually lived there. So when I go
a museum with escalator recently, but it’s still
back there now, I look at Japan in a completely
my favorite castle nonetheless. I don’t know
different way than I did before, and I look
how many times I’ve been there and taken
forward to visiting all the new places where,
similar photos again and again, and yet never
for example, an important event took place in
get tired of it. I remember this one time, about
Japanese history.
4 or 5 years ago, I was taking photos in a plum garden with the castle in the background when
There are two places I always visit without
suddenly it started snowing unexpectedly. The
fail, and they are also two of my most favorite
scenery was so beautiful that it’s still one of the
places to take photos of. One of them is Nara
most memorable things I’ve ever seen in my
where the wild deers and the citizens co-exist.
life. I feel I have such an attachment to Osaka
Deers of Nara were once considered sacred and
Castle because of my Osaka pride and all the
regarded as messengers of God in Buddhism,
historical events I’ve enjoyed reading that
and are now, protected as national treasures.
happened in and around the castle.
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4. Can you tell us something about this project/series? What was/were your motivations behind it? As I mentioned earlier, the idea for this project,
that – they were mostly from the time between
"Lost in Time," all started with one single photo
when those temples were built and the metrop-
I took during my trip to Tokyo in 2014. Aside
olis was born. So I decided to focus on the
from the image, there were a few more shots
places and the subjects that seemed time-
that went well together that I really liked and
less. I wanted to capture the images people
I vaguely began to have this idea of putting a
will wonder when it was taken as they see the
series together in a book. Then, when I decided
photos for the first time. Something nostalgic,
to go back to Japan again in early 2015, I really
like leftovers from Showa Era or maybe older.
started to get the ideas together and conceptu-
It’s the part of the city that’s often been
alize so I know where I wanted to go from there.
ignored, forgotten, or neglected. It’s the lifestyle that’s been left behind. It’s the things that
Japan is such a popular travel destination
probably won’t be among the world heritage
and tons of photographers have taken tons
sites. Or the lifestyles of the elderly that haven’t
of incredible photos already, so I needed to
changed in so many decades. And the things
think of a different approach. When I think of
that may disappear in the near future...I wanted
photos from Japan though, they are often asso-
to capture them all, and will keep capturing
ciated with well-known temples, nature or the
them as long as I’m taking photos, and I want
stereotypical urban life that people often see in
this to be my forever on-going project so I can
movies. But when I see the photos I’ve taken,
stay close to my roots while living in this far
many of them were completely different from
away land.
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5. Tell us about your story-telling process for this series. Which details did you want to make sure to include in your photos? What makes this set and story different from the others you’ve taken during your previous visits to Japan? Japan is such a fast developing country and I
life...it could’ve been anything that gives me the
see so many new things, new buildings, new
impression that they have been doing this for
custom, new trend, or new technology every
a long period of time, and they will probably be
time I go back home. Things change so much
there and doing the same tomorrow.
in such short time that I often feel like a tourist from the countryside and can’t keep up with
What makes this set and story different from
things that are normal to the people who live
previous shots are, first of all, the approach
there. Such feeling is, however, something
toward each photo. I had always taken many
typical even to many of the older people who
photos whenever I went back to Japan, but
live in Japan. What I really wanted to show in
I never had any idea or theme in mind, and
this series were the things, the people, or some-
I was just capturing whatever I saw that I
thing or someone that give off the feeling that
found interesting. So naturally, they were not
they’ve lived through 1950’s or 1960’s when
very cohesive and they were more of those
things started to rapidly change and yet, still
typical photos of Japan you’d see from a
remain the same and refusing to change. It
tourist. Another big difference is the choice of
could’ve been an expression on a woman’s
cameras. The longer I’m doing photography,
face, it could’ve been an old building’s decayed
the more cameras I own, and also the quality
sign, it could’ve been a job a man has had for
of the cameras are getting higher and higher,
decades, it could’ve been the back of someone
which also mean the quality of the images are
walking away, it could’ve been the lonely
improving as well.
silhouette, or it could’ve been an animal’s daily
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6. You mentioned that you wanted to focus on places and subjects that are timeless, and something nostalgic from past eras. Which of the spots you visited and took photos of do you feel most embodies this goal for this project? This is really hard to say because most of those photos were taken all over the place, and they were often nowhere special, like at a Shotengai (traditional shopping street) in downtown which I just passed through on the way to somewhere. But if I consider how many photos I’ve included in this series from each location, I think Omoide Yokocho in Tokyo, where many tiny, traditional, semi-outdoor restaurants gather on narrow streets, may be the winner.
7. What do you feel makes a photograph nostalgic? Of course the subject matter is the most important thing that makes a photograph nostalgic; Old buildings, retro signs, and decay can help me achieve the nostalgic feeling easily. Aside from that, there are so many approaches you can take such as choice of film (in this case black and white), high contrast if you want to achieve the feeling of film noir or even low contrast if you want to get the old faded look, high grain, or soft focus could also make photos look nostalgic. However, those weren’t the only things that mattered if I wanted to make this series interesting. So, what I looked for were emotions – sadness, loneliness, boredom, fatigue, or excitement coming from people – or even animals. That’s something I create by capturing that exact moment instead of just photographing some old buildings and that makes the photographs more unique and intriguing.
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8. Tell us about your camera and film of choice for this project. Did they help you achieve the look or feel you want for your photos? Looking at your shots now, would you have used a different film and camera combination?
9. Where do you find inspiration for your work? Who are your greatest creative influences? I’d say my greatest creative influences come from my clients at work. I’m scanning negatives for over 55 hours a week during the busy
I used Canon AE-1 during my trip in 2014
season and I see a lot of beautiful images
and used my Leica CL, along with a Leica
among them. Majority of our clients are profes-
Summicron lens that my boyfriend inherited
sional or semi-professional photographers, so I
from his grandfather, during my trip in 2015,
get to learn a lot from just constantly looking at
and were all shot on Fuji Neopan 400. I had
their photos. Since I’m not allowed to actually
no doubt in using this combination prior to
keep those images, I try to burn those images
the trip and I would not change them even if
in my head as good as I can, which I think helps
I were to redo it. Leica is a perfect choice for
me grow as a photographer.
this series because I think it adds a very retro and nostalgic feeling to the photographs. And the films had to be black and white. Leica and black and white just go together so well especially in cityscapes and portraits. If Fuji were still making Neopan 1600, I would’ve used that for sure since that’s my favorite film that ever existed, but since that’s not the case, Neopan 400 had to be the go to film and it did a fantastic job even with all the pushing I had to force on them.
10. Can you name a song and a movie that best represents nostalgia for you? Has any of them ever inspired or influenced your work? Since you said nostalgia, the song has to be "Sound Of Silence" by Simon & Garfunkel. I chose it not only because it has that nostalgic sound to it, but also because I learned the song in my music class when I was in Junior high school. I’m not sure if they still do, but back then, I think a lot of schools taught this song in junior high school, some in English, some in Japanese and the song has stuck in my head ever since. As for the movie, it is very hard to pick, but I’d say, "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind," which is an animation by Hayao Miyazaki. I chose this movie because this is probably the movie I watched the most when growing up. My sister and I would always look forward to it when they play Nausicaä on TV no matter how many times we’ve seen it before. We had memorized a good chunk of the dialog and the music, and we always sang along during the movie. I actually had the chance to see it on print at Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles a few months ago, and it was a thing of beauty. I didn’t even know it was originally done on print until the movie started, so it was such an amazing experience to have! The story is about the decayed world where the huge insects and toxic forest threaten people’s lives, and the struggle between the people who want to destroy the problem and build everything anew, and the people who want to learn to co-exist. I feel like I can relate to the message the movie has, and even though it’s not necessarily about the nature, my series, "Lost in Time" has a similar message to it.
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11. In contrast to all the insights about your past and fondest memories, can you tell us about any future pursuits you have in mind? Any places on your bucket list that you look forward to making memories of? The biggest goal right now is to self-publish
I also have an on-going project, "When Isabel
my book, "Lost in Time," but aside from that,
Goes To Sleep," which I’m really excited about.
I’m currently trying to focus on printing in the
It was originally started just for fun with my
darkroom rather than shooting. I have count-
friend, Isabel, after she found this old wedding
less rolls of negatives I’ve shot over the past
dress in an antique shop. In the beginning, I
decade, and have finally started printing my
used the Lomography Diana F+ to get more of
favorite shots whenever I have a chance to.
the retro look that comes from the toy camera,
The progress is very slow due to the lack of
but I have recently changed the direction and it
free time and because there’s only so many
has now become a more cohesive and sophis-
images that I can print each session, but I am
ticated series about a recurring dream Isabel
very happy with the results. I have always felt
has, which are all fictional. We’ve been to some
awkward to sell prints I didn’t print on my own,
beautiful places already for the project and I
and would never present my work as an inkjet
have many more locations and a "plan" in mind
print. Printing in the darkroom by myself gives
which is too early to reveal yet, but please look
me all the control over each image and I finally
forward to it! I update my Instagram account
feel comfortable presenting them to the public,
under analogue_dream constantly, so please
not as digital files on social networking site,
come visit!
but as real, traditional black and white prints. I’ve been printing a lot of images from "Lost in Time" as well, so I can have them available
Thank you so much for this opportunity, and
together hopefully very soon!
thank you all for reading!
Wandering Worlds is a travel-themed collaboration between Whattaroll and Parallel Planets. Please visit parallelplanets.com to see more photos by Satomi Sugiyama for this exclusive feature!
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PHOTOESSAY
mowgli The notions of maturity and growing up have become central themes to my work, as they are things I’ve been experiencing in my own life. This series represents my childhood imagination,
drawing
inspirations
from
fairytales, stories of jungle creatures, magical kingdoms and faraway lands.
“This is a brief life, but in its brevity it offers us some splendid moments, some meaningful adventures.�
Location: Bean Hollow Photography: Natalie Yang Model: Sophia Zaklikowski Camera: Leica Film: Fujifilm 400 speed www.littlesunlady.com
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INTERVIEW
Nadia Maria Much of what most of us consider nostalgic
Each of her photographs can be viewed as an
or unforgettable can be traced back to our
ethereal composite of these childhood influ-
childhood, to the days when we would inno-
ences, the basic instinct to shoot and create,
cently make memories or conjure dreams that
an affinity with the delicate beauty and mystery
would shape the rest of our lives later. This can
of the female form, an innate love of nature,
be said true for Brazilian photographer Nadia
and inspiration from every art form she can
Maria, whose childhood sparked her encounter
access. For Nadia, a photograph is not a mere
with film photography and shaped her vision
image, but a "gathering of all information of the
as a creative and visual storyteller.
moment" and a "way to store a story" that has the "power to immortalize."
"My childhood was always surrounded by fantasy; I always lived much out of what we
We invite you to read the rest of our insightful
know as ‘reality,’ and have always been very
and in-depth interview with Nadia Maria,
emotional," Nadia began when we asked her
wherein we take the plunge into her creative
about her younger days, then proceeded to
mind while shining the spotlight on some of
reveal what we believe laid the foundation of
her most beautiful and often multi-layered
her distinctly otherworldly and often melan-
works of art.
cholic style as a photographer. "My grandfather is a ‘medium’ and has a spiritualist center that caters to all in need. Throughout my childhood, I lived with this universe, which also made me very linked to everything involving other dimensions and realities."
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1. Can you share with us a little about your first encounter with film photography? What were your first impressions? My encounter with film photography was in my childhood, when I was about 7 years old. I started with analogue photography using the camera of my father. Later, when I was around 18 years old, I decided to study photography by Senac in Brazil, and had my training through an analogue photography lab. Film photography, to me, has always meant to be the deepest, unconscious side of the image. The composition of each photo, even by the end of each roll of film, requires a higher concentration, a certainty, slowness, and greater choice. The most concrete impression I have about it is it’s the art of the unconscious.
2. Tell us about your childhood. Why do you consider it so significant for your creative life? My childhood was always surrounded by fantasy; I always lived much out of what we know as "reality," and have always been very emotional. I spent my holidays at the home of my maternal grandmother, in a very small town in the interior of SĂŁo Paulo. I had a very free childhood amid nature, and was also very spiritual. My grandfather is a "medium" and has a spiritualist center that caters to all in need. Throughout my childhood, I lived with this universe, which also made me very linked to everything involving other dimensions and realities. But, I was always a very private person, I could never quite express what I felt and what I thought, not finding words and not being good at expressing myself. My diaries were always decorated with pictures, magazine clippings, paper and packaging, souvenir ... I had a lot of sensitivity, but I could not transfer to the outside world what I was seeing inside. That was how I began to cling to photography, in the world of the images.
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3. Do you think the presence of animals/ insects in your photography can be related to how we access our most basic instincts to shoot and create? Yes. All are archetypes. Words do not exist, but there are the sensations, the feelings that certain images give us, as with dreams. Each image has its own meaning, its own frequency. They are reflections of what I feel, or what I want to convey or exorcise. 4. Darkness is a theme that constantly appears in your photography. How do you make use of it in order to create? Is it another tool for you? The dark is the unknown, regardless of the dark side it conveys. It is the greatest symbol I have for the unknown, and I am guided and induced to it across any search, in all creation, in all that I see with my eyes. Unconsciously, I’m surrounded by it, and I never can escape much of this side, however much I want.
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5. Many artists and creatives find it challenging, if not difficult, to develop their own style in whatever field or medium they choose. Can you tell us about how you found or developed your own style? Was it instantaneous for you or did you go through many moments of selfdoubt or frustration before you realized you’ve found the style you want to do throughout your creative career? Yes I had, and I still have moments of doubt and frustration, but I’m learning to live with it because I believe that it will never go away; it’s a utopia. I can’t say if I developed my own style, because what I do today, my photos, are part of what I am, of my intimacy... I think that this directed my photos to a style, but it wasn’t something I looked for; it was born and continues to be built like my whole life and history to this day. But, I cannot even find what my style is. My pictures are phases of my life; most of the time I spend hating them, and two weeks later, I go back to them and like them... My relationship with my work is an endless confusion.
6. The process of bringing a concept to life is rewarding in any creative circle. From the conception of an idea to the final print, what part excites you the most? No doubt, I see it in the time spent to build and photograph an image. While the inspiration is flowing, the whole process seems to be made during a trance, which makes the result always surprising.
7. Do you believe your love for nature stems from your birthplace? How do you think living in Brazil influenced your work? I believe that my love of nature comes from my own nature, my soul, my instincts, and my primitive feelings. Brazil may have influenced me most with warmth.
8. Photography is a hugely powerful medium
9. A relationship with poetry seems to be
and has the ability to affect people on a very
strong in your work. Is this the art that
deep level. How do you react when someone
inspires you the most? Why? If not, which
comments on your work, be it positively or
one is?
negatively? Do you actively interact with your audience and critics?
It is, but so do literature and music. It’s something that comes with me as a child. I love to
Yes, constantly I get messages in my e-mail,
read. I have preference for poetry because
which surprises me a lot because when I do
I think my mind flies higher with it than in a
my images and when I post, it seems to me
novel, but I like both. I still do not have much
that I’m there alone throughout the process.
patience with movies and television. But, I also
It is something so intimate and personal that
like paintings, they also inspire me a lot.
brings me the feeling that no one will ever get through that and interpret or understand what is going on. When I get emails from people who were touched positively or negatively by any of my series, it opens a new world there in that same window. This is the most amazing about photography, and also about people. Each person sees one thing; each person sees what is inside themselves. But this exchange is inspiring.
10. You mostly work with women for your photos. Is there any specific reason for this? What, aside from the beauty of the feminine form, do you seek to show by featuring women in your work? I like the delicateness in women’s movement and the feminine essence. I think everything is deeper and more mysterious with women, which allows me to further explore a universe that I know. But, males also have a force that attracts me a lot. I make more use of women also by matter of intimacy, for my work requires it as well. Unfortunately, I have not found a male model to give me the opportunity I need. But still, I intend to do a work about it as well.
11. Photographs are memory keepers and
12. How do your family and friends view your
many households use photography as a
work?
means to remember the past. What role did photography play in your family and do you
I don’t know how to answer that. What I realize,
think it affected the way you work today?
from the majority of my family and some friends too, it is that they find it very "compli-
My family is large and many relatives live far
cated." They don’t understand sometimes, and
away. We only manage to get together once or
others think it’s too deep. My father is very
twice in a year, so we always like to photograph
much like me, I think he’s the one who admires
these moments as a way to keep us close. For
and is most touched by my work. But, everyone
me, photography is not only an "image" but the
knows that it’s what makes me the most free
gathering of all the information of the moment.
and also what I love to do most.
It has the power to immortalize it, and I always liked to photograph everything around me as it is a way to store a story, and in particular, enables me to register the way I see and feel these meetings with the world.
13. If you could capture a significant moment in your life on film, which you may have missed, what moment would that be? I have a perfect memory, which is the one that holds me to this day, of my dad taking me into the sea, through the waves, I was very small, I felt very afraid, and I remember well my father’s smile. It was what gave me the security, protection, and feeling of him as the "safe haven" that he is today in my life. And also, the birth of my children, the first time I touched the skin of each one. .. 14. All artists struggle with creative block or even the feeling of not being good enough at some (or several) point/s in their lives. Did you ever have a major episode of this? How did you deal with it and overcome it? I suffer with it constantly. For months, it’s as if I’m dead, as if unable to create anything. The more I despair, the farther inspiration becomes. When I think that that is the end, or allow myself to be intimidated, or when I’m distracted, it comes to me as if it’s a movie or something beyond this world. But, it’s always like the first time, like starting from scratch. I learned that we have to allow this "death"; it is useless to try to get out of it and look for inspiration because it’s part of the process. When you accept without expectation, without anxiety, you are reborn.
15. We’ve spoken quite a lot about the past by now. Tell us, how do you look at the future’s eyes? Any projects ahead? I want to finish my book, which for years I have left for later, and other things I’m still building inside me. I hope to give life to this one day... We’ll see. I work better with the past and the present; the future is something that I can’t look at for too long...
www.nadiamaria.com Interview by Marta Huguet Cuadrado and Joy Celine Asto
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WHATTATIP
Maki n g the Mo st O ut of E xp ire d Film s When a photographer delves into the mysterious world of expired films, there are no real guarantees on what you’ll get. Unpredictable in terms of quality, there’s a certain excitement in "just shoot it and see" but I guess that’s where all the fun really lies. A quick and simple way to determine the quality of any expired roll is to rely on other photographers’ suggestions and to make adjustments as you experiment. However, the challenging part comes when shooting extremely expired films, and for that we can try to understand this using a more scientific approach.
Ag i n g Like most everyday items, film has an expira-
Remember, no two rolls of expired film are ever
tion date, based on the nature of the emulsion.
quite the same; each degrades and warps dif-
When films are produced, they are made to
ferently.
achieve a given speed, or sensitivity, referred to as either ISO or ASA. The higher the speed,
If your film is only a few years past its expira-
the quicker it ages (i.e. a film rated at 400 ISO
tion date, assuming it was stored well, chances
will age faster than one that’s rated 100 ISO).
are you probably won’t notice a great deal of
So, the date printed is the manufacturers’
difference in your photos. The problems arise
assurance that the film will not have lost a lot
when your film is around ten or more years old-
of its sensitivity and will "behave" as it was
er; it’s here where your film with begin to lose
intended.
its sensitivity to light.
With color film, this aging will be more no-
In the next section, we talk about how to over-
ticeable than black and white films, and will
expose your films to compensate the aging
generally take the form of various color shifts.
effects.
The speed of which a film can age can also be affected by the way it has been stored. Heat and humidity have a profound effect on film so it’s common to learn about photographers storing their films in refrigerators. It’s also a contributing factor why most ask about storage conditions when buying expired film.
Me tho d A: Dev el opi ng at a Fi l m L ab When developing your films in a lab, the rule is to overexpose by one stop for every ten years that the film has expired. This is a common way to shoot expired film rolls, and has proved to be very effective in the majority of conditions. It’s worth noting that no matter the age, whenever you’re going to shoot an expired roll, remember to seek very bright light conditions. Most of the popular slide films available for cross-processing have been largely discontinued. If you’re lucky enough to get your hands on some expired slide film, just overexpose them and tell the lab to cross process them. Another factor which should be taken into account is that films change much more rapidly after exposure to light than beforehand. From the moment you expose a film roll to light, a physical change occurs to the crystals of silver halide found on the light-sensitive layer film. This slowly spreads to nearby crystals, causing a chain reaction. As a result, the roll can show loss of contrast and color quality in just six to ten weeks. So, in cases where you cannot develop films quickly, just refrigerate or freeze it as a precaution.
Met h od B : Ho me De ve lo pi ng When developing at home, you can apply the following procedure to both exposed and unexposed rolls of film, which will allow correct developing of expired rolls stored under unknown conditions. However, since this issue is so complex and every roll is so unique, none of the steps can be considered as golden rules. Nevertheless, it can be used as a good starting point to correctly develop any expired roll.
I s i t color or b l a c k & wh i t e? Many of the films I experimented with were
Ho t o r c o ld?
color films, but it’s wise to develop them as black and white for two reasons: After some experimentation of my own, I feel 1. Most of the color chemicals for older film rolls
the best option is using a highly concentrat-
are obsolete and don’t exist anymore. Even if
ed active contrast developer, but at a very low
you’re lucky enough to find a kit, it will be ex-
temperature. The reason why I recommend
pensive and often outdated.
this technique is that the cold and highly concentrated developer boosts the contrast and
2. All color films, both color negative and slide,
lowers the fog.
contain a black and white layer. This specific layer tends to retain images better compared
All the stages of developing (developer, stop,
to that of the dyes of the colored layers.
fix, and wash) have to be done at the same temperature. Some of these stages, like fixing, will take longer to finish under these conditions. Moreover, the colder the developer, the longer the time should be. For example, for Kodak’s film rolls, the fixing time is up to 15 minutes (or more) in a 2-12 Celsius temperature fixer (3552 F). You’ll need cold water to wash film, too. If you live in a warmer climate, just use some water you previously cooled in a refrigerator. According to the Ilford recommendations you should progressively increase the number of invertions: first 5, then 10, 20, 30 in the same amount of time. Then, fill the tank with PhotoFlo solution and leave the film to sit there for one minute, quickly draining and hanging out the film to dry.
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Step 1: L o a di ng t h e fi l m
Step 2: The Te st
Task number one is to cut a strip of film for the
The purpose of this development test is to
development test. It’s best to cut from an area
choose the development time. As we said earli-
which doesn’t have images on it. Then get the
er, you should set the temperature of chemicals
film properly loaded in the spiral and put it in-
before the test, at a higher concentration than
side the developing tank. Remember to always
usual.
load the film in the complete darkness. Developer recommendations: First possible problem: loading is often tricky,
All my tests were done with HC-110 developer.
because the old film roll could be badly curled.
I always choose a higher concentration than
Secondly, if you develop an unknown and al-
usual, in order to improve contrast and lower
ready shot roll, prepare yourself to be surprised:
that annoying "fog". Moreover, the HC-110 devel-
there are a lot of peculiar film formats you’ve
oper gives contrast to the final development
never seen, ranging from 17.5mm wide up to
negative in a concentration-dependent way (i.e.
100mm wide film. Add some tape to fix narrow-
the higher the concentration, the greater the
er or larger stripes to the spirals if needed.
contrast). Other developers are fine, but the HC110 and Kodak D-19 are pretty much at the same level, but the latter is more expensive. The TEST (the "stripe" method): Set the timer to 7 minutes, using the strip of test film, lower it into the developer at one minute intervals until finally fully submerged. Then wash and fix it. Analyzing the results, the strip of film was affected differently in certain areas, from being almost transparent to being very dark in places. Each represents a development time: the darker the area, the longer the time. Judging by the density, we have to pick an appropriate time. There is a delicate balance between developing the film to a desired density and keeping the fog under control. The general recommendation is to not pick the darkest point but a so-called "saturation point."
100 80 60 40 20
1
7m
6m
5m
4m
3m
2m
23
45
67
<developing time (min)>
0m
As you notice from the illustration, there is
Taking the 7 minutes area as the 100% density,
pretty much no difference in the density be-
the graph of average Densities/Development
tween the 6 min and 7 min areas; moreover, the
Time is more or less like a logarithmic scale, as
difference between the 4 min and 5 min areas
previously illustrated
is less, if compared to the difference between the 2 min and 3 min areas.
Let’s find a way to create a similar graph. The correct (or best) development time has to be somewhere around 4 minutes, where the curve’s saturation starts (i.e. when the curve starts being horizontal). This means that the correct development time should be the one corresponding to the one in between the first two areas of the stripe which don’t show so much incremental difference in terms of density. If you choose a longer time, you’ll see the "fog" in your negative. If you choose a shorter time, your image will be too weak.
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Step 3: D e vel opment
Step 4: Po st-p ro c e ssing
The development is done in the same way you
While it is possible to print pictures from de-
would with a regular fresh film. The things
veloped old films the "old school" way, I prefer
which change here are time, temperature, and
scanning for number of reasons. First of all,
concentration, as we said earlier.
not everyone will have access to the equipment to print in an analog way and enlarger kits are
Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to agitate; vigorous agitation is the
quite expensive. Moreover, analog printing with
best way to boost contrast even more.
an enlarger is not an easy task and can be quite tricky. A scannerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s advantage is that it has the power to pull images from very dark and weak negatives, plus the easiness of it and low cost if you make some mistakes. The post-processing in photo-editing software will give you extra opportunities for enhancement, allowing acceptable and sometimes good quality prints from otherwise useless negatives.
By Alessandro Panelli Photos by: Edie Sunday
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FROM OUR ROLL
Waxing Nostalgic on Nostalgia Upon learning that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be walking down memory lane for this issue, I was instantly reminded of an encounter I had around six years ago. I was still getting reacquainted with film photography at the time and have only gotten myself my first rangefinder camera: a beautiful Yashica Electro 35 GSN. The day I decided to take it out for a test run, my camera must have caught the eye of a curious stranger, who wasted no time in engaging me in what would be an interesting conversation. It made such an impression on me that I wrote down everything I could remember as soon as I got home. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m glad that I did, and that I could share it with our readers now.
High Rise. One of the buildings I photographed the day I was approached by the curious stranger.
I looked up at the towering building across the street. The sun, getting ready to call a day, lit up the building from behind and the side, giving it a subdued yet dreamy aura. I rushed to cross the street after eyeing a perfect spot to capture this dreamy image. Standing at the edge of the sidewalk, I looked at my rangefinder camera (a Yashica Electro 35 GSN I bought a few days ago as an early Christmas present for myself), set it, and lifted it to my eye. I adjusted my view a little so that I could capture the nicely lit portions, then pressed the shutter. then pressed the shutter. I smiled at my camera as I cocked her shutter for the next shot. A few steps after, I was approached by a middle-aged man who asked for the aperture, ISO, and shutter speed I used to shoot the building. I told him that I was using an aperture-priority rangefinder camera, and the camera set the appropriate shutter speed to the f/5.6 aperture I used for the shot. He said heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a professional photographer and it has been a habit of him to stop by and have a chat when he spots somebody holding a camera.
Riding in tandem. Something from the day I first took my Yashica Electro 35 GSN for a spin. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve taken it to a lot of trips and walks with it since then.
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‘‘Whenever I see someone shooting, I call out and start a chat. I consider fellow photographers like you as my brothers (or sister, in my case) in the field.’’
Hector, as he introduced himself, said he
When he asked me about the course I finished
started out as a film photographer, like
in college, I knew it was my turn to tell my story.
everyone else who has been in the business for
I’m a Journalism graduate and I have a back-
decades. He was able to establish a studio, with
ground on film photography, thanks to my
his clients mostly for wedding photography.
Photo Journalism class way back in my third
As a photographer, he said he still holds pref-
year. I’ve only been reacquainted with film
erence for film, but had succumbed to digital
photography lately, after buying several film
photography because his job calls for it. When
cameras. I shoot film because I like how the
you’re a pro, people will be expecting you to be
pictures turn out with more depth and emotion
updated with the current trends, including the
than the digital ones.
latest equipment. And he agreed. "Film produces pictures that "Your colleagues will be inspecting your
are more dramatic. Digital photos look nice,
equipment, and will look down upon you if
but most of them are actually flat, if you look
they see you’re still using the old-fashioned
closely."
ones," he sadly told me. I’m actually surrounded by a lot of DSLR users. But, switching from the old-fashioned to the
I have nothing against them, nor do I pledge
modern didn’t come easy for Hector. "I had
that I will work solely with film and never
to sell my old cameras. I even sold one of my
own a DSLR (I actually want one!). Every now
Nikon FM2 for Php. 2500 (around US $55). One
and then, I encounter digital photos that I
of my children said I should keep it for a collec-
really, truly find impressive. It’s just a matter
tion instead, but I had no choice. It was a bit
of preference at the moment, I think. It’s just
difficult for me to let it go because it was one
something that I enjoy right now. The challenge,
of my most expensive film cameras back then.
the uncertainty and happy surprises, the hues
"This was most likely the same painful scenario
and shades unique to certain films, the excite-
for other veteran photographers like Hector.
ment that comes with film hunting, the "long" wait for my CD of scanned photos–everything just gives me the feeling of satisfaction and
Step by step. Some of the best photos I’ve taken with the Yashica Electro 35 GSN to date. It’s one of the cameras that taught me a lot. I still haven’t stopped learning from it, like the curious stranger said I should keep doing.
accomplishment. I think what keeps veteran photographers like Hector holding on to film photography is nostalgia. One look at a camera or an old photo is enough to send someone down memory lane. I once read an article about how the Japanese have so many memories attached to their film cameras that some of them even shed tears at the sight of one. For Hector, the essence of film photography lies in the complexity and rigors of its concepts. "You think before you press that button. You take several shots of the same subject so you can choose the best pictures later. You check everything. You think about the conditions that will not only make the right exposure, but also the perfect shot. One you’ve made the shot, you can never go back." I couldn’t agree more. There can never be a more accurate description for the difficulties of film photography. You have very little room for error; you can’t just go back, delete, and try again. You can only go as far as your rolls will allow you, and that teaches you discipline. A few minutes after the encounter, he motioned to leave and gave me a piece of advice before we parted ways. "I like your style. You’re simple and you look like you’re learning and enjoying yourself. Don’t be intimidated with digital photographers; learn from them if you can, and continue shooting with your film cameras. What’s important is you keep learning."
by Joy Celine Asto
109110
TRUTH AND DARE
Tuane Eggers Among the things that make us human is the desire to create memories and the capacity to keep them. Our brains are hardwired to store a portion of our daily experiences into an immeasurable space in our psyche -- a memory bank -- which we can go back to whenever we please, much like plucking a book off a full shelf. More than just mere records of our day-to-day activities, however, certain memories serve us a greater purpose. When we wax nostalgic over certain moments in our lives, we are either reminded of the lessons they came with, or feel compelled to immortalize them in tangible forms of art. For this Truth or Dare feature, we dove headfirst into the psyche of Brazilian photographer Tuane Eggers, whose dreamy work shows an interesting blend of nostalgia, mysticism, playfulness, and effective storytelling. The inspiration and ideas behind her snaps donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t come from just a single memory, but from a mix of her childhood fantasies, current dreams, love of nature, and outlook towards her hometown.
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"I have always lived in the same city called Lajeado, in the south of Brazil. It’s a small provincial city, so photography has always been a way to create a new world for me," she said when asked about the role of her hometown in her work. "Compared to reality, images are always a world to be inhabited.
There aren’t many stories like folklores and legends here, but where I live is an area different from the rest of Brazil. It’s very cold in the winter, for example. People always imagine that our country is just comprised of beaches and carnivals, but there are so many different places and things to see. There’s a movie that I was a part of called "Os Famosos e os Duendes da Morte," which shows a part of an unknown Brazil."
On nostalgia, childhood & looking back _Nostalgia is also a very prominent quality
_As kids growing up, we liked to believe in
in your photos. Did you intentionally start
fantasy. What odd and random beliefs did
working with this in mind or is it something
and do you still have?
-- like a style -- that you discovered you liked as you went along?
I don’t believe in fantasy creatures or in miracles. But, I believe in beauty and nature,
I think it’s something that I discovered with
and in the power of the little universes that
time, and a sentiment that my photographs
exist around us every time. I think that we have
would like to say to me, too. I think this is also
to believe more in ourselves and in our power
a part of this imaginary world that I create with
of transformation. Even so, nature is something
my pictures, a nostalgic world that I would love
that fascinates me so much. I desire to know
to live in.
more and more about it.
_People get nostalgic about many different
_Most people these days don’t use film
things and in many different ways. What
cameras, or in most cases, not even come in
can you say makes you wax nostalgic about
contact with them. How did you come to find
things or get you thinking about your fondest
them? Could you please share with us your
memories? Do they ever affect the way you
first memory of analogue cameras?
conceptualize for a shoot? I grew up in this scenery of changes, from Some places, smells, and music make me so
analogue to digital. I remember when I was a
much nostalgic. I remember a day when I was
kid, I photographed with analogue cameras.
in a place close to nature, with a nostalgic
But, when I started to photograph as a form
atmosphere, and it made me think of things
of expression, my first camera already was
that I never experienced. I think nostalgia is
digital. In the course of time, I fell in love with
something like this, something that exists
the universe of analogue photography. It’s like
inside us, yet we never experienced it. I think
the act of taking a photograph is a different
it’s a way to express something through art and
time from seeing the pictures. Before digital
create images or sensations that provide this
photography became trivial, I think analogue
feeling.
photography was a way to celebrate what really exists and can be touched, and a way to accept the errors and defaults.
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On her own work _The
use
of
kaleidoscopes,
multiple
_Mirrors are occasionally used in your works.
exposures, and various techniques gives
If you had to see yourself as another person
your work an ethereal and dream-like quality.
altogether, who would you be in terms of
Could you please share with us a recent
looks, personality, and skills, and why?
personal dream or nightmare and how it made you feel?
I think I would be a more secure person, more encouraged, more independent, and more free
I like the ethereal atmosphere in those pictures
to go after my dreams. With more courage
so much, it’s so beautiful. It’s like a desire to
to travel without a certain destination, for
inhabit a beautiful dream in that moment. I
example, is something that I would love to do
frequently dream with people running... mostly,
more.
in nightmares, in different situations. These bad dreams make me feel as if I have a double
_You and your work have been featured in
life: the "real" life and the life inside my mind.
various publications. How did you feel the first time you saw your work exhibited/
_Taking
the
kaleidoscopic
photos
into
context, if there was another duplicate of you
published? How do you feel about it now looking back?
and you could only infuse it with one quality that you possess, what would you choose and
When we make something, this creation is
why?
justified as pure expression of a need for a sense of transcending. But this sense is
I think it would be my patience and my capacity
completed when this expression is recognized
to listen to others. The fact that I’m quiet and
by someone else, or when it is able to touch
shy has a part in this, I think.
someone. We can’t control the flights that our creations can raise -- and even less so when our main platform for expression is this vast field that is the Internet. Therefore, it can bring us many surprises. The feeling of my work reaching so many eyes and hearts through publications like your magazine is incredible.
A Love for Nature _Most of your work is shot outdoors and possesses a very natural, organic theme. How do you see the natural world and its connection to your work? Like I said, the nature fascinates me so much. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an incredible world to discover, but, first of all, we have to preserve nature. I think we have to be more careful with the world around us -- not just with nature, but with people, too --. because we are all just one. I think that my photography shows a bit of this sense. _What scares you the most and why? I think my main fear is the cruelty of humans to other humans, animals, nature, and Earth itself.
_Many of us have photos from our younger days that we’d rather not let the world see. But, to conclude our chat with Tuane, we dared her to recreate one of her most memorable childhood photos. Here’s how it went and what made her choose this shot in particular:
What made me decide to recreate this picture was the fact that it was the bedroom of my brother when I was a baby; today, it’s my bedroom. If you pay attention on the blanket, you’ll realize that it’s the same in both photos.
Interview by Kam Tom Yip Words by Joy Celine Asto
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PHOTOHISTORY
Looking Back at Family Cameras We sometimes go on a nostalgic trip to the
In writing this article, professional photography
past that is stored in our family photo albums.
did not interest me. Rather, I wanted to show
This longing for a bygone time doesn’t seem to
the ‘working tool’ used by a regular family man
be associated with the tool we used to make
who takes photos of his children on the beach,
these photos, or simply doesn’t mean anything
showing them to his kids’ peers in a few years’
anymore for some of us. I was faced with a diffi-
time; there’s delight in showing for the father
cult task: How do I show the importance of this
and total embarrassment for children who are
tool – a camera, to be precise – in relation to a
now fully grown.
longing for the past? I’ll skip modern cameras and those used before How do we define our tool? Of course, one can
the Second World War (they sure are important
deliberate and discuss at length on the subject,
photography’s history, but a little too distant
but a family camera’s characteristics should
from us). I will focus on my attempt to present
include ease of use, portability, versatility, and
a brief history of the ‘family camera’ through
a relatively high error tolerance. But, most of all,
the post-war generations.
it should be cheap.
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Post-WWII to 1950’s: Getting Photography Back on Track After the Second World War, restoration efforts
Another type of family camera used by many
for the photographic industry in Europe
had robust metal construction loaded with
shouldn’t have been the most important work
cinematic 135 film (35mm) that had a built-in
for rebuilding shattered economies. Many
viewfinder or rangefinder, and sometimes
camera and printing factories disappeared,
with interchangeable lenses. These cameras
and producing camera parts also halted. The
were far more expensive, heavier, and not to
geopolitical situation drastically changed,
mention more complicated to use, but they
which was not significant in the photographic
were mostly used for scouts at the time. The
industry. However, the post-war situation was
future, however, belonged to the 135 film type.
changing rapidly for photography. The devel-
Examples of cameras that used this format
opment of new technologies particular to
at the time include the West German Braun
light-sensitive materials and electronics, and
Paxette, Voigtländer Vito, Zeiss Ikon Contin,
the growing need for cameras and its equip-
Agfa Silette; Soviet cameras such as FED and
ment led to a fast increase in the popularity
Zorki; the Czech Vega; American Argus; and,
of amateur photography. In turn, camera sales
Polish Graflex or Fenix. The 135 format cameras
skyrocketed and the intensive development in
such as Ricoh Ricolet and the groundbreaking
its technology evolved.
Olympus Pen (which were ignored by European producers -- at their peril) also started making
During the 1950’s in Western Europe, as well as
their mark in Japan.
the period behind the ‘iron curtain’, photographers were able to choose from several types of
The typical family man also eventually started
universal cameras. These included simple and
shooting with a new, revolutionary camera
cheap cameras made from Bakelite or plastic,
which used instant film: the Polaroid Land
which were smaller and usually came with a
Camera Model 95. But then, it was still a far
retractable or screw-type lens and viewfinder.
cry from the ideal family camera. It was more
Most of these cameras, often categorized as
expensive, too bulky and heavy, cumber-
box cameras, used 120 films or derivatives.
some to use, and the first prints were easily
Some notable examples are Druh (Polish),
destroyed. Therefore, it still needed remodel-
Pionyr (Czech), Pouva Start (German), Ultra
ling. At the time of this camera’s release, the
Fex (French), Agfa Isola (West Germany), and
classic box and folding cameras were no longer
Beacon (American). Interestingly, the 120 film
manufactured.
format is used by both by professionals and amateur photographers today through Holga or Diana cameras.
1960s: The Rise of 35mm Format Aside from the popularity of 135 film format,
Itn the Soviet Union, the photographic industry
other cameras started to emerge by the 1960’s:
presented an interesting array of cameras like
the Rapid (Agfa) and SL (ORWO), both derived
the FED-10 and FED-11 Atlas, but due to the cost
from the pre-war system of KARAT. They were
of production it didn’t take long before they
designed to easily load and unload film with
stopped making them. The same fate fell to
the simplified mechanical design of winding
automatic models like that of Zenit (4, 5, 6). The
film (pushing one cartridge to another). These
KMZ factories started the production of Zorki
solutions were meant to compete with the new
cameras 10 and 11, which were actually copies
Kodak cartridges that used the 126 film format
of the Japanese Ricoh Auto 35/Ricohmatic 35
(26.5x26.5 mm), in which the manufacturer
camera. In the United States, there was the
applied a basic plastic cartridge with photo-
Polaroid Swinger Model 20, which was very
sensitive material loaded into the camera.
cheap and was simple to use, that ultimately became successful and remained as one of the
These new features became popular and were
best family cameras of all time. Major Japanese
adopted by other leading camera manufac-
manufacturers started making more cameras,
turers. Zeiss Ikon Ikomatic A and Contaflex 126
and models such as the Olympus Trip 35 were
SLR used the 126 cassette type, Yashica Half
sold in over 10 million units.
17 or KMZ Zorki 12 using Rapid cassette type, and LOMO Smena SL using ORWO’s system. The
In 1968, the VEB Pentacon Dresden Company
Kodak cassette system survived most cameras’
arose with the aim to unite the East German
designs and production of these tapes was only
photographic industry. With its founding,
discontinued in 2008. The other systems basi-
brands such as Meyer-Optic, Altix, and Exakta
cally ceased to exist by the end of the 1980’s.
disappeared from the market. Praktica also became a leading brand in communist countries.
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1970’s: Of Miniatures and Early Instant Snappers In the beginning of the 1970s, Kodak followed
Back in 1972, the United States started selling
suit with the trend and introduced the 110
the Polaroid SX-70, an instant film SLR camera
cassette film format called Pocket Instamatic,
that still ranks among the 50 best cameras
which was also a success like its 126 film
of all time. Six years later, the same model
format. It opened a new chapter in the history
was equipped with an Auto-Focus (AF) func-
of the camera. Along with a new format for
tion (Polaroid SX-70 Sonar OneStep). In 1977,
cartridges, it followed a completely new design:
Polaroid launched another iconic model – the
a miniature camera, reminiscent of the earlier
Polaroid 1000, which made the company even
‘spy’ cameras and Japanese cameras that
more recognized around the world, being called
used 16mm film format. They were easy to use
a style icon during its heyday. The body of the
and were designed for the masses. In addi-
camera – angular in shape, big red shutter
tion to Kodak’s evolution, its eternal rival Agfa
button, and the iconic contrast of black and
released Agfamatic and Optima series in over
white design – has garnered its place on
50 different models.
keyrings, stickers, shirts, pillows, phone cases, and more to this day.
Among all 135 format cameras, the Japanese dominated the market by the end of the 1970’s.
The end of 70’s also marked the decrease in
If you look at European photography maga-
popularity of Eastern Europe’s photography
zines during the 70’s, you will notice that most
industry. Instead of advancing in their tech-
of the cameras they featured were Japan-made
nology, they did not bother refurbishing their
and only a handful from Eastern Europe. Great
models. An industrial worker can, however,
cameras such as Minolta Hi-Matic 7, Canon
still choose from different models such as the
Canonet QL17 and A35 series models, Konica
Beirette brand or possibly the Soviet’s popular
C35, and Olympus XA were among them.
Smena 8M and Vilia Auto, but the technology they had was still considered old and obsolete.
1980’s: The Birth of the Family Camera The 1980’s was a period in which we can start
In the United States, Polaroid introduced
talking about the family camera as a compact
a new format: instant film with self-pow-
camera, popularly perceived as small in size
ered batteries. They also began producing a
and more simplified with a floating focal lens
successful and popular line of the 600 series
and an automatic exposure feature to boot.
with film cassettes that we can still buy today.
It mainly used the 135 film format and most
Kodak launched, without much success,
compact cameras during this time had Auto-
another film format called the ‘Kodak Disc film’.
Focus as its main feature and the body was
It was also during this time that they worked on
made out of plastic.
digital photography, creating the world’s first digital sensor capable of recording images of
So, in the world of photography, the great
1.4 million pixels which can be printed in 12.5 x
rangefinder models such as the Yashica Electro
17.5 cm (5 x 7 inches) sizes.
35, Canon Canomatic, Minolta Hi-Matic Series 7 slowly became redundant and faded into
The camera industry of Eastern Europe fell
oblivion. They were eventually replaced with AF
into a huge recession in the 80’s. This collapse
cameras. A typical amateur photographer, such
in the economy almost completely inhibited
as a tourist with a camera like in magazine
the development of new designs and produc-
advertisements back then, was able to easily
tion lines. Soviet cameras like the ‘Elicon’
use the point and shoot camera and tuck it in
were manufactured, but this model in partic-
his Hawaiian shirt pocket. As the ad says, ‘He
ular turned out to be only a copy of the Konica
does not look like a tourist.’ Amateur photog-
C35 series. However, one of the most recog-
raphers who wanted more advanced solutions
nizable products today was made in a Soviet
could also choose from a whole array of tech-
factory, and later spearheaded the Russian
nologically advanced and cheap amateur SLR’s.
photographic
industry
with
the
ЛОМО
Компакт-Автомат (ЛК-А, LC -A), which was a copy of the Japanese Cosina CX-camera 1. It was also during this time that the market started to be flooded with cameras made in China.
131132
1990’s: The Compact Era The 1990’s turned everything topsy-turvy in
camera, the Contax T2. This era also marked the
the photographic industry. During this time,
waning of photography giants like Agfa, Kodak,
compact cameras were made through an
and Polaroid. Compact cameras produced by
advanced development of electronics and minia-
them were no better than the ones made in
turization. When compared to most point and
China.
shoot digital cameras nowadays, they had no difference in dimension, appearance, and func-
The 90’s also served a new type of camera,
tionality beyond the obvious differences. The
popular during this decade, called the ‘bridge
camera became an almost perfect culmination
camera’ – a link or bridge between an SLR and
of the long way it came from being a simple box
a compact camera. Among of these were the
device to the start of the digital era.
Olympus cameras ‘IS’ series, Canon Epoca, and Fuji Fotonex. These cameras were much more
The market leaders of this period were, of
advanced than the average compact camera
course, the Japanese camera makers. Canon
and had better optics. They constituted a small
offered its customers a wide range of models
part of the market before, but today they are very
like the Canon Prima, Fuji Clear and DL models,
popular.
while Konica successfully remodelled their POP cameras and engineered the EU mini or Z-ups.
Thanks to those tools our parents, grandpar-
Minolta Riva, Pentax Espio, and cameras from
ents, and their ancestors were able to develop
Ricoh and Nikon were also among the market’s
the whole new branch of art that became more
popular picks. It was also during this time that
accessible to common people. It’s a form of art
Olympus introduced an unforgettable series
which you can keep in your pocket or collect in
called [mju:]. Alongside Japanese brands, the
albums – not like paintings, sculptures, or songs.
Korean Samsung brand started to appear with a
However, it’s not limited to fine art – you’ll find
range of great cameras, such as the Slim Zoom
these tools being used for the simplest and most
145S, which won the EISA 96/97. Samsung’s
ordinary of things, such as passport photos,
‘Porsche’ models ECX1 and later ECX2 were also
souvenirs, and postcards from distant lands.
produced. Compacts by Leica also started to
Perhaps, you’re yet to find in your closet one of
emerge but they were rather expensive, albeit
these powerful tools to unleash your creativity.
great in comparison to other cameras. Kyocera
Just buy a roll of film and go shoot – it’s worth
produced Yashica cameras, and in addition
your efforts even for simply keeping beautiful
to the T-series, they came up with a fantastic
memories.
By Marcin Zdun
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Origins It’s been more than two years since we started treading on the exciting path of creating a 100% film photography magazine from scratch. We have worked hard and full of passion, using every bit of our free time to make it possible. We have discovered amazing artists, we’ve been seduced by beautiful works we saw, and we’ve shared this emotional journey with many of you. This why we are delighted to share this thrilling news. We are going to be on print! We found the most supportive sponsors (we will let you know more about this soon because we’re sure you will fall in love with them too) and through our partnership with them, the art shared with us will become tangible and the connection with our readers will grow stronger. We carefully thought about the orientation necessary for ISSUE 0, and we came to the idea of having a closer look to our beginnings. Our theme would therefore be Origins and be about going back to basics -- mostly, going back to black and white, as this was how photography began its own road. For this, we want our readers to revisit their own works and share with us their best black and white film photography masterpieces. Those whose pictures get selected for our first printed issue will receive a free copy and a surprise present that will help them pursue their passion a little further. Deadline of submissions for Origins is on December 20th. Send us your photos at whattaroll@gmail.com with "Submission: Origins" on the subject field. We hope to see beautiful things filling our mail! Long live film and all its amazing supporters!
Picture by Mikah Manansala