Adlan Mansri Gives The Petzval 85 Berlin Street Cred
1 6 Share TweetWho said that Petzval lenses were made exclusively for portraiture ? Certainly not Adlan Mansri ! Equipped with a Petzval 85, the young French photographer now living in Germany shot these mesmerizing monochromes of Berlin with fifty shades of bokeh.
Hi Adlan ! Can you introduce yourself to the Lomographic Community?
Hi ! So I'm Adlan, 25, an Algerian-French expat living in Berlin for 3 years now. I have a cat, put my socks on before my pants and add my cereals before the milk. So I'm quite normal. I don't like currywursts (German curried sausage) that much, but I do like Döner Kebab.
What is your background?
After high school, I studied fine art and cinematography at university. I got my bachelor's degree, and then I left my hometown for Berlin. I studied there in a self-organized film school. In between, I shot my first photo report Les oubliés du Sable in refugee camps in Western Sahara in 2013, just before I came to Berlin. I've also made other personal projects during my studies.
In August, I joined the Studio Hans Lucas in which I am now one of their members. It's really cool because I can see other works and I can have conversations with other photographers, and it is really rewarding.
Why and how did you get started in photography?
I don't really know why I started photography. But I can remember two things:
- The first time I had a camera in my hands was in high school. I was in the last grade and I was borrowing the Photo Club camera. It was funny, at the beginning I was only doing it for fun, but at some point it became addictive : I couldn't give the camera back haha. I think I kept it for like 6 or 7 months, but I had to give it back because it was the end of the school year. So I saved money so I could get my own camera.
- The second thing is that I remember myself buying the Fisheye camera by Lomography at the Lomography Gallery Store in Paris. It was my very first film camera
Digital or analogue? Why?
It depends on the situation. But at the end of the day, I would say analogue. I think it's a cool approach. You take a picture and then you put it back in your pocket, nobody asks stuff like "Can you show me my face please?" or "Oh no, please, delete it, I don't like how I look on it". Analogue photography is less scary than digital, especially if you shoot with a big DSLR. The thing with analogue is also that colours are deeper, contrasts more interesting. It also kinda forces you to get closer to your subject and to be way more patient because you don't push the shutter 100 times. You are careful with what you are shooting.
But I also shoot digital because it's easier. You don't need to wait to see the pictures. Even though the suspense is super cool when you are waiting for your films, sometimes you just don't want to wait.
How would you define your personal photographic style? Where do you find inspiration?
I'm not sure, I think my style is about spontaneity. I mean, I'm not inventing anything. I just show things as I see them, I don't really know if I have a particular style. I like trying new things and I try to be as spontaneous as I can, whatever the subject is or the way I have to take my pictures.
My inspirations? I find my inspiration in everything surrounding me, especially music and other photographers. I was also really sad when Marc Riboud passed away because I think he is one of the photographers whose work I like the most. Otherwise, my friends inspire me in their own way, I take a lot of pictures of them. Berlin is also where I find most of my inspiration : the city, the people, the atmosphere surrounding us, its freedom and its limitless creativity.
You shot this series with the Petzval 85. What did you think of it? How did the shoot go?
I was really surprised, in a good way, by the Petzval 85. I'm not used to shooting with optics that are more than 50mm. Usually, I shoot with a 35mm or a 50mm, so it was kind of new for me. The shoot went really well, it was a nice experience. It was quite complicated at the beginning because, as I said earlier, I usually shoot wide angle or 50 mm. So shooting street photography with a 85mm was something new for me. But finally I got to grips with it and I found it much easier.
Describe the lens with just one word. For what kind of projects would you recommend it?
I think "surprising" is the word that fits. I think it's equally good for portraits and street photography. Even though it's a bit more complicated in the street because your subject is always in movement, so you really have to be ready anytime. I'd like to try it on more experimental projects as well, that could be fun.
The Petzval is usually chosen for portraits. Why did you chose to snap street photos with it?
I didn't wanted to do portraits because it's something that the Petzval is known for, and I wanted to be a bit more original and to give it another use. I didn't have to look too far because I already do a lot of street photography. So I just went for a walk with it and I shot in the streets.
They’re great anyway and allow us to see Berlin in a new light ! Where did you go to take these pictures?
For most of the pictures, I just stayed and walked in my neighborhood, in Neukölln. People are cool, also two guys asked me to take pictures of them. You can see them posing and enjoying it. Then I went for a walk around what's left of the Berlin wall in Friedrichshain, around the Spree.
Why did you move there? What do you like about this city?
Because of beer and techno hahaha! I just wanted to leave France, and Berlin was a good opportunity. I had German classes in high school and financially, Berlin is really cheap, especially when you are a broke artist and don't have the money to pay rent in Paris. And there was this self-organized film school called FilmArche. I was really interested in that school, so I tried to pass the entrance exam right after my bachelor's degree, and they accepted me. I was really happy.
This city is so cool, so relaxed, open-minded and sweet. How could anybody not like it? I find Berlin really inspiring and I learned a lot in this city. People are nice and nobody judges you for what you are or what you do. And that's great.
Berlin, Paris, Marseille… Your urban photos are mainly black and white. Why?
I like the grain of black and white films. Usually, I push my ISO to 1600 even if the film is 400 ISO. You can't really do that with a color film. So when I push my film to 1600, it allows me to take low lights pictures, during the night for example.
Do you think that monochromy is more able to transcribe the soul of a city?
What's more able to transcribe the soul of a city is the people who live there and who make the city. It doesn't matter if the photos are monochrome or not : if you are capable of transcribing people's lives, then I think you can transcribe the soul of a city. There is also something easy with black and white. I know that when I shoot analogue, I think differently between color films or black and white. I don't do it the same way, and I can't explain why!
Do you have any upcoming projects?
I'm leaving for Korea in November, to spend a few weeks shooting a reportage story with Ryan, a friend of mine. Otherwise, I am also working on some other projects in Berlin and abroad.
Thank you Adlan!
See more of Adlan's work on his website, Facebook, his blog or follow him on Instagram.
written by Théo Depoix-Tuikalepa on 2016-10-13 #gear #people #places #art-lens #petzval #new-petzval-85-art-lens
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