Traveling with Laurence Philomene: Berlin Through the Lens of the Lomo'Instant Wide

Portraitist Laurence Philomene is back in Lomography Magazine as she brings her bright palette and instant camera to the German capital. Laurence is one of the young photographers the world's looking out for -- her mission to make the most unique and relatable portraits of her friends drives her to test out her know-how with instant photography.

Laurence just came back from her recent trip to Berlin as she exhibited her "Non-Binary Portrait" series. She opted the Lomo'Instant Wide, as far as curating memories go.

Hi Laurence, welcome back to Lomography Magazine! First things first, how was your trip to Berlin?

Thanks! My trip was lovely - I was mostly focused on my exhibition “non-binary portraits” in collaboration with curated by girls while I was there so I didn’t get to see the city much but everyone there was really welcoming to me. It reminded me a lot of my hometown (Montreal); full of ex-pats and artists.

This time you shot with the instant camera, Lomo'Instant Wide. What were your first impressions upon using it?

I used to shoot a lot with the Instax Mini as a teenager and I hadn’t gotten to shoot with instant film in a long time so it was fun to return to those roots. The camera itself is beautiful and felt really nice in my hands. Each shot came out really different, so it was a fun surprise every time.

What prompted you to take instant photography during your trip?

Instant photography to me always has a certain nostalgia to it, it was fun to take a break from all my work and just take photos for fun. Laetitia (curated by girls) wanted to do a shoot dressed up as a doll so we walked around Berlin with our friend Sara and took some pictures of the two of them dressed alike and posing in symmetry.

How do you think does instant photography fit in our digitally-driven lives?

Personally, I think it’s a nice break from my digital routine. Holding a photograph in your hands just isn’t the same as looking at a screen, and that will never change. I think the two can absolutely co-exist. Especially when it comes to photographing your memories, film always holds a special place.

What's next for Laurence? Any upcoming projects we should look out for?

I’m going to keep working on my non-binary portrait series and hopefully exhibit it in more places around the world so keep looking out for that. :)

Learn more about Laurence's work with the "Non-Binary Portrait" series through our interview. Visit her website and Instagram for more of her works.

2017-07-15 #places #berlin #instant-photography #laurence-phillomene