Nathalie Coeln: A Trip Away With the LC-Wide

Nathalie Coeln is a freelance photographer based in London. Her portfolio is vast and varied, with a mix of live music photography and dreamy film shots of recent trips abroad. We sent her an LC-Wide to capture her summer in analogue.

Hi Nathalie! Tell us a bit about yourself...

My name is Nathalie, I’m a freelance photographer based in London and I’ve been living here for almost 6 years now. I had originally moved here for university then ended up staying because there’s just so much to do and see here that it’s really hard to get bored. My main interest has always been music and concert photography but having travelled so much when I was a child means I’m constantly itching to discover new things and experience different places. I actually have a science degree so I’m still unsure where and how my love for photography came along but it’s now definitely what takes up all and any of my free time!

How did you get on shooting with the LC-Wide?

Surprisingly really well - I was a little worried at first shooting with a wide lens and although a couple of pictures did come out with my knuckles showing in the corner it’s a really easy camera to shoot with. Pretty much the only thing you need to worry about when shooting with the LC-Wide is how far your subject is, the rest? Well, it does it itself. Once you figure that out it’s pretty hard to miss a shot, no matter what it is you’re shooting. I honestly found that amazing, it allowed me to focus more on the moment than on camera settings whilst still be really pleased with the results. The half-frame shots are also super fun, you never really know how it will turn out, but it’s definitely a nice addition and something fun to try.

What did you choose to shoot?

I went on holiday in April and thought it was the perfect occasion to take the LC-Wide with me. It’s a whole lot lighter than my digital camera and I find it really special coming back home and getting the film developed. It’s a great surprise and keeps that holiday feeling last longer. I also did a couple of portraits which I absolutely love, I never thought they would come out so sharp and with such vibrant colours. To be honest, I think I shot a bit of everything with this camera, and even pictures of grey, cold London turned out incredible.

What do you think the appeal of film photography is for people?

I think everyone has noticed that film photography is really making a comeback lately. Speaking for myself, this is something I would have never tried a couple of years ago. Digital photography and mobiles phones have made it so easy for people to take as many pictures as they want of absolutely anything they want. But I think people missed the challenges that come with film and having to reflect on what it is they want to focus on. I also find that nothing compares to that feeling of getting film developed, the wait, and being genuinely proud of the result. Like I mentioned before, there’s that element of surprise when you almost forget what you’ve shot on the roll and get to relive the moment when you get the scans back. It's something that is much more accessible to people these days and it's great to see so many people get passionate about film photography.

What’s coming up in 2018?

It’s been a really exciting year for me so far so I can only hope it continues this way. I used to focus mainly on live music photography and documenting my travels but there’s something really appealing about street photography so I definitely want to focus on that a little more. The great thing about photography in general is that there’s always something to learn and I sure have lots more of learning to do, especially when it comes to film photography. I’m hoping I can branch out onto different formats too, but that might have to wait a while!

To see more of Natalie's work visit her website nathaliecoeln.com or follow her on Instagram nathalie_cln

2018-08-24 #people #london #uk #lc-wide #nathalie-coeln