Newcomer of the Week: Andreea Nagy

In today's fast-paced, digital world, shooting on film is always a welcome break. Aspiring film photographer Andreea Nagy, who goes by the moniker @andreeaioana, started her analogue journey as a means to record and appreciate everyday moments that often go unnoticed. Get to know our featured Community newcomer from Cluj-Napoca, Romania in this short interview.

Please tell us something about yourself and what you do.

Hello there! I’m a 24-year-old aspiring film photographer based in Cluj-Napoca, Romania – a city that never stops to amaze and inspire me. I’ve completed my master’s degree in psychology and I’m currently looking for a way to connect this with art, my very first passion. I do know that art is a broad concept, it can mean totally different things to different people and we are all subjective when it comes to understanding and appreciating it. But ever since kindergarten I’ve been trying to express my creative self through drawing, painting, acting and so on. I’ve always felt there is so much more to explore within myself and the world around me and although I’m sure there is some kind of magic in each and every human being, we all still have to do the work, get out there and challenge ourselves in order to thrive.

How did you find the Community and who/what convinced you to join?

I think the very first time I got in touch with members from the Community was two or three years ago, on Facebook, when I stumbled upon some of their amazing work. But it wasn’t until a couple of months ago that I started to actually invest time in following photographers and reading the various articles that you guys keep posting.

As you have read the 10 Golden Rules of Lomography, what rule do you apply in your everyday life?

Ugh, tough one. Let me put it this way: I do have a problem with taking my camera everywhere I go, I guess I’m still not used to carrying it around like it’s a part of me. Although now as I think of it, everytime I get to witness a precious moment and I don’t have my camera to capture its essence, I blame myself harshly. It’s kinda counterintuitive, I know. But I’m getting better, I swear.

In this digital age, why still film?

I think this is deeply rooted in my burning desire to freeze time. Cliché or not, I sometimes feel like everything around me is on fast-forward and and I just want to be able to appreciate more those micro-moments that may seem irrelevant. But they do count, a lot. Knowing that I have to capture that exact instant, as authentic and raw as it is. There is no better feeling. Sure, digital photography is nice and convenient, but shooting on film simply makes me mindful and aware of the scene I’m about to capture, so I experience it on a deeper level. Oh, and the excitement of seeing my photographs weeks, sometimes maybe even months after shooting is pure delight!

Your favorite analog camera as of the moment? Why?

Well, I only got to shoot with my actual camera, which is a Minolta X700. It fits perfectly for street and landscape photography, it’s easy to carry around and above all that, it’s personalized with uniquely designed leather.

What is the film camera you’d want to have someday?

I’d also like to own an Olympus 35RC.

Any song, book, or movie you live by?

Another tough choice, considering my continuous struggle to find some balance between those three. But I’ll try to choose one for each category (feeling generous tonight). As for a song, I’ll go with Funkadelic’s “Bad thoughts, good thoughts”, because in my opinion the lyrics just sum up the idea that we all have everything we look for within us and it comes down to how we decide to use that unique power (“Be careful of the thought-seeds you plant in the garden of your mind/For seeds grow after their kind.”).

The book would be Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, written so long ago, but so paradoxically actual. I deeply resonated with his raw ideas and I was actually surprised to get so many amazing insights, it simply puts everything into perspective.

And last but not least, I’d go with Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life, a classic that I keep re-watching every year around Christmas for some years now. It’s strange how every time I get to observe precious little details that are just delightful. And the thing that it’s a black and white movie with no special effects needed whatsoever emphasizes the main idea (won’t tell you which one, if you haven’t seen it yet, well, you know what you’re doing this Christmas!).

Share your current favorite Lomograph, could be yours or a friend’s. Why?

My favourite Lomograph ever is this one:

It’s a perfectly captured moment, so authentic and warm; I especially like the colors and the softness of the whole composition.

Any Community member you look up to? If so, why him or her?

I admire a lot of @systemdevice‘s work, I can see he’s exploring everything film photography has to offer, from shooting with various cameras to different styles and concepts, he simply doesn’t seem to have any boundaries, regardless the circumstances. His photographs are definitely an endless source of inspiration.

What are you looking forward to in our Community?

I’m expecting to get in touch with curious, talented people who love shooting on film as much as I do, while also finding inspiration and support. It’s a great way to explore my creativity and share my work, which keeps me motivated and pushes me to do better. I can’t thank you enough for everything that you guys do!

Welcome to the Lomography Community and thank you for sharing your thoughts with us, Andreea!

2018-08-31 #lomohome #lomohomes #newcomer #newcomer-of-the-week