Discovering Santiago de Compostela with Ángel Vidal and the Berlin Kino Film

The Spanish photographer Ángel Vidal tried our Berlin Kino 400 film in his project As Realidades, dyeing the city Santiago de Compostela with its classic monochromatic style. Read more about his experience in the following interview.

Ángel Vidal with the Berlin Kino 400 film.

Hi Ángel! Welcome to the Lomography Magazine! Please, introduce yourself and your photography style.

My name is Ángel, I am 22 years old, I currently live in Santiago de Compostela and I am a teacher, musician, and photographer. Since three years, my photographic work is 90% analogical because I feel much comfortable with the speed that you get when you shoot in film. I develop and scan everything myself in my laboratory, so I keep full control of the process and I can see my mistakes in a clear way. I see myself as a very technical person, however I also enjoy a lot with the experimentation.

To be honest, I find hard to define my work, to put a label on it. I think my work is in constant development and there is also a lot of external aspects that can determine my style, from the weather conditions to the photography equipment. I mostly do portraits, landscapes and documentation (concerts, urban photography...).

Which equipment did you use to try the Berlin Kino film and where?

I used this film in Santiago de Compostela and I used my Canon Eos 50 and 50mm f/1.8 lens, a very basic kit, but I added filters Cokin to make it more creative; the red one A003 to make the blue skies darker and the Multimage x13 A203 and Multimage Parallel A209 that distort and duplicate the image.

Ángel Vidal with the Berlin Kino 400 film.

Tell us about the pictures you did with this film.

When I got this film I started to think on a little project or series that follow the idea of Lomography. Finally, I decided to do a series about the main area in Santiago de Compostela. The images show the most emblematic areas of the city, but in pieces, blurred, like parts of an old memory that we cannot recall but we know it is there somewhere. This little project is a personal look into the city that became my home since 5 years now, but it is a part of me as it is for the pilgrims who do the Routes of Santiago de Compostela, for the students or for the people who were born and raised here; that's why I called it "As Realidades" (the realities).

How was your experience with the Berlin Kino 400 film? In which situations do you think the film works better?

The film worked great in almost any light condition I used, I only notice a bit of underexposure in some of the pictures I shoot with the red filter. The Berlin Kino has a strong grain that give an oldish look to the photos and I absolutely adore it. I would recommend shot the film in ISO 200 to avoid underexposure.

Ángel Vidal with the Berlin Kino 400 film.

How was the development?

I developed the film myself in my lab using Rodinal with a 1+50 dissolution for 13 and a half minutes. I think this kind of development boosted the grain and, therefore, the character of the film.

And finally, what are your final thoughts about the Berlin Kino 400 film?

I am more than happy with the results, it is a film that works in any situation. If you are looking for a roll with personality, a classic look and you are not afraid of trying new stuff, you will love it!

Ángel Vidal with the Berlin Kino 400 film.

We want to thank Ángel Vidal for taking the time to share this experience with the Berlin Kino 400 with us. Check his Instagram and blog to follow up on this work!

written by tatianapons on 2020-02-08

Mentioned Product

Lomography Berlin Kino 400 ISO

Lomography Berlin Kino 400 ISO

Capture life’s most elusive moments in everlasting monochrome charm with this rare black and white cine film.

More Interesting Articles