Medium Format Portraits by Marco Trinchillo with the Metropolis Film

In this interview, the Italian photographer Marco Trinchillo talks about his photographic projects and reveals his fantastic medium format portraits taken with the LomoChrome Metropolis film.

Hi Marco, could you please introduce yourself to the readers of our Online Magazine?

First of all, a greeting to all the readers! I am 40 years old and I live in Romagna, in a small town by the sea, Cervia.

Tell us about your photographic background. What is your story? When did you start taking photos?

I started taking pictures right after high school, using my sister as a guinea pig, with the original idea of using those portraits to create paintings, but I soon abandoned this idea and dedicated myself to photography. During the summer, from the age of 18 to 23, I would take portraits of tourists on the beach for a photo studio, I don't think this job even exists anymore, but I think it was a great school, both for approaching unknown people and for trying to bring home a good portrait in 3-4 shots maximum.

These wonderful portraits were taken with the Metropolis Film: what were the features that struck you the most?

I was pleasantly surprised by the tones, it was like stepping back 20 years to when I used to cross-process to get similar tones, with the Metropolis film you don't need inverted developments because these tones are already the film's characteristic.

What camera did you use for these photos?

A Mamiya RZ 67.

Why the choice of medium format?

I find it ideal for portraiture, in particular, the RZ 67 is very bulky, heavy, I always use it on a tripod and this allows me to extend the time and think more before each shot.

What equipment do you always take with you on your travels?

My inseparable Nikon FM3A and always a small analogue camera (Olympus XA or Yashica mini).

You mainly do portrait photography, why this choice? And how do you choose your portrait subjects?

I love portraying people, especially strangers. I have never pretended to capture the essence of a person, but to talk about myself through them. I believe that in every subject I portrait there is a small part of me. I choose the people I portray when somehow there is a kind of falling in love, an attraction, something acting on my memory and on my unconscious.

Both in this series and on your Instagram page, looking closely, we've noticed that some of your portraits are actually self-portraits: did your subjects simply press the flexible shutter, or did they also decided on the composition of the images?

Sometimes I play this little game: once I've chosen the frame and made the exposure, I let the subject decide the right moment to portray themselves, I find that in many cases there is a greater relaxation, a more pure giving of themselves.

Who are the artists you follow and from whom-what do you draw inspiration for your photos?

I can not mention Luigi Ghirri, I think it was thanks to him or its fault if I started to photograph. Other authors are Alessandra Sanguinetti, Greg Miller, Nausica Giulia Bianchi, Lise Sarfati, Alec Soth...each, in their own way, has influenced me, spurred me on, more for the emotions aroused in me by their shots than for a factor of form or aesthetics.

You have just completed a very interesting and decidedly contemporary project entitled "The Kids Ain't Alright". Can you describe the project to our readers and explain where the idea came from?

"The Kids Ain't Alright" is a project born during this Pandemic: I asked myself who were the most affected people from a psychological point of view and the answer was "teenagers". So I decided to portray boys and girls aged between 14 and 19 in their "non-places", such as swimming pools, gyms, schools, youth centers, and discotheques, which have been closed for over a year now.

Another project you are working on is "La Photo Trouvèe", what is it about?

I'm glad you asked me that question. "La Photo Trouvèe" is nothing more than an archive of old negatives and slides that I have had for a long time, found over the years in markets and cellars. I decided to select the ones that moved me the most and print them. Roland Barthes called it punctum, something from inside the image crosses an interest rooted in our personal unconscious, and it attracts us without us knowing why; then, later, we discover how intimate that relationship was and is.

Do you have any interesting projects or collaborations planned?

There's a little something, but I don't want to jinx myself, so I'm not saying anything.

Thanks, Marco for these amazing photos! Follow him on his Instagram profile. Here, the link to view all the photos from his project "The Kids Ain’t Alright".

written by melissaperitore on 2021-05-19 #gear #people