Lucinda Lewis - In Dreams are Monsters Open Call Results

Back in October we teamed up with the BFI (British Film Institute) to celebrate In Dreams Are Monsters, their horror film screening season running from October - December 2022.

We set up an Open Call and four winners were chosen who received a Diana Multi Pinhole Operator and were asked to shoot some photos inspired by the horror films shown in this series. Winner Lucinda Lewis talked to us about using the Diana Pinhole camera and how she took some unexpected inspiration from the films she chose.

Hello, please tell us a bit about yourself?

Hello! I'm Lucinda, a filmmaker and photographer based in the UK. I'm also a huge film fan, especially horror, and was absolutely delighted to know I was selected to take part in the BFI / Lomography collaboration.

How did you decide to approach this project when you received the Diana Multi Pinhole camera and how did you prepare?

I investigated how to shoot on a pinhole camera, especially learning a different approach to exposure times. I then went for it, I had a few props and it had snowed heavily so I thought it was the perfect time to get out and experiment.

Did you take any inspiration from some of the BFI horror films?

I had a look to see what the BFI was screening throughout the season, which was a wonderful collection of horror. I took a more comedic and fun approach to the photography as I wasn't feeling overly confident with the camera. I love horror films that have elements of extreme weather, especially snow. Let's say, The Thing, 30 Days of Night, The Shining, Let The Right One In, and so on. In those the weather is a character in itself. The way that I composed some of the photos actually reminds me of a 1st person video game.

What do you think of the results?

The results were hit and miss. This was my first time using a pinhole, so I was slightly paranoid of the exposure settings and how inaccurate they felt while out shooting. That being said, I'm very happy with the results chosen here. I love to see all the strange effects that happen within the photos. The colour filters really added to the strangeness of the world I was creating.

Any tips for other photographers who want to try out pinhole photography?

Go for it! I didn't have a clear idea when I started the project but as I was shooting, ideas came to mind. You could try shooting with more natural light outside, as the exposure settings are closer to regular cameras that aren't pinhole. None of my exposures were more than five seconds, it feels so wrong to be exposing for that amount of time but I can't wait to get out shooting with it again.

To see more of Lucinda's work check out her Instagram page.

2023-01-29 #gear #news #people #pinhole #inspiration #open-call #british-film-institute #in-dreams-are-monsters