Portraits on Experimental Lomography Films with Marta Sobrino

Marta Sobrino is a photographer based in Tenerife with a talent for creating natural and vibrant portraits. She recently tried our LomoChrome Metropolis and Redscale films for the first time. Let's hear about her experiences shooting portraits with these unique films.

Hi Marta, welcome to our Online Magazine! Could you introduce yourself to our readers?

Hello, my name is Marta Sobrino. I was born in Palma de Mallorca but I'm currently living in Tenerife. I don't really have a fixed place where I live. I have also lived in Madrid and in the United States in fact. It is something very normal in my life to be moving from one place to another constantly. Right now I'm finishing my degree in Fine Arts, specializing in contemporary art.

When did your journey into photography start?

About five years ago, more or less, my grandmother gave me one of her old cameras and I started using it as something very casual and without giving it much importance. But little by little I realized that photography made me feel very good, and it was thanks to my friends, who are my main source of inspiration, that they have always been the protagonists of my images.

Why do you choose to capture most of your moments on film instead of digital?

It's going to sound a bit weird but I've never used a digital camera in my life as I've always been very happy with my analogue cameras. It's true that in comparison digital photography is a lot cheaper than film photography but for me it's part of the process of the final photo. Every time you take a photo on film it is much more thoughtful because "you only have one chance" in a way, as you can't see it again. With a digital camera you can take a burst and choose the one you like the most and in that way you lose a lot of things from the moment you are capturing in my opinion. Analogue photography has much more magic.

Have you ever tried Lomography film before? What are the features that you like the most about the LomoChrome Metropolis?

I've never used Lomography film before and I've been pleasantly surprised. I haven't gone out of my comfort zone photographically speaking and these films allowed me to. What I liked most about the Metropolis is the more or less exaggerated contrasts between colours. Besides, all the colours are neutralised and not too saturated. In the case of my photos, I really liked the amount of light you can see in them.

What about your experience with the Redscale XR ISO 50-200 film?

With this film, knowing that it tends to have warmer and reddish colours, I wanted to use it for mainly two things: one was to use it with blues to play with the complementary colours, so I took the photos on the beach; and the other part was to use it at night so that I could use the flash and the red could be seen intensely. I would like to experiment more with this film and see what more potential it has.

Which Lomography product would you like to try next?

I've always wanted to try your black and white films. Everyone has been raving about them.

Which cameras did you use for these photos?

A Minolta X-300s and an Olympus Mju I.

Did the type of film influence your choice of the subject and location?

Yes, above all because of the light, each film has totally different characteristics to the other and I wanted to play a little with what each one offered me. For example, I wanted to use the Metropolis more indoors so that the contrasts were more marked.

Did you play with the extended ISO range of this film?

Not much, it's true that with the Metropolis I did play a bit more as I had heard it was perfect for that, but I didn't want to risk too much.

Your photos often capture candid moments with friends. How do you manage to make your subjects feel comfortable in front of the camera?

I'm lucky that my friends are the first ones to offer to pose for me, it's almost more their photos than mine. For me it's such a nice and natural moment that I love to share with them and make it as much fun as possible. We always make jokes to be more comfortable but I think the main thing is to take the photos without thinking that somebody else will see them.

Do you have any interesting projects or collaborations planned that you would like to share with us?

I have been talking with brands to make collaborations, but for the moment they have not materialized. So, for now I continue enjoying photography without the need to raise it to a higher level, although I would like one day to be able to make a photo book.

To see all Marta's works check out her Instagram Profile.

written by melissaperitore on 2023-04-27 #gear #redscale #spain #lomographyfilms #marta-sobrino