Lomography Newcomers: Rediscovering Photography with @_daniel_

Can you recall the first time you learned about analogue photography? The first time you held a film camera? The first time you were introduced to the Lomography community?

We each jump into the film photography world at different points in our lives. And embarking on a new practice is (at most times) best shared with friends, family, and/or a trusted community.

Our new series for the magazine entitled Lomography Newcomers will give us the chance to meet our new community members, learn more about them and their film journeys thus far! With the series being an overall celebration of the craft of film photography dedicated to our earlier years with it, we hope that we get the chance to meet with them once more as they make their way deeper into their craft in the years to come!

We meet our first Lomography newcomer in Southern Italy. Daniela (@_daniel_) first got into film photography around a year ago after stumbling across a Canon AE-1 Program film camera at a local shop.

Diving straight into new terrain when making the jump from shooting on digital to film can be a bit overwhelming and confusing to some. It’ll challenge what you think you know about cameras and how you approach photography. On the topic of learning more about film cameras, Daniela shares:

“Trial after trial, I learnt how to apply its functionality to different lighting conditions based on the characteristics of the film used. I also had to brush up on several basics of photography in order to be able to make the most out of the features and qualities of my Canon film camera!”

Taking this approach would definitely help one best utilize their camera gear’s features. Learning to work alongside your equipment and familiarizing yourself with its functions would help you take your film photography skills to the next level – having the opportunity to personalize the experience all the more. With high spirits and curiosity for what else is to be discovered, she shares her excitement with us:

“...but it is exciting to think how far I still have to go and techniques to learn in order to achieve the perfect shot.”

The Lomochrome Metropolis is one of the first few film stocks she’s tried out thus far, using the roll to document a special memory to her which involved peppers, bread, onion, and her grandmother. Commending the stock for its versatility and high performance in low light environments, she adds:

“Lomochrome Metropolis 135 is a film that particularly surprised me for the rendering of its colors, brilliant and bright, for a fantastic chromatic concentration distributed according to the light and shadow areas.”

Born and raised in Apulia, she states how her hometown has been invaluable in this newfound film photography practice – providing her with loads of inspiration when it comes to themes to photograph and her approach towards it:

“My land plays a fundamental role in the story of my life and my photography. It is, in fact, the place where I live and those who inhabit it that inspire my shots.”

She also adds how being in the countryside and amidst the olive groves surrounding her home have also played a factor into the kind of elements that intrigue her photographic style.

When describing what the Lomography community now represents in her life, she shares how inspired she feels being part of a global community of photographers who have the capacity to open you up to different styles and perspectives; learning from fellow community members and seeing each other grow.

“Each LomoHome reflects the character of its author as well as the facets of their place of origin or visited places portrayed in photos, providing a glimpse into endless technical and cultural perspectives.”

Digging deeper into her personal goal with shooting on analogue, she shares:

“I would like to share with the community my goal of rediscovering through photography all that is about to be forgotten or already forgotten, be it places, people or customs and traditions. I believe that remembering the past and keeping it alive, means laying the foundations for our future and that there is no better medium than photography to give or re-give value to things by imprinting them forever in a tangible way, representing them through the gaze of one who carefully selects contexts and subjects by studying them through the lens.”

When asked what she’s looking forward to experimenting with next among the infinite list of film cameras, stocks, and formats to try out, Daniela mentioned the Fisheye No. 2 Acapulco La Quebrada 35 mm.

"For the future, it would be interesting to try the Fisheye No. 2 Acapulco La Quebrada 35 mm by Lomography to experience a new way of shooting, thanks to its 170° field of view, and to finally experience the convenience of flash combined with analogue, a dimension still unexplored for me."

One year down and countless more photos to take, film formats to experiment with, and new analogue photography experiences to cherish. We'll catch up with Daniela again some time soon to see where the journey into analogue has taken her. For now, we at Lomography wish her the best of luck and are so excited to see what's to come!

Thank you to @_daniel_ for sharing her new journey into film photography with us and being our the first Lomography Newcomers artist for the series! Looking to join a global community of creatives and artists who all share a love for film? Join the Lomography community and create your own LomoHome here.

written by macasaett on 2023-08-25 #people #community #italy #lomochrome-metropolis