Lomography Newcomers: @b4rbs on Community and Collaborations

Community building is at the core of everything Lomography Newcomer Barbs (@b4rbs) does. As an educator at a small non-profit association, she mainly focuses on fostering safe spaces and communities for the youth and young adults with disabilities. Through this, she also gets the chance to integrate her personal advocacies and honors the creative process and practices in her work. Understanding the importance of providing avenues for people to freely and authentically express themselves, especially those who belong to underrepresented groups, she shares:

"With all this experience, I find myself compelled to develop projects focused on individuals with disabilities, using art and movement practices as tools."

Having only started her journey into analogue photography last year and joining the Lomography community a few months ago — one she describes to be "Inspirational, supportive, diverse" — she’s driven to use the medium of photography to support the causes she feels closest to and passionate about.

Before settling in Barcelona in 2014, the city she claims that "never ceases to surprise," Barbs has journeyed to places near and far for as long as she can remember. An immigrant born and raised in Maracaibo, a city in Venezuela, she shares how change has been incremental and largely present in her life.

"When I was 18 years old, I left the country due to the challenging socio-political situation it was facing. Migration, however, has always been a part of my life. Even before I left, my family and friends had scattered across the globe in search of better opportunities. The house, the people, and the reality I grew up with have changed so much, or perhaps they barely exist anymore; they feel like distant memories now."

Forms of art and purposeful movement have been some of the things that have stayed consistent through it all, specifically, dance and yoga. Barbs attributes her mom for being her first-ever teacher within these mediums and instilling in her a deep passion for education and pursuing purposeful work. Service and a passion for life-long learning in discovering one’s self and curiosities have been the building blocks of how she chooses to live her life.

"I practically grew up in her classes and lent a hand in her work. In that sense, I've always found immense joy in sharing my knowledge by teaching these practices to others. It all began as a necessity to assist my mother, so I started teaching young kids when I was a teenager, and I haven't stopped since then. It's a type of work I genuinely enjoy."

Extending that approach into her journey with analogue photography has opened up opportunities for her to collaborate with different kinds of people who also reside in Barcelona and who all share the same love and enthusiasm for this medium. It’s also through these communities that she’s able to further develop her understanding of photography as a whole:

"My learning process into the world of photography began by taking courses at community centers, where they offer a whole bunch of workshops at very affordable prices. As I dove deeper into the world of film photography, attending more workshops and keeping tabs on various projects in the city through social media, I discovered a bustling film photography community. Here, you've got plenty of studios offering workshops and lab rentals, and then there are these incredible artists who are whipping up some truly fascinating work."

The city itself is a creative hub where multitudes of artistic practices and disciplines thrive; providing people with open avenues to further immerse themselves into their desired craft and interests. On the analogue side, the city hosts annual film photography festivals such as Revela’t and Experimental Photo Festival, among others, all of which breathe life into the community of film photographers.

Barbs' analogue photography origin story hails back to a past love, "It all started with a brief yet profoundly meaningful love story with someone who was a passionate photographer." An unexpected introduction to the medium took Barbs by surprise — immediately finding herself enamored with the magic that comes with the process and results from a film photograph. But no one is spared from the accompanied doubt that comes with starting something new. Barbs shares her initial thoughts on her film photography journey and how it had evolved over time:

"I was pretty nervous about it all. I didn't know the first thing about photography, and self-doubt crept in. I was afraid I'd never learn, or that my photos would just be bad. But you know, I was having such a blast and deriving so much joy from it that I forgot all about those worries."

"Since then, my curiosity made me delve deeper into the history of photography, understanding its scientific roots and experimental nature. This exploration was particularly enlightening because, up until then, my knowledge was confined to digital photography and modern cameras. Learning about the entire process of film photography, and realizing that I could partake in it without the need for expensive gear, had me hooked."

As she ventured further into this medium, past memories from her home came flooding back — reconnecting her with intergenerational stories and objects passed down from family.

“My memories of my dad's own passion for analogue photography during my childhood resurfaced. I remembered the countless photo albums that once filled the shelves of our home, which are still sitting in Venezuela. Now, one of my dreams is to return, collect those albums, and capture my cherished home and city through the lens of this newfound passion.”

Unlocking these memories served as a catalyst for Barb to gain a more personal and layered perspective as to what film photography brings into her current life:

"There's something so comforting about film photography and the deliberate, unhurried process it entails. I feel intimately connected to each photo, and every captured moment lingers more vividly in my memory. What's truly special is the sense of empowerment it grants me; each shot becomes a deliberate choice, something I can control (while still retaining an element of unpredictability). It's a distinct moment, a story yet to be told, or a surprise."

"I would like to use photography as a means of storytelling. I believe that photographs have the power to capture and convey important narratives, to document the struggles and triumphs of socio-political movements, and to serve as a form of visual activism, there’s so much that needs to be seen, so many people that deserve visibility in strong and beautiful ways that I think film photography can boast and do best."

Although she is just starting out on her film photography journey and still discovering her own visual style, she shares that black-and-white photography has an incomparable quality to it and feels that it has become ”her thing”.

"I find it challenging to put into words what makes black and white photography so special to me, but there's a certain magical quality to it that's reminiscent of the "Magic realism" found in Gabriel Garcia Marquez's works. It breathes life and depth into the images and the people within them, making the photos come alive."

Barbs shares that joining the Lomography community came at just the right time of her analogue journey. Looking for alternative platforms that focus on the process and learning curves that sometimes comes with film photography, the online global community carved a space where she saw herself and several alike individuals who also “harbored a deep passion for those little rolls of film and old cameras.”

“It was truly a revelation to find a place where I could connect with people who shared my enthusiasm for the unique possibilities that film photography offers…I love how it's a space brimming with enthusiasm and support, where newcomers are given visibility, and anyone can showcase their work and receive likes and recognition.”

We're looking forward to the spaces Barbs will continue to grow and foster through her journey in film. A warm welcome to Lomography, @b4rbs!

Thank you to @b4rbs for speaking with us and sharing her early experiences with film photography! Looking to join a global community of creatives and artists who all share a love for film? Join Lomography and create your own LomoHome here.

written by macasaett on 2023-12-31 #people #places #black-and-white #barcelona #community #newcomer