I Still Shoot Film

Only 14 more to go… and I will be posting the final results of this project in June. If you missed your chance to participate in this year’s film swap, it’s highly probable I’ll turn it into an annual event.

For more info on my film swap in general, click here: http://istillshootfilm.org/tagged/film_swap

For those of you who may have missed it, I am doing a super awesome worldwide film swap with 14 other super awesome photographers around the globe. The film swap has already begun, in the sense that my swappers are currently shooting. I will shoot my part during the month of May and the fabulous results will be posted for all of you in June.

How does a film swap work? One of my swappers shoots a roll of film, sends it to me and I load it into a camera and shoot on top of it to make double exposures from two vastly different locations. This is my first film-swap on this scale, so I am learning as I go but I definitely think the results will be amazing.

I would like to note that two of my film swappers are in locations that were recently hit by earthquake disasters: Christchurch, New Zealand and Japan. My support goes out in particular to these film swappers, as should yours.

So, without further ado here are my swappers (in no particular order):

Yosuke Suzuo (Zissouta)

• Age: 29
• Location: Kobe, Japan
• Bio: Born in Hiroshima, Japan, in 1982. Currently live and work in Kobe, Japan. Started shooting film photos in 2005, when I was working as a 35mm cinema projectionist at a movie theater in Kobe. I love film photography. I’m mainly interested in a street photography. My aim is taking a photograph as if it has own scent or sound. Tells history behind people’s faces. As you know, we hit by the terrible disaster on 3.11, and its effects are still ongoing. At now, we share the firm belief that we rebuild from the devastation. We are deeply grateful for your help from all over the world.
• Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zissouta_9/

Sisilia Piring

• Age: 27
• Location: Chicago, Illinois USA
• Bio: I love the thought of sharing a voyeuristic, keyhole like view to the normal routines of everyday moments. I am after the raw reality of what’s taking place in front of the lens. It’s not always perfect and I convey that through the film I chose, grainy and sometimes saturated. Being a woman and now a mother, I find the female form fascinating and alluring. One of my favorite moments to capture is a woman unwinding after a long day at ease in her home, unreserved. The mood is tender and intimate, sometimes provoking a sort of uneasiness to the viewer. Time stands still just for that moment as you breathe it all in.
• Link: www.idontdodigital.com

Eric Tearle

• Age: 25
• Location: London, England
• Bio: I shoot for my own satisfaction. I love to capture images that will never be forgotten. Capturing that split second moment, that will probably never happen again, can make or break the photo. That girls smile, the way the sun is breaking through the clouds or the way the traffic passes by you. A sense of a achievement and self confidence enters me when I first see that photo developed and I can say to myself “YES, it worked.” Not knowing how the photo looks straight away, is why I love to shoot film. That’s why I love photography.
• Link: www.erictearle.tumbr.com, www.erictearle.com

Blaine Thomas Watson

• Age: 21
• Location: Brisbane, Australia
• Bio: Photography is a passion that extends itself to all facets of my life, through friends, work, lifestyle and travel. I see it as a way of capturing life in a simple box of frames for the world so see. My photography reflects the true nature of youth today, however beautiful or crude it may be. I try to transfix the reality that we are often too scared to admit too. A twenty one year old with a vision to portray to the world what ‘living casjj’ really is.
• Link: www.brotherlylove.tumblr.com

Josh Pickersgill-Brown

• Age: 21
• Location: Christchurch, New Zealand
• Bio: I’m Josh Pickersgill-Brown from Christchurch, New Zealand. I grew up around cameras of sorts and the beauty of living in such a country, so naturally I wanted to capture it. My aim is to take each picture in the way my eye perceives it, as if to explain the way I see the world. A photo can focus on one part but in a certain light and angle that the eye would never have thought of. Capturing the true idea, I believe, has to be done with one thing as the foundation. Honesty. Cameras never lie. Manipulated, but never false.
• Link: flickr.com/suiteseven, mylifeinsilver.tumblr.com

José Orsini

• Age: 23
• Location: Caracas, Venezuela
• Bio: I’m José Orsini. I’m 23 years old and I live in Caracas, Venezuela. 10 years ago, I read an article in a magazine about the Lomo LC-A and from that moment I fell in love of Photography. To me, it’s more than just a hobby or an artistic expression: every photo is full of life and meaning. Photography makes every moment to stop in time and record it into something that lasts more than our memories. That’s why I always carry a camera in my bag.
• Link: http://josema-elkilla.tumblr.com

Iulia Dana Baceanu

• Age: 22
• Location: Bucharest, Romania
• Bio: Iulia Dana Baceanu (22) Architecture student, passionate about making photos , ready to take the camera anywhere ! I approach photography in a different way than you might expect to happen in the XII-st century, intentionally forgetting about my digital camera for months at times. Old cameras, pinhole, expired film and DIY processing are my tools of trade and i love every imperfection that comes up on the way :) So , collaborating in an swap project only comes naturally!
• Link: http://theonewhobitesthehandthatfeeds.tumblr.com/, http://schwarzweissinalbsinegru.tumblr.com/, http://smenacamera.tumblr.com/about

Caroline Irwin

• Age: 21
• Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland
• Bio: Caroline Irwin is a final year film student and amateur photographer living in Belfast,N Ireland: “My photographs centre almost entirely around my day to day life, i have taken to photography for its ability to encourage my engagement with the world around me,no matter how mundane,ugly, the environment i will always be searching for a photo opportunity, often i’m basically just trying to make my life look and feel prettier than it really is, but in doing so i find things to appreciate that i would otherwise overlook. I take photos,especially with film, because i enjoy the serendipity of the process,something which this double exposure project takes to the extreme! I am also currently learning darkroom skills and loving every minute of it. “
• Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/-wasteofpaint-/

Jyh Yeong Lee

• Age: 30
• Location: Singapore
• Bio: When/how/why: About 3, 4 years ago. I fell in love with the crazy cross-processed look, and I found out about Lomography…. and it just grew from there. I began to take things a bit more… seriously. And I use the word loosely. I’m no professional, I merely got curious and wanted to find out how things work - aperture, shutter speed, etc. I like the idea of how I am in control, and not the machine because when things screw up, I know who to blame! I love film for its “look” because there’s just nothing quite like it. Will I continue to shoot film? Without a shadow of a doubt, I will.
• Link: www.flickr.com/photos/fuzk

Jillian Bemis

• Age: 17
• Location: Massachusetts, USA
• Bio: Jillian Bemis is currently a student whose passion for art and photography has her well respected for her work. She has won local awards for her photography and art. As young as elementary school age, Jillian was acknowledged and respected for her use of perspective and her artist’s eye. A member of local art associations, she continues to show her photography and art in local shows while continuing her education. Jillian’s love of photography has blossomed from digital work to a passion for film. Her numerous cameras, both new and vintage allows for her imagination to come into play.
• Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jillian-b/

Eric Warner

• Age: 25
• Location: Encinitas, California USA
• Bio: The unexpectedness of film and creating a tangible image is what drives me to keep shooting this medium. Loading different films into my camera is like choosing what type of paint and brush to use before creating a painting. Shooting film makes me patient and I am never trying to force a moment that might not be there. I love to document everything whether it be a boat trip to Indonesia or if I am longboarding down the road from my house shooting with my Nikonos. I am 26 years of age and currently reside in Encinitas, California.
• Link: www.ewarnerphoto.com

Christopher Wong

• Age: 25
• Location: Shenzhen, China
• Bio: I am a 25 year old self-taught photographer. As a Chinese-American born and raised in California, I have always had at best, a rather vague understanding of my roots. In an effort to explore my cultural heritage, I took a job in Shenzhen, China. A rapidly developing metropolis located an hour’s drive away from the all the villages I can furthest trace my roots as well as the bulk of my extended family in Hong Kong. While in China, I have been avidly capturing images that document my changing perspective of the country as well as my ethnic background.
• Link: http://carpelux.carbonmade.com/, http://www.flickr.com/photos/30711075@N05/

Katarina Ribnikar

• Age: 18
• Location: Slovenia
• Bio: Hello, I’m Katarina and I was born and raised in a little country called Slovenia in Europe. I’m eighteen years old and I’m enjoying life to the fullest. In my life there was always room for art in all forms. I love movies, music, books, theatre and I always had a thing for photography, but usually I was standing on the other side of the camera, as a model. Then I discovered the charms of film photography and it still fascinates me. I like taking photos of beautiful people all over the world, cute vintage objects and details that often attract my attention.
• Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/58143299@N03/, http://growyourbeauty.tumblr.com/

Yannik Heyer

• Age: 24
• Location: Oldenburg, Germany
• Bio: I’m Yannik, 24, student from Oldenburg (Germany). I am into photography for just about half a year now. It all started by browsing through a friend’s photo albums, when I stumbled upon some pictures with high contrasts and saturation and with grainings which reminded me of pictures from the 70s or 80s. I instantly fell in love and wanted to make such great photos as well. So, the same night I bought my beloved Zorki-4 and now I am here, shooting all the interesting, unique or just pretty things and places I come by.
• Link: http://www.lomography.com/homes/beatnik00

(Source: istillshootfilm.org)

Submissions for the worldwide film swap are now closed, but thank you to everyone who sent something in. I got so many fantastic responses that I just may turn this into an annual event. For this year, I have chosen 14 awesome photographers varying in age and nationality. We’re still in the beginning stages of this project, so I will post another update with more info as soon as possible.

Many of you have asked me if I want to do a film swap…. I am incredibly busy but I think it could be a really cool project. Unfortunately, I am unable to find all of your messages in the madness that is my Tumblr inbox. If you want to do a double exposure film swap or if you previously (at any time) asked me to do a film swap, please send me an email reminder at istillshootfilm@gmail.com. Include your name, age, location, what you intend to shoot, what type of camera you intend to shoot with and what brand of film. If you can also include a link to some of your photos (any photos, they don’t have to be professional) that would be great.

I will select 10 people from different countries to participate and will post the results here. I will be accepting film swap propositions for 1 week, so until Friday, March 4th. Can’t wait to see what you guys will suggest :)

(Source: istillshootfilm.org)