Instant Films as Summer Mementos - A Photo Album by @fisheyemary
13 20 Share TweetInstant films are perhaps the most accessible analogue experience for just about anyone, but the increasing prices of this medium also means it's a hobby that's becoming harder and harder to maintain for some. One of our dear Lomographers Maria Georgiadou, a.k.a @fisheyemary, took out a couple of her remaining instant films to document her recent summer escapades.
She's no stranger to the Lomography Online Magazine, having been featured in a community spotlight and for her Sprocket Rocket stories taken during quarantine. In this interview we caught up with her to talk about the year that has passed, the summer, and her experience shooting instants in this day and age.
Hi, Maria. It’s been a while since our last chat with you! How have you been and what have you been up to lately?
Hello, always nice to chat with Lomography! Summer 2022 has been interesting and challenging for me, but the overall holiday experience was great! I’m about to start a new photography project since 2021 was a very difficult year for me and I feel the need to express myself and get rid of all the awful experiences I’ve been through. Other than that, it’s business as usual and I always enjoy photography!
Can you tell us a bit about your Summer 2022 instants, which places did you visit and how was the experience?
I visited Agistri island, Pilio, Samos island and Poros island (Greece). I had lots of fun with old and new friends and it was a very very refreshing experience! I cannot live without the sea. I am a summer and sea person, totally!
Do you have a favorite photo (or photos) among the bunch and why those in particular?
This is my favorite, I just love the way these trees look like they’re having a discussion, just like old friends, or lovers, not bothered at all by the two friends sitting right under them. Plus, I adore the way the Polaroid film artifacts made the shot special.
I also like this one very much cause my Lomo'Instant Wide captured the pre-sunset colors in a very cool way!
And this, because I laughed a lot seeing the chair and umbrella there! Someone wanted everyone else to know that this was their spot! Also, the reflection made it a shot I wanted to keep!
And finally, this because I love the way this tree is bending, but keeps standing!
Do you prefer taking instants during trips?
I usually carry more than one camera during my trips, sometimes it’s just my iPhone, sometimes my Olympus DSLR. I always carry analogue cameras too, I have a personal process in order to choose which one, since I have way more film cameras than digital ones! Usually, as soon as I book a trip, I tend to get overexcited and start thinking about which camera or cameras I haven’t used in a while and if they are the right ones for my trip, depending on where this particular trip is.
Sometimes, when browsing through the Lomography site, I get inspired and choose to get a particular camera with me and sometimes I have an instant idea and I never debate it, I'd rather go with my instincts. This summer, I chose to shoot instants only for a very particular reason. I had a fridge full of instant films stocked in the past two years and they started to expire so I decided to make the most out of them.
35 mm and 120 film prices have risen so much and I cannot afford them anymore so I decided not to buy any (I still have a few left in my fridge and I’m keeping them!). So it’s not a matter of preferring to shoot instants, rather than I just shot what I had! I love the feeling of instant photography, having a print in your hands, shortly after the click! I also enjoy the feeling of anticipation, these 10 minutes of waiting and then seeing the developed photo, it’s just something that I absolutely love! It always gives me a feeling of intense joy and excitement!
Any projects you’ve been up to within or outside of photography that you want to share with us?
As I mentioned before, I am about to start a new photography project, possibly with double exposures or the use of a projector combined with portraits. It’s a very challenging project for me, because I’m not great with portraits and I want to try to get better.
Some nasty personal experiences have led me to a deep need of expressing myself and getting over the trauma. It may be a digital camera project though, but I’m still not sure about that, maybe it’ll be both digital and film. It’s a work in progress so stay tuned!
Thank you for sharing your images and thoughts with us, Maria! Best of luck, and we're excited for your project!
For more of her work, check out Maria's LomoHome.
written by sylvann on 2022-10-01 #people #places #summer #greece #instant-film #polaroid #lomo-instant-wide #fisheyemary
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