Feature Interview - Power of Film: Ari Seg

 

1. Fill me in on your background, where are you from and how did you get in to photography?

I'm from Lleida, a town from Catalonia. But now I'm working on Barcelona so I'm based here! I've always loved photography. In my teenage years I loved taking photos with my friends. But it was not until I studied graphic design I started experimenting with photography and I realized that this great "escape", this hobby, could also be a professional thing and a way to learn about composition. Last summer, I found my mother's Werlisa camera, and then my father's nikkormat. That was the time when I started taking photos with film cameras, and when I felt in love with film. This happened in a moment in my life when I had lots of free time, so I could experience a lot.





2. You seem to favour location over studio, how come?

Absolutely! I worked in studios when I was studying, but I don't feel comfortable in there. When I'm outdoors I feel much more inspired and I love working with natural light. I think it's funnier going into a forest or a house and finding nice places to take pictures, than working in a studio.





3. What is your favourite style of photography (Self portraiture? Fashion? Documentary)?

Fashion. I'm starting to feel more comfortable with self portraits, and learning about them. But there's no doubt that fashion photography is my favorite. When I look at a fashion editorial that I like, I don't need anything else.



4. What is your process when taking photo's, from getting ideas to editing?

It depends. Sometimes the first thing I think about is the location. Then I choose the concept-story and last the outfit/make-up/. But sometimes I really want to shoot a story or some kind of clothes-style. When this happens, the last thing I choose is the location. I always try to do some sketches of the photos (composition,poses...). So, when it's the time to shoot, I really have a mental map. After developing the photos, I retouch some of them, just if I don't like the light or the contrast. And when I really want/need to finish a reel, it's a very improvised thing.





5. Why do you seem to favour film cameras? And which of your film cameras is your favourite?

I feel more comfortable working with my father's Nikkormat, which I love so much. It was love at first reel! In my first photoshoot, I shoot with three cameras: nikkormat, werlisa and a digital camera. I didn't used any of the digital camera photos, because I thought they didn't have the power that the analogic ones have. So I decided to stop using digital for a while.




6. Why do you think people are drawn to photography?

I can't understand how they are not drawn! For me, photography is a way to express myself and grow. I guess, for anyone who likes photography, making their own photos is another way of expressing themselves and creating a world of their own, where they can be free and see things as they want.





7. How do you know which moments in life to capture?

When a moment inspires me. A location, a shadow, a ray of light or a pose. When any of those things are ok, this is "the moment".




8. Where do you hope to go with your photography?

Now, I'm doing it because I'm having so much fun and I'm learning a lot. But I would love to do it as a professional thing! I have finally found a great job, but all the time I was looking for it, photography was practically the only thing I did and helped me a lot. It was my illusion and it still is. So I would love making a living as a freelance photographer! But if with my photos can inspire another person, I'm satisfied.




9. What is your best tip to taking a striking photo?

Photographing what you really want to photograph, and doing it on your own way. That is the best tip for taking a good photo!



10. Do you think you have an original style that is your own?

I try my photos to be dreamy and feminine. Girls and moments full of freedom.



11. Where do you find inspiration?

Movies, music, forests, photographers, flowers, fog, vaporous dresses, white wood, old houses, trees, shinny colored things, sundays, my garden. Anything that I looked more than once.



12. What draws you to a particular model? What do you look for in a model?

Long hair, wild look, magic eyes and long legs. Someone that you would look more than twice.



13. What are some of your favourite films, books and musicians?

Movies: donnie darko, the virgin suicides, the dreamers, velvet goldmine, almost famous, pride & prejudice, sedmikrasky, the royal tenenbaums, wild at heart, the neverending story, dazed and confused...I can't stop!

Books: I love an spanish writer called Ray Loriga. Less than zero, Wuthering Heights, go ask alice, and harry potter books!

These days, I'm quite obsessed with Crystal castles and The magnetic fields. And some bands I will always love...Bowie, T-rex, Blur, Pulp, the libertines.



14. What has been your biggest achievement so far with your photography?

Knowing that some people are interested in it. This is my best achievement and what makes me happy.



15. Do you think it’s hard to be original in photography? How do you keep your ideas original and fresh?

I think that it hasn't to be hard. If for someone it's like a "hard" job all the time, then obviously it's not what he/she must do. People has to do what they feel, no matter if it's new or original, but it would be their thing with their point of view and their style. In my case, I only try to capture and translate what's in my mind.



16. Which photographer do you think I should interview next and why?

I love Marie Zucker photos. They inspire me so much, and they all are like a fairytale! I would like to know more about her and her work, so it would be great if you could interview her.





17. What is your favourite photo taken by another photographer? (Link and describe why)

It's very difficult to choose only one photo in the world, but this one of Sally Mann if one of my favorites:

Normally, i preffer color photos. But Sally Mann work fascinates me. Everything in this photo is perfect. The pose, the braids, the contrast of a blonde girl with the dark woods. It looks like a fragile, innocent girl in a cloudy and dark day, but at the same time, she seems so confident and free. The classic panties, gave a natural look to the photo and remind you that it's just a girl in her garden being photographed by her mother.

18. What is your favourite photo you have taken? (Link and describe why)

This is one of my favorite photos:




I love the colors (blue sky, blue sweaters, only blue). The fact that they look like twins and how the sun illuminates just one side of their faces. Like telling us that they have a sweet side and a bad side.The bows, give the photo a sweeter look. And that branch, let us know that they are in a place with nature.

19. If you could photograph any person alive or dead who would it be and why?

I would love to do a photoshoot with Anna karina and Jane Birkin, together, when they were young! Because they were lovely girls full of personality and talent.

And another one with Charlotte Free. She just look like a fairy. I love her skin and her hair.



20. Give us the skinny, what's the next project you've got coming up?

I would like to buy a great digital camera to do more videos and start a zine of my blog Joy girls. And now that spring is coming, flowers, sun, ice creams, lots of inspirations, I want to take lots of photos and I really want to see the models not freezing.





21. Which actor would play you in the film of your life?

I would love Eva Green to be the chosen one! She looks like a very passionate girl.




22. What did you want to grow up to be when you were a kid?

I wanted to be a teacher, a detective, a singer, an executive. And a goonie. Well...I still want to be a goonie!



Thank you so much Ari :)

See more or Ari's amazing work  on her Flickr here!

Feature Interview - Power of film: Hannah and Landon Metz

So here we are, a brand new year and a brand new feature and one I've been excited to start for a while! 

My knowledge of film photography is fairly slim, mainly involving Polaroid or Fuji Instax instant film, or the limited information I learned in my AS Photography course when I was 17. However, I am completely memorized by it, and often try and obtain a film look in my digital work, because of this I am often obsessed with seeking out amazing film photographers, those who seem to perfectly capture their whole lives with this medium, and therefore make it look vintage, classic and mysterious.

I found Hannah and Landon, or as they were known back then 'Hello Bum' about 3 years ago when a friend of mine said, 'you should check out this married couple, I'm in love with both of them, and their lives!', I didn't anticipate that by checking, I would fall in love with them as well.

And on a side note, they have had great success with their blog, something I'm sure wasn't their aim when starting it, and were even mentioned by Justin Timberlake on his blog!!!

So enough chat, here they are, the first to be interviewed for my new feature, and I'm already scared I won't be able to top them...

Hannah and Landon Metz!

 
 

1. Fill me in on your background, where are you from and how did you get in to photography?

I'm from Ottawa, Canada presently living in New York by way of Vancouver and Los Angeles. I can't pinpoint an exact moment that began my interest in photography but I reckon it happened sometime between my dodgy 2002 webcam self portraits for livejournal and my first Pentax in 2008. 

 

 

2. Tell us how you met and about your wedding? :)

Landon and I met via Livejournal (perhaps as a result of said dodgy webcam portraits? hehe). We were friends for six months, lovers for 21 months and husband and wife thereafter. We were married on a beach in Vancouver surrounded by close family and friends and spent the evening dancing and feasting on a boat!







3. What is your favourite style of photography (Self portraiture? Fashion? Documentary)? 

I enjoy the immediacy and intimacy of self portraits. I think what might surprise (or perhaps not) many people familiar with our photos is that many of them are self portraits). I love documentary style photos for the same reason! 

 



 

4. What is your process when taking photo's, from getting ideas to editing?

I'm not sure we have a distinct process beyond a moment presenting itself. If we have a lovely lot of snow outside I might drag Landon out to snap a few shots or if we're visiting his family in Arizona I always like to get a few photos of those moonlike rocks but that's about as far as we go for "planned" shoots. The rest are pretty spontaneous! One of our most popular series (a shoot we ended up using to promote a lingerie line I co-own) occurred the morning after we hosted a slumber party at our house and happened only because I was showing a friend some lingerie samples and she asked if she could try some on and one thing led to another and voila (sounds far more scandalous than it was)! 

5. What are your tools of the trade? 

We alternate between a pentax k1000 and a contax g2. There are others here and there but those are our two favourites! 



 

6. Why do you seem to favour film cameras? And which of your film cameras is your favourite?

I like the element of surprise! The quality is so specific and one that no amount of photo editing and glorious digital cameras could ever emulate.

 

 

7. Why do you think people are drawn to photography?

I can't speak for others but I know for me I am drawn capture the world around me as it is existing at that very moment. It's a small world I've got about me but it'll be something to keep me entertained in my old old old tripple digit age. 

8. How do you know which moments in life to capture?

When it feels right! 

9. Where do you hope to go with your photography?

I'm not sure, I think just continue to build up a pretty significant album to bore our children and entertain our grand-children with (minus the nudies)!






10. What is your best tip to taking a striking photo?
 

I think it's important to be flexible and adventurous, sometimes it will turn out brilliantly and sometimes not! Often I will return to the photos I liked less at my initial review of them and find I like them much more with time passed. Being easy on yourself is perhaps the best tip I can offer, just diving in! 

11. Do you think you have an original style that is you own?

I think it's our own in that the moments we capture are our own. If ever I take a photograph with another photographer's image in mind it's come out embarrassingly obvious that it's somebody else's moment. 




 
12. Tell us a bit about your blog?

It's ancient! I've been blogging for a hideously long time, so long that I don't know how to stop! I think it's slowing down though with so many social media platforms to distract and entertain. I imagine there is a lot less interest in personal blogs. It's fun though, I reckon so long as I'm on the internet I'll maintain some form of blog. 



 





13. Tell us about the clothes!!!?

Haha, I've been collecting vintage clothing since I was 12 years old and so have amassed quite the collection of other people's discarded duds over the years! Fortunately I've got a shop now so I can filter my collection into there and not overwhelm my apartment and poor Landon! 





14. What are some of your favourite films, books and musicians?

My favourite story has been so since I was a tween and that's Tristan and Iseult. I'm a sucker for period pieces and can sit pretty contentedly through almost any of them (almost). My absolute favourite movies are, Sense and Sensibility, Loves of a Blonde, Valerie and her Week of Wonders and Daisies. Musicians, there are too many too name though I have to say Leonard Cohen and Enya rate pretty high for me! 




 
15. Which photographer do you think I should interview next and why?

Shae Acopian Detar, she's magnificent and goes above and beyond always! I adore her. 

 

16. What is your favourite photo taken by another photographer? (Link and describe why)

Oh gosh, I couldn't pick a favourite! I love the work of Ellen Rogers (http://www.flickr.com/photos/beep_peep/), it's dark and romantic and like a modern Pre-Raphaelite. 

17. Fill me in, why 'Hello Bum'? Why the obsession with bottoms? 

What's not to love about bottoms! I think Hello Bum came from my sleeping with my bum pointed out like a rocket on top of my bedmate. 









18. Give us the skinny, what's the next project you've got coming up?

Landon is hard at work painting in the studio daily so he's continuing that journey and I'm developing some textile prints that I hope to see out and about within this year! 

 
19. Which actor would play you in the film of your life?

Hmm, well the two actors currently working that look most like Landon and I are Chloe Moretz (eerily similar if Landon were a girl nearly half his age) and Scarlett Johansson (we've got similar bums and noses). Though if I were to flatter us I'd pick Johnny Depp for Landon (heh) annnnnd both Maries from Daisies to play me. hehe.

20. What did you want to grow up to be when you were a kid?

I wanted to be an artist and a ballerina. 

Major thanks to Hannah Metz :) 

See more of their images on their Flickr and their addictive BLOG

xx