Would you care to tell us a bit about yourself and how you came to be a photographer?
Hi! My name’s Natalie and I’m 33 years old. I recently moved back to my hometown in the UK after living in Germany for 8 years, where I worked in the video game industry. Now I’m trying to decide on what I want to do next, whilst reconnecting with family, friends and the English way of life 🙂
I know I’m supposed to say something deep and meaningful on why I came to be a photographer haha, but honestly, I just really love documenting my life around me and have done since I was a young girl. I’ve always taken photos to capture special moments: holidays, days out with friends etc., and I did this without ever thinking that people actually do this for a living and take it seriously, just like I never imagined you could get paid to test video games, but then I found that to be true! I started taking photography a bit more seriously when I moved to Germany, and a friend who was very talented started to give me some tips and let me use his very nice camera. Since then I was completely hooked, and wanted to improve on what I already knew.
Do you professionally work as a photographer?
No, I’d love to but I’m still an amateur and would like to really hone my skills. I have done some events for friends or people I’ve reached out to for work experience and have captured weddings, concerts and work events and it’s something I’d consider if a good offer ever presented itself, but right now it’s just something I do for me as a hobby.
Why do you like to take analog pictures? Do you shoot digital as well?
I just love how the photos can often turn out to be a complete surprise, maybe a roll of film you’d forgotten about or because you’ve been experimenting and don’t know how the result will be, that same anticipation from when I was younger and waiting to get my film developed is still there and it’s always quite exciting to see how they turn out. I love the look of film photographs; the grain, the imperfection – you have to be more aware of your surroundings and what you’re dealing with in terms of light and composition, it’s challenging but that’s part of the fun. You can be quite creative with analog and there are so many nice camera’s and films available these days, the possibilities are endless.
I still shoot digital too, absolutely, you can be much more accurate about what you want and see the result right away, which is sometimes useful when you have a specific project in mind. It’s also much more economic if you have limited space but want to take a lot of pictures. But I definitely have a soft spot for analog.
Do you have a favorite subject to photograph? If so, why?
I really enjoy taking double exposures, as you can probably tell 🙂 It’s so satisfying when they turn out how you imagine, and you can try so many different combinations and techniques, I love trying out new ideas. There are some great photographers out there who produce some amazing photos and I get inspiration from them, but often an idea pops into my head when I’m out and about and I try my luck, sometimes it works, sometimes not but that’s the beauty of analog.
What’s your favorite analog camera?
Hmm, tough choice. Even though there are much more advanced camera’s out there and the results aren’t always perfect, I love my La Sardina Lomo camera. It’s small and light and I can take it everywhere, and it’s given me some great photos, I’ve had it for a long time now but it’s usually my first choice. When I want my images a bit sharper then I’ll go for my Nikon F3 which is a really nice, solid camera.
Do you have a favorite revolog film?
I’ve really enjoyed using the Revolog Kolor film. I’ve used it a few times now and it’s produced different results every time, and I’ve always been really pleased with the results. It’s definitely a film you can have fun with
Any advice for other photographers?
Not really, I think it’s important to have fun and enjoy what you’re doing. If I could advise my younger self I would have said “start studying from as early an age as possible and get to know your camera’s and everything there is to know about photography!”
Do you have any future projects you’d like to talk about?
I always have ideas of things I want to do, it’s just finding the time! I’d definitely like to try a film swap one day, and I need to take more pictures of people, I tend to photograph ‘things’ more. I want to take some really nice portraits.
Follow Natalie on Flickr and Instagram
