The beautiful Volvox photograph that is featured in September of this years Revolog calendar was taken by Melanie Cobham. Learn more about the September photo and Melanies views on photography in our interview below.
Where are you from, how old are you?
Hi! My name is Melanie Cobham. I am 26 years old and I’m originally from Uruguay, South America, although I’m currently living in Melbourne, Australia.
Would you like to tell us a bit about yourself how your love for photography started out?
Sure! I’ve been taking analog photographs since I was a kid (little or no digital cameras back in the early nineties!). I had a very precarious, automatic camera with a Hello Kitty sticker that I would carry everywhere. I lived in a farm back then, and would love taking pictures of animals and insects. I quickly became the friend who would take photographs of group outings and trips; I enjoyed being behind the camera a lot more than I did being in front of it. Because I’d always been primarily a drawer / painter, I eventually moved into digital photography as a means to document my work. It was only a couple years ago that I found -and inherited- my dad’s old cameras. I instantly reconnected with my old passion, and haven’t gone back to digital since then. Currently studying Contemporary Art, I’ve had the opportunity to deepen my knowledge on analog developing and enlarging processes, as well as analog filmmaking.
Do you professionally work as a photographer?
I occasionally work as a professional photographer but try to keep it as far from the commercial environment as possible.
Why do you like to take analog pictures? Do you shoot digital as well?
I no longer shoot digital, mainly because I don’t own a digital camera. I do acknowledge its value, and think some ideas are better carried out digitally, but I’ve completely fell in love with the sense of depth that the analog photograph is able to capture, which I think is a lot more flattened in digital photographs. The rawness of the colors is also something I value, and nothing beats the joy of reconnecting with photographs -and moments- that you forgot you’d captured.
Is there a certain background story behind the picture that is featured in September of our 2019 calendar? If so, would you like to share it with us?
It’s a picture of the farm where I grew up. It’s probably one of my favorite places on earth, and I always go on long walks with my cameras whenever I visit. It’s my favorite place to reconnect, take stock and reassess.
Do you have a favorite subject to photograph? If so, why?
I don’t really, but I’ve found that I usually avoid humans and cities and favor the outdoors and its wildlife.
What’s your favorite analog camera?
All cameras give different results, so they’re all beautiful in their own way. It depends on what I’m looking for, but I really like my Canon EOS 500n. Brought to the market just before the first commercial digital cameras, it is lightweight and very user friendly.
Do you have a favorite revolog film?
Either the Kolor or the 600nm.
Do you have any future projects you’d like to talk about?
I’m currently working with gestures, exploring the ways they bridge the gap between languages, or even make communication a lot more confusing. I’ve been doing some experiments using light on long exposure photographs, as well as some double exposures, but I’m yet to see where this takes me
Thank you, Melanie for taking time to answer our questions, really looking forward to your future projects!
Be sure to follow Melanie on instagram and see more of her artistic work (including her gorgeous illustrations) on her website!
