Analog photography with Kamila

Analog photography is truly beautiful and undeniably unique in today’s era of digitalization, where every aspect of life is becoming digital. The more cameras are embedded in smartphones, the more the quality and meaning of true photography seem to diminish. It’s a sad consequence of progress.

When people go on trips or even just walk around the city, many take hundreds – if not thousands – of photos. They snap pictures mindlessly, without much thought, without considering composition, quality, or even the purpose of the image. They do it simply because they can, and with increasingly cheaper storage media, they can accumulate vast amounts of digital clutter. Photography, in its artistic sense, hasn’t necessarily lost its quality, but it has been reduced to mere visual notes.

Together with Lucas Malec and Natalia Grela – our trio known as “OhVibe Creative Collective” – we decided some time ago to return to analog photography. I was the one who initially wanted to revisit it, and having companions makes it easier to stay motivated, exchange experiences, and simply enjoy the process together.

For one of our shoots, we invited Kamila. The concept was simple: styling and atmosphere inspired by the 1970s. The camera I brought hadn’t been fully tested yet, and as it turned out, the film had a tendency to tear due to some faulty mechanisms. The shutter had a mind of its own—sometimes slowing down mid-action, affecting the exposure across frames, and occasionally getting stuck entirely.

Some might call that a disaster, but I loved it. The unpredictability of testing the camera (which is now properly serviced and working as it should) made for an exciting experience! To salvage the results, I had to push the film a few stops, which led to noticeable grain. Plus, since I developed the film myself, the process was far from perfect. Scratches from the camera and handling added to the aged, vintage look of the final images.

What do you think of this old-school aesthetic?

Ilford hp5 plus (asa400) in faulty Canon TLb, scan (January 2023)