Author: Mathias

© Sylvain Bouzat

Finding human connection: Sylvain Bouzat

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There are people I follow on social media, whose lives never seem to stand still – at least judging by their photo output. Same goes for French photographer Sylvain Bouzat. Albania, Oman, India, Morocco, Nepal, Bhutan, to name a few. He’s been there, loaded with his Contax 645 and came back with stunning results. Yet a stolen camera years back almost meant a career in graphic design and countless of these photographs would’ve never seen the light of day. Thankfully Sylvain found his way back to film photography eventually. We talked about his travels, beginnings, remote places and what he looks for in an image. Here we go! Hey Sylvain, please tell us a little bit about yourself. Hi, I’m Sylvain, a french photographer. I live in Lyon near the French Alps and I try to improve my photo skills everyday. I work as a wedding photographer, work on corporate projects and have covered skateboarding, punk rock shows and travel film photography (street photography and portraits) for my personal work. How did you get into film photography? …

hæst © Oliver Hultqvist

Of gratitude and wonder: Oliver Hultqvist

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Wrapped under his Oh, my moniker, Oliver Hultqvist’s instagram bio reads like that of a man wearing many different hats: Creator. One hell of a lover (apparently). 35mm photographer. Producer. Poet. Quite extensive, really. For now let’s focus on his photography persona and the wordsmithery that goes alongside it. And hey, there’s plenty to unpack, really. Hello Oliver. Please tell us a little bit about yourself. My upbringing took place in a small village deep within a Swedish forest. My parents moved here to partake in a commune they had come to be a part of a few years earlier. My family had their own place, but spent a lot of time at the commune, where we shared an enormous house together with what might have been 100 people – at least that is what it felt like being a kid. The communal house being placed by a lake in the forest offered a beautiful place to explore and play growing up, and so did my actual home. Seems like a fantastic, wholesome upbringing to me. Absolutely. …

© Ben Battaglia

Through the kaleidscope: Ben Battaglia

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Sometimes I wonder about limits. The limits of exposure – not strictly photographically speaking, but rather the number of images the human eye can spot, process and assess. What are our precast or learned definition of what’s worth a second look and what isn’t? When it comes to film photography, one thing’s for sure: I have a soft spot for bright, bold, unusual compositions. And if you throw some interesting perspectives, multiple exposures and an interesting choice of film stock – I’m looking at you, Lomochrome Purple! – into the mix, we’ve got a match. Ben Battaglia‘s photos were pretty much calling out Bingo! in that respect, so it was only fair to enlist the compadre from the Southern English seaside town of Bournemouth for a little Q&A. Here we go! Let’s get the obvious one out the way: How and when did you figure out that shooting on film was for you? I was initially introduced to shooting film while studying for my photography A-level in 2009. The course focused on darkroom and we were required …

Against the current: SelfieOnFilm

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The selfie. Once considered as the artist’s go-to tool for self-presentation. Nowadays though, it’s more of an epitome of the disposable and (to some) an ailment of our digital world. Shot in every variation imaginable, played to the gallery, until somewhat happy with the result(s), selfies not only clutter our smartphone camera rolls, but rules supreme over today’s social media and photo apps. On Instagram, some 367m photos, and counting, are tagged with #selfie and there are no signs of slowing down. Infinite tries are not necessarily an option if you’re shooting film and so SelfieOnFilm features those who do it the old fashioned way and tell a story or two about the snap along the way. It is driven by what I like most about film photography: Not about the perfect shot, but about character, the little flaws, the grainy bits and distortions that make these images worthwhile and timeless.            

Laura Pannack: Separation

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Brexit’s a tough topic, a sore spot, especially if you’re experiencing it in the midst of it all, have family and friends who are or will be affected by the aftermath that nobody fully understands, least the country’s politicians. A lot, maybe too much has been said, written, lied, complained and argued about it, yet it’s an issue that’s in a way affecting everyone in Europe. And may it only tell us about the state the European project is in and how people perceive it, struggle with it, give up on it. Having lived in the UK before and after the horrendous decision as an expat myself before moving back to home soil, I know of the lingering questions that have put many relationships to the test. Shall we stay or do we have to leave? Does anyone still want us here? Should we get married to be on the safe side? In her intimate portrait series ‘Separation’, commissioned by British Journal of Photography, photographer Laura Pannack explores these feelings of uncertainty between London-based couples …

Going round & round: YamanoteYamanote

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Travelling around Japan earlier this year has got me seriously falling in love with the country’s beautiful places, people, food and culture. Give me a little nudge, a gentle reminder of Nippon life and I’m easily thrown into a nostalgia-induced state of wanderlust and itching to jump on the next flight eastward. Thus, I was more than fair game for Tokyo-based Swiss graphic designers Julien Mercier and Julien Wulff, who yanked me from my daily routine with excellent poster project YamanoteYamanote. Following the eponymous circular train line that whirls around the bustling metropolis and serves downtown hotspots Shibuya, Shinjuku or Akihabara, the duo creates two corresponding designs for each of the 29 Yamanote stations and their characteristic surroundings. Every new design, combining minimalism, hushed colours, a clever mix of Japanese kanji and Latin letters, is then presented at a one-time exhibition at a venue near each station. 素晴らしい! Keep up to date with the Yamanote Yamanote project here: yamanoteyamanote.com @instagram @facebook

Devoted

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At 15, considerably late in the game, I first picked up a skateboard and decided that this was the way I want to spend my time with, the way of exploring and making sense of the physical world around me. When I’m at my parents, my old room still has that skate rat feel to it. Broken boards here and there, some cut-out photos and ads of my favourite pros, some worn-out shoes crammed in the back of the wardrobe and of course, the huge pile of magazines collected along the way. A big chunk of my early skateboarding education, I owe to the videos I borrowed from friends on VHS or DVD and studied over and over and over again, yet my weapon of choice for inspiration were the print magazines released every month. Now, in times of the digital word, countless blogs, social media, digesting the news about literally anything – not just the subculture of skateboarding – has changed radically, not just compared to the early 2000’s, but the pre-internet times. And …

Lost in the moody hues: Maya Beano

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I always have a knack for brilliant analog photography, but the level of atmosphere in Maya Beano’s moody images is off the charts. If there is ever a perfect moment, the perfect weather conditions, the perfect interplay of light and shadows, she’s right there and well knows how to use and command the elements. Whether it is playing around with haunting double exposures, long exposures, different filters of beautiful monochrome, purple, violet or turquoise colour hues or shooting on simple 35mm film format, there’s always something awe-inspiring to discover in her compositions. Of course, Maya’s skill didn’t go unnoticed over the years: Her stunning work has raised eyebrows at The Independent Photographer, has been featured in #PHOTOGRAPHY magazine, selected for a fantastic Oh Comely cover or listed as part of the If You Leave Showcases 2015 and 2016. And deservedly so. Check out more of her work here on her website and social media feed: mayabeano.com @instagram @tumblr

Ønwards

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When I left London for Edinburgh a few years prior, everyone kept saying: “Look, you’re moving somewhere affordable, a place with charm, character and soul.” Of course, then I did not believe I was in for such a wonderful treat. In the last couple of months the reaction has been quite a similar one. An “Oh Berlin. I envy you” here, an “Berlin? Now, I’m jealous” there. Today, sitting in my new, rather empty apartment, between boxes piling up to the heavens, patiently waiting to be unpacked, it all feels a little strange to be here. A good kind of strange, I have to say. Pretty much six years ago to this day, I first set foot on an island that was foreign, yet took me in with open arms. A place brimming with life, a place I gladly called home shortly after, made the best friends, built relationships and with every passing day I wasn’t sure what to think about going back to the familiar home shores. Now after a heartfelt jump into the …

Opening Doors

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‘Opening Doors’ is a new feature for Counterpoint Magazine, a beautifully risograph-printed magazine bringing together independent journalism and illustration. For issue #12 ‘Spaces’ I talked to the organisers of Hidden Door, a DIY arts festival colonising Edinburgh’s abandoned spaces. Read the full piece on my portfolio here.