This week’s Member Moment features work by Film Club member Flora Fei, whose work naturally exhibits a sense of nostalgia, whether it's a landscape or a portrait. Scroll down to see her pictures and to read the interview!
PL: What got you interested in photography?
FF: I’ve always been curious about photography since I was a kid, but didn’t have the chance to get into it until my first year in college. I took an intro-level photography class without realizing that it was actually a film photography class rather than digital, but that opened a whole new world for me and really sparked my interest in photography.
I would develop and print my photos in the darkroom for hours and hours, and I loved wandering around with my camera. I also remember vividly learning about photographers such as Saul Leiter and Vivian Maier in class. Their works, especially their street photographs, left a great impact on me and deepened my passion for photography.
PL: What type of camera do you shoot with?
PL: When taking pictures, what are some objects or elements or feelings within a scene that inspire you to take a photo?
FF: I think I am naturally drawn to people when I take pictures. When people are in their environment, feeling sad or happy, or just being themselves, those moments really inspire me to take a photo. However, sometimes I also find myself capturing images that simply reflect my own state of mind or feelings at the time.
PL: Of the pictures you submitted, can you share an interesting story about one?
FF: This photo of my dog through the mirror with a light shining on her eye, it used to be a lost photo. I thought that I lost the film roll three years ago, when I moved away from Atlanta. I was searching for it desperately and wasn’t able to find it. It was also a turbulent time in my life, and I kind of stopped taking photos from then on. But on an ordinary day last year, I found it in my digital camera’s backpack. It was hidden in there the whole time. There was a possibility that I would’ve never been able to see this photo, but I was glad I found it and got it developed (Thanks to PhotoLounge). But the greater meaning it brought to me was that it also brought photography back to my life, something that really makes me feel like myself.
PL: What do you enjoy most about digital/film photography and what is challenging about it?
FF: What I enjoyed the most about photography in general is that it allows me to pay attention to the beauty in a person, in a place, and in even the smallest and most mundane moments in life.
What I love about film photography specifically is the process. Even though I no longer develop and print my own photos, just the process of loading the film itself makes me happy. Most importantly, the fact that you cannot see what you take immediately really taught me delayed gratification. You will always end up with some great surprises, sometimes good and sometimes bad.
However, that’s also what’s challenging about this medium. Since I can’t see it immediately, I cannot make the right adjustments. As contradictory as it may sound, I enjoyed digital photography for the reason that it allows me to do what film cannot do. It’s helpful for me sometimes, especially when I am experimenting with something new or capturing something that’s happening very quickly. I think for me, I cherish both film and digital photography, and it will be hard to give up either.
PL: How would you like to grow this collection of photographs?
KD: Besides challenging myself to be bolder to capture more decisive and interesting moments, I would also like to experiment more--doing more creative portraits, trying different film stocks or even 120 film, and experimenting with a flash as well. Hopefully, I can grow this collection of photographs to the point that I may have a photobook one day.
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