Member Moment: Jillian Troth

Jillian Troth is a Film Club Member whose work is featured in our Member Show Seasonal Reflections: Fall. The photographs she submitted capture beautiful natural landscapes that are quite peaceful. This week we decided to interview her and see a wider selection of her photographs.

PL: What got you interested in film photography? 

JT: After seeing the film photography of my aunt Zoe and my friend Emily (@emily.gass), I fell in love with the warmth of the medium and how it brings out interesting lighting.

PL: What type of camera do you shoot with and what kind of film do you usually use?

JT: My camera is a Canon EOS Rebel 2000, and my favorite film to use is Kodak Gold 200 color film. Fun fact: my camera was actually my mom’s that she’s had ever since she got into film photography as a young adult. She found it a few months back and gave it to me.

PL: What are some qualities that you like about color film?

JT: I love how color film tends to add a unique warmth and displays colors a little differently (I particularly love how greens and oranges often turn out).

PL: Many of your photos capture a scene in nature. When taking pictures, what are some objects or elements or feelings within a scene that inspire you to take a photo?

JT: I think it's easy sometimes to forget that the things we see in nature aren’t copy-paste images– they’re messy and ever-changing. That’s what I try to capture: the little idiosyncrasies and patterns we don’t always notice, like the shapes of shadows or arrangements of flora. In that way, I think perspective plays a large role in my approach.

PL: Your images have a strong composition. When photographing, what are you thinking before you click the shutter? 

JT: Thank you! One of my favorite things about photography is capturing scenes in a way that makes you slow down and reconsider how you perceive things. Usually that involves recontextualizing the subject by playing with zoom, experimenting with subject/ground, or trying out different ways of framing.

PL: Out of all of these photos, which one is your favorite and why?

JT: I’ve always loved the clothesline photo. The way it came out really surprised me– the subject is so ordinary but the backlighting from the evening sun makes the clothes glow and reveals the organic folds in the fabric. I also love how the image is organically divided by a series of horizontal lines. There’s so much happening within the composition of such a “simple” scene that at once feels nostalgic and new.

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